Group of kids playing an outdoor game.

YMCA of the USA

Commitment:

Our Out-of-School Time partners like YMCA of the USA (The Y) prioritize healthier options and physical activity for all children under its care.

Since 2011, The Y has worked to establish minimums for physical activity and maximums for the amount of time children spend in front of screens. It has also made efforts to provide healthier food and beverages to the children in its programs and designated water as the primary beverage during snack times. In addition, the Y has encouraged parents to breastfeed, and has conducted parent education classes to promote healthier habits for families at home.

In 2019, the Y expanded and extended its commitment to PHA to make physical activity programs more accessible, affordable, and equitable to underserved and at-risk children. The YMCA will provide 425 sub-grants for Y’s across the country to provide free swimming lessons with a goal of serving 31,250 youth. It will also build upon the existing number of new Y’s delivering water safety programs by committing to fund the implementation of these programs in 50 new branches, and advance its “diverse ability” swim instruction pilot for those children at greatest risk of drowning (e.g. children with autism) in 10 Y’s to reach 750 youth. The Y will also provide 16 sub-grants from the National Park Service (NPS) to reach a minimum of 5,000 underserved, diverse children and youth.

Finally, the Y promises to help advance the CDC’s Active People Healthy Nation program to encourage greater use of walking and biking trails.

We are proud to say that through PHA’s commitment with The Y – as well as other Out-of-School Time partners –we reach more than 5 million children across the country.

5 million children across the country are reached by PHA's out-of-school time partners

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