Florida Prepaid enrollment goes year-round for college plans
Those born last Friday will receive a $529 scholarship.
Summer vacation is here and so is the time to hit the beach or head to the pool, but you can never have enough swim instructors. Uh, you can help and look at all the swim programs the YMCA of South Palm Beach County has to offer, plus, we need to keep in mind about water safety, especially for our children. Let’s go on the record from WPBF 25. This is On the Record with Todd McDermott. Good morning. The YMCA of South Palm Beach County wants to give more swimming lessons. They have the pools. They need the people. So Jason Higginsi, CEO of the South County Y, and Libby Moon, associate director of water safety, are here to fix that. We will fix that today, promise. Jason, this is *** great time to be part of the South County Y. You have so much to offer, you know, first of all, you have *** lot of aquatic programs that we need to go over. Yeah, we do. And, and this is the 175th anniversary of the YMCA in the United States and our YMCA of South Palm Beach County. We have YMCAs located in Boynton Beach in Boca Raton. We’re here to talk *** little bit about aquatic safety and water swim lessons and and the need for swimming structures. So I’m excited to be here. Thank you. For having us. Let’s bring Libby in because this is, this is your area, Libby. Let’s talk first about the need for instructors. I know you’re close. The number is close. We can close the gap today, I think. I hope so. OK, so I hope so. How many do you need? I would love to even have 5 just so then we can. Serve the 300 more students. I think the big deal is the more instructors that we have, the more lessons we, we can continue to provide. So kids are, you know, there, there’s always gonna be *** demand for swim lessons, and our YMCA and YMCAs across the county and across the country wanna be there to help families with this important need. Well, I was going to say I was gonna ask about demand. Do you have, do you have instructors for everybody who wants to take *** swim lesson at the Two Y’s right now, or do we, we need to fix this today? We definitely. We need to fix this today because uh the need and the desire to have swim lessons is great with 37 drownings in the state of Florida already. We have to have more swim lessons, and that takes instructors teaching individuals how to swim. It’s just *** reminder that water is everywhere here in South Florida. It feels like nowhere else, you know, it’s just so much, and there are dangers there. Let me talk more about instructors for *** minute though. Tell me about the. The desired the perfect swim instructor who, who qualifies for this? OK, well, definitely patience, um, but the overall. Desire to want to teach someone *** life skill that is *** life or death situation, um, and just. The passion behind that you have to have patience too. I mean you’re working with kids sometimes you’re working with adaptive needs children often you’re working with adults and seniors so I think patience is extremely important uh *** dedication, *** joy I mean you’re gonna be in the water for *** long time, so that takes *** unique individual as well but uh anybody can do it it’s not incredibly difficult we’ll teach you, we’ll train you. Uh, we’ll give you all the tools that you need to be successful with it, and we’d love to work with you if you have any, if you wanna get your lesson certification, we’ll put you in the pool as quickly as we possibly can. All right, I, well, I get beaten up in my own pool at home, my, my little girls. I will ask you this right now though. It’s, you make it sound like it’s *** commitment, and it is, but you get something out of this too as *** swim instructor, don’t you? I mean this is there is *** benefit besides getting paid for it. I think it’s *** lot like being *** coach uh I mean you’re teaching somebody something that is gonna have *** positive impact for the rest of their lives this is something that we often say in the YMCA it’s not something that you necessarily want to do it’s something that you need to do if you’re *** parent and you have *** small child you need. To to get them safe in and around the water, so you need, especially in Florida, you talked about that we’re surrounded by water, uh, so this is something that as *** parent, as *** child, you want to give them the skills that they need in order to be safe in and around the water. I have to share something personal because my father tried to teach me to swim. He’s not good at it. Yeah, he was *** little impatient, and I learned to swim at the YMCA. Nice. I really did. You got to share which YMCA. Well, that would be in Buffalo, New York. That’s the one, indoor pool, I hope. Yeah, it’s an indoor pool, but they took us to outdoor pools during the summer where it gets really hot and muggy. I will, you mentioned again there are two Y’s in South County. There’s Boynton Beach, but I’m, I’m very familiar with that one, and there’s one in Boca Raton, and people need to know that they have access to *** couple different facilities. Yeah, there’s actually gonna be *** third YMCA coming