WILMINGTON, N.C. — The YWCA of the Lower Cape Fear is now offering a course with a force-free philosophy on basic infant swimming

Deborah Campbell has been a swimming coach for 30 years. She’s been with the YWCA as a swim instructor for the last five years and is now leading its new Welcome to Water course for infants.

She knows just how important it is to get infants in the water as soon as possible, especially with communities near water like the coast.

“The earlier you can get your child into the water, the more comfortable they’re going to be around the water and the more comfortable the caregivers are going to be with their child in the water,” Campbell said.

Campbell is able to help parents and their children be confident in the water.

“Not just that exposure to the water, but just getting parents to be comfortable on the water, handling their children in the water, and just a really interactive, fun activity that you can do with your child,” Campbell said.

The course is structured so parents learn different signs of distress.

“The parents need to be reading their baby’s face to make sure that they’re not in any discomfort,” Campbell said.

Through the program, more than 7,000 infants know how to swim in a gentle and safe manner.