It goes almost without saying that ensuring their children's safety on the water is a priority for parents. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety & Clean Water has made it their priority, too, with their life jacket loaner program for kids. Countrywide, over 300 marinas, fuel docks, BoatUS towing operators, Army Corp recreation sites and other waterfront businesses lend out kids' life jackets for the day or weekend to families who have a temporary need for one–averaging more than 50,000 times each year.

The program, in effect since 1998, has as its goals to educate boaters on the importance of wearing the appropriate size and type of life jacket, to ensure a day of boating isn't cancelled because a family inadvertently forgot to bring a life jacket or life jackets, and–most important–to ensure kids are safe on the water. Funding comes, in part, from donations from the 650,000 members of BoatUS.

The BoatUS Foundation accepts about 40 new sites into the Life Jacket Loaner Program per application cycle. Those groups or waterfront sites accepted into the program are sent 12 child-sized life jackets, signs, brochures and a sign-out binder along with suggestions on placement–such as near a boating ramp, in a marina office or near a fuel dock. The jackets are then made available to boating families, who can check them out for a day, free of charge.

In addition, the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water has a state-administered life jacket program. Marine patrol units from selected states–generally those with limited funding for safety programs–are given loaner life jackets, which they can give to families with children who are not wearing life jackets on the water.

For additional information on the BoatUS Life Jacket Loaner Program for Kids, check out the website and/or contact the program administrator.

-Linda Hoff