on. Which is our partner YMCA in, in more central Palm Beach County, which is the YMCA of the Palm Beaches is just building *** YMCA in Lake Lidl, so they would appreciate that. I would put *** plug in there for them. They’re hoping to have that facility open sometime towards the end of this year, first part of 2027. So for us, water safety is such an important aspect of, of ***, of *** family and *** child’s life. Uh, we don’t care where you necessarily get safe in and around the water. We just wanna make sure that you do. We’d love for it to be at the YMCA. Well, and, and also speaking of which, as far as an instructor goes, ages. Requirements, um, education requirements, swim skills, uh, what goes into actually screening an instructor? So for instructors, uh, the YUSA has now had it be where it’s 15 years old. Um, you have to have your CPR, AED, first aid, um, and oxygen. But in other areas such as WSI, American Red Cross, there’s other ways of having, uh, *** swim instructors certification. Um, what if I, what if I really wanna be *** swim instructor but I’m not quite there? What do I do? Not quite there. Definitely take swim lessons. Um, I mean, I’m happy to work with the individuals always, um, and just. I mean, so for as far as being able to have the capability of doing *** 25 freestyle, *** 25 backstroke, breaststroke, not very much of *** butterfly, that’s OK. Um, it’s *** stroke, yeah, it’s hard. It’s the hardest one, and then you can definitely, um, so being able to perform, to do treading water, and so, um, but again, it’s one of those things, yes, you have to be proficient. But that can also happen as you go. That’s good to know. So do you find that there are certain age groups, certain people who work better with certain age groups in teaching them? Oh, most definitely. I mean, for me, my sweet spot, I always like the little preschoolers and the youth. Um, some people prefer teaching adults, some people prefer teaching, um, the. The babies, the infants, um, if I could just, I think if you switched or flipped that question, you might say that, uh, being *** swimming instructor is *** great job for *** high school student that’s got the summer off, that’s *** college student that’s coming home for the summer, maybe even *** teacher that’s got the summer months off, so it’s *** flexible job. You get to create somewhat your own hours and and we so to answer your question specifically if you’re just close we’re gonna help you try to close that gap. One more quick question can I speak to, I’m sorry, can I speak to the ESE teachers? I mean, or any, um, individual that works with individuals that are neurodivergent. That is *** high, high need. And so, all right, so now somebody’s out there right now. What do they do if they want to sign up? Uh, go to our website, the YMCASPBC.org/careers. You’ll learn more about the job opportunities, not just swim instructors. Lifeguards, summer camp counselors, front desk, anybody that wants to work for the YMCA, at least our YMCA, YMCA SPBC.org/careers. Got it, Jason Libby, thank you so much. We have so much more to talk about concerning South County Y and swim instruction. Next, *** look at the South County YMCA’s adaptive swim program when on the record returns. You’re watching On the Record on WPBF 25. Welcome back. Welcome to Jeff Bergazzoli and Alessia Lodio. Jeff, you’re the YMCA of South County’s adaptive swim instructor, the lead instructor, Alessia, you have *** child who went through the program and really excelled. We have *** lot to talk about when it comes to that from the beginning to where we are at now. But Jeff, first give us an idea of what the adaptive swim program is. Sure, thank you. The adaptive swim program, uh, focuses on one on one instruction with children with diagnosed special needs. And they run in packages of 8 lessons 30 minutes in length, and the instructors, besides having the general swim, uh, certifications, we also train them on working with students with disabilities, and that means, uh, providing tools and techniques to work with that special population. That’s great. It’s just that goes right into my next question, which is what is the approach to working with various students, uh, who have some challenges? How, how does that work? Well, I, I mean, on the, on the first level we we try to slow the process down. Uh, will probably, um. Tailor the program to the specific need of the student it might require visuals it might require uh flippers goggles so we kind of incorporate *** lot of different tools and techniques but each child is different and then we kind of assess it on the way can they do basic things like submerging or floating and. Then we take it from there. So it’s step by step. And before I get to Alessia, also, does it mean the smaller classes or individual instruction? How does this all work? This is individual instruction one on one, and currently we are serving about just over 150 students individually with special needs. That is fantastic. Leslie, tell me about your son. First of all, how old was he when he was part of the adaptive swim program? He started when he was around 7 years