A growing number of preventable child injuries is prompting a national push to help parents be ready when it matters most, with free online first aid education designed to build confidence to act in an emergency.
Kids Alive Do the Five and Royal Life Saving WA have joined forces to relaunch the Heart Beat Club in 2026, an online education initiative designed to give carers the skills and knowledge to respond when seconds count.
Injury remains the leading cause of harm among Australian children, with more than 600,000 injury-related emergency department presentations and nearly 89,000 hospitalisations recorded annually, according to the latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare*.
The National Drowning Report 2025 further highlights the urgency, with 357 lives lost last year, a 27% increase on the 10-year average, and the highest number of drowning deaths since 1996**. For every child who drowns, another eight are hospitalised following a non-fatal incident, often with lifelong consequences.
Kids Alive founder Laurie Lawrence highlighted the importance of a timely response in an emergency.
“The first few minutes of an emergency are everything, they can be the difference between life and death,” Laurie said.
“You can’t rely on help arriving instantly. Parents and carers are often the first on the scene, and the Heart Beat Club education program is about giving them the confidence to step in, stay calm and take action when it matters most.”
Royal Life Saving WA General Manager, Advocacy and Research Lauren Nimmo, said many Australians underestimated where emergencies actually happen.
“People expect emergencies to happen somewhere else, where