old. OK. And at the time he started, could he swim? Could he float? Did he have any skills? No, he couldn’t swim or float. No, he did love the water, but he didn’t know how to deal with it, how to, uh, be safe inside the water, and, and what are his challenges? Well, right now we, I started the swimming as *** safety reason because as *** mom I’m very anxious, especially an autistic child. I’m always worried about him drowning somewhere in *** lake, *** canal, *** pool, or beach or anything, so we started as *** safety and then after *** couple of years he started creating and this passion for water and now he’s in the Special Olympics. So now he’s doing it as *** passion as *** sport as well. That is just fantastic. I, I need to ask you, how did you decide on, and there’s some video. Um, how did you decide on the YMCA’s adaptive swim program? How did you find it? How did you zero in on it? I used to go to the YMCA just as *** regular member for the gym, and then I heard that they have swimming for special needs kids, and they said it’s *** mandatory for special needs kids to know how to swim. Absolutely. So I started with that. It’s fantastic, and you know, we do so many stories about especially autistic. Children drawn to the water, it’s *** fact we all know it, and it’s so important that they develop those skills that it’s, and, and Jeff, it’s, it’s, it’s *** life saving skill too. It’s not just about the strokes. You wanna make sure that these children know how to protect themselves exactly. So we, we, um, emphasize water safety as well as swimming, how to approach *** pool, how to enter *** pool, um. How to climb out of *** pool, how to navigate when maybe somebody may not be in the area to help you. So we start with the life saving techniques always on the top and then we add floating and strokes and eventually, uh, that student then is self-aware when they get into *** situation. Around the many different bodies of water that we have in Florida, I want to circle back to the Special Olympics because this is, you couldn’t have decided that we’re gonna get him swim lessons at the Y and then he’s going to compete in the Special Olympics. That probably wasn’t top of mind, but what, what *** wonderful chapter for him to do that, and he must love it. Yes, he does. Uh, as I said in the beginning, he did start for safety and as an anxious mom, anxiety, thank goodness, was out of the way once he learned how to swim. And float and all that, but then I didn’t know that he was gonna fall in love with the sport itself and then not only it’s therapeutic, it helps him calm down, sleep at night, the safety part and the fact that he’s working out because it’s *** sport that works out your entire body, so it makes me happy that he’s happy and safe. So I, I think he just gave the recommendation, but what would you tell *** parent who’s out there thinking about. Signing up for the adaptive swim program at the Y, mandatory, mandatory, it’s, it’s especially here in Florida, you need to, especially here in Florida, you need to sign up your child to swim, and then you never know, maybe he develops *** passion and maybe it becomes *** sport, *** hobby, something he loves to do. And speaking of loves to do, Jeff, I, I have about 30 seconds. This clearly is something you love to do. This is given back *** lot to for you, I believe. Absolutely and it and it actually goes back to me growing up with uh an uncle with special needs he had cerebral palsy so that’s always been in my system and I’ve always carried that through and I always felt these kids needed uh just the dignity and to be able to push them like anybody else so yes when you hear these stories. That’s it. It just warms your heart. Thank you both. Thank you. We have one more segment and we’ll be right back. It was great. Welcome back to our safer summer swimming program. Don’t try to say that three times fast with the help of the YMC of South Palm Beach County, Crystal Quesada, the YA Aquatics director, joins me. We want to talk very basics here about safety around the water, what you can do to protect your family, protect the kids. Let’s just start with safety at pools, starting with fences and barriers. That it’s kind of *** must I think so, um, I wanna say drownings are 100% preventable and as *** simple little device you can get at Target, Walmart, Home Depot, it’s *** door alarm, uh, when the door opens it makes *** noise and then there’s also barriers around pools. Some houses also have the barrier and the fence, so they’re giving it double layer, but we wanna make sure that we’re protecting our kids and watching them. Before an incident happens now, um, besides the barrier itself, and I, I wanna talk more about the alarms if I could, but besides the barrier itself, it’s also the gates are important, correct? Especially if they’re self latching. So like once you open it and go behind you and it closes by itself, so that’s what that key important part right there is that it closes by itself. So not only latching but also it swings closed so ***. Child couldn’t come along after you’ve walked away and get in through that gate. Exactly. It’s something people may not be thinking about. Can you tell me *** little bit more about the alarms? We, we’ve done stories on these, these alarms before on the doors. There are other alarms though that there’s even an alarm for *** pool. Yep, there’s *** whole new kit that you can like put to the pool and it has like sensors and like when *** child were to fall in, it would sound off *** noise and it’s another barrier. Um, I will say that last I checked I personally still have door alarms. Um, Libby also probably has some pool alarms, and if it’s *** resource that’s needed, we’re here to help. All right, safety supervision is another key. There are *** lot of summer parties. Uh, we just had, you know, Memorial Day parties. I know that when there are *** bunch of kids, *** bunch of adults. The the typical thing you hear from adults is everybody’s keeping an eye on the kids. Oh, so I have kids myself and at my parties just because I’m the lifeguard and I’m certified doesn’t mean I’m gonna get stuck watching the kids the entire time, but, um, there are water watcher tags and we would give it to each parent. We would take their phone away and we would make them watch the kids for 1520 minutes and we would alternate taking turns making sure. That one designated adult is always watching the kids. So you recommend that if you have *** gathering, this is something you do in advance when people show up, you just say, Oh my shift. 00, I bet they do. I bet they definitely do. But they should transfer to other people too. Like this is what you do. Yeah, I mean we have water watcher tags. I’m, I have them. You can always ask for them, and I think it’s *** great tool and be like, oh, you’re wearing the tag, it’s your turn, tag, you’re it. That’s great. I think it’s great. Um, YMCA requirements to become *** safe swimmer. Uh, what does that entail? Uh, we talked, we touched on it very briefly, but what, what designates *** safe swimmer? So to me it’s being water competent and it’s being able to float, uh, be able to get in and out of the water, be able to change directions, swim *** full lap. That’s showing that you’re confident, you’re being safe, you know how to get in and out, your safety. Is already there and being water competent is *** little test that we do at the pool. Um, all of my junior lifeguards are doing it too. I bet they are. Let’s talk about gear for *** second. I want to address something very specific, and that is goggles. And where they fit in to swim instruction and swimming safety. So for safety purposes we want kids to feel comfortable without wearing goggles. You’re not walking by *** lake or *** park and you know always wearing goggles on your face, so you wanna make sure that you can feel comfortable with them on and off. Um, of course, as you get better in swimming and get competitive you want goggles, but it’s OK to not always have them and then to reassure the kids that the water in your face is OK, all right, and, uh, swimsuit color is something that’s actually important for. Safety for children and I guess anybody it is, um, adults, children, anyone I recommend high colors orange, red, pink, yellow, bright colors but we wanna stay away from like those greens, blues, colors that are similar to the bottom of *** pool, um, that graymes. Light matted colors so that way um if something happens you can always visibly see the suits and I wanna, we’re running out of time but I wanna mention obviously don’t swim alone never. We never wanna swim alone, swim with *** buddy, um, swimming in *** lifeguarded area, um, local pools, uh, city pools, YMCAs, beaches, they have guards, and we’re there to make sure nothing happens, uh, medically and non-emergency. So I’d recommend always having someone with you. I’m just gonna say this because everybody knows it life jackets on *** boat for everybody and let’s get into the last thing, and that is drownings caused by rip currents. We report on it all the time. We only have 45 seconds, but you can tell people the basics. Um, first of all, avoiding *** rip current, not getting in the water, and then what you do if you do get caught in water. You wanna stay calm, go parallel to the water, um, and then keep swimming so you don’t feel the pool anymore. *** cool thing is that Boynton YMCA has *** rip current that you can test under supervision with lifeguards and actually experience what *** rip current is to stay calm and get out of it. That is fantastic. That’s great advice. And lifeguarded pools, lifeguarded beaches, the safest, right? Always. All right, Crystal Casado, thank you so much. Thank you and thank you to the South County Y as well. On the record, we’ll be right back. Thank you for making this part of your morning. As always, we encourage you to be part of our discussion each and every Sunday right here at 10:00 a.m. Till the next time, you can watch this morning’s On the Record episode and every episode on our website, WPBF.com and on the free WPBF 25 news app. We hope you have *** wonderful Sunday. We’ll see you again next week.
Florida Prepaid enrollment goes year-round for college plans
Those born last Friday will receive a $529 scholarship.
Updated: 7:44 PM EDT May 31, 2026
Two new initiatives are being offered for Florida Prepaid for colleges and universities: enrollment year-round and a $529 scholarship plan for babies born last Friday. The plans were announced on Friday by the Florida Prepaid College Board in recognition of National 529 Day. For the first time in its more than 35‑year history, Florida’s Prepaid 529 Plans are available for enrollment year‑round, removing the traditional open enrollment window. The most recent Florida Prepaid Open Enrollment window was from Feb. 1 to April 30. Prepaid Plans are a specialized type of 529 plan, guaranteed by the State of Florida, that allow families to lock in future higher education tuition and dormitory coverage at today’s plan prices – avoiding inflation. Prepaid and Investment Plans are tax‑advantaged under federal law. To celebrate 529 Day, babies born in Florida on National 529 Day will receive a $529 scholarship in a Florida Investment 529 Plan. “National 529 Day is a reminder that saving for education doesn’t have to be complicated or delayed,” John Rood, chairman of the Florida Prepaid College Board, said. “By making enrollment available year‑round and seeding college savings for Florida’s newest residents, we’re making it easier for families to take that first step toward their child’s future.”More than 200,000 Florida families have saved more than $2 billion since its founding 35 years ago. “Saving for college works best when families can start early and act when it makes sense for their lives,” Kevin Thompson, executive director of the Florida Prepaid College Board, said. “By offering enrollment year‑round, we’re removing unnecessary barriers. And by seeding savings for babies born on 529 Day, we’re showing families from the very beginning that even a modest amount, planted early, can grow into something meaningful over time.” The plans cover tuition and fees and/or dormitory costs.Yearly in-state public undergrad tuition costs average $6,380 with out-of-state $30,900, according to Florida Prepaid.Total average costs are $24,180 for in-state and $48,700 for books; materials, supplies and equipment; transportation; living expenses and miscellaneous personal expensesFlorida Prepaid plans can be used at private colleges and universities nationwide and public ones out of state, but they will only pay the exact amount to a Florida public college or university. Prepaid Plans can be purchased in one-year increments to ensure affordability and budget flexibility. Plans start at just $29/month, and once a family locks in their price, their payments will never go up. Current pricing is available through June 30.Families can learn more about Florida 529 Plans at MyFloridaPrepaid.com.Families with a baby born in Florida on May 29, 2026, should visit MyFloridaPrepaid.com/May-529-Day and open their new account by June 30. Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —
Two new initiatives are being offered for Florida Prepaid for colleges and universities: enrollment year-round and a $529 scholarship plan for babies born last Friday.
The plans were announced on Friday by the Florida Prepaid College Board in recognition of National 529 Day.
For the first time in its more than 35‑year history, Florida’s Prepaid 529 Plans are available for enrollment year‑round, removing the traditional open enrollment window.
The most recent Florida Prepaid Open Enrollment window was from Feb. 1 to April 30.
Prepaid Plans are a specialized type of 529 plan, guaranteed by the State of Florida, that allow families to lock in future higher education tuition and dormitory coverage at today’s plan prices – avoiding inflation.
Prepaid and Investment Plans are tax‑advantaged under federal law.
To celebrate 529 Day, babies born in Florida on National 529 Day will receive a $529 scholarship in a Florida Investment 529 Plan.
“National 529 Day is a reminder that saving for education doesn’t have to be complicated or delayed,” John Rood, chairman of the Florida Prepaid College Board, said. “By making enrollment available year‑round and seeding college savings for Florida’s newest residents, we’re making it easier for families to take that first step toward their child’s future.”
More than 200,000 Florida families have saved more than $2 billion since its founding 35 years ago.
“Saving for college works best when families can start early and act when it makes sense for their lives,” Kevin Thompson, executive director of the Florida Prepaid College Board, said. “By offering enrollment year‑round, we’re removing unnecessary barriers. And by seeding savings for babies born on 529 Day, we’re showing families from the very beginning that even a modest amount, planted early, can grow into something meaningful over time.”
The plans cover tuition and fees and/or dormitory costs.
Yearly in-state public undergrad tuition costs average $6,380 with out-of-state $30,900, according to Florida Prepaid.
Total average costs are $24,180 for in-state and $48,700 for books; materials, supplies and equipment; transportation; living expenses and miscellaneous personal expenses
Florida Prepaid plans can be used at private colleges and universities nationwide and public ones out of state, but they will only pay the exact amount to a Florida public college or university.
Prepaid Plans can be purchased in one-year increments to ensure affordability and budget flexibility. Plans start at just $29/month, and once a family locks in their price, their payments will never go up. Current pricing is available through June 30.
Families can learn more about Florida 529 Plans at MyFloridaPrepaid.com.
Families with a baby born in Florida on May 29, 2026, should visit MyFloridaPrepaid.com/May-529-Day and open their new account by June 30.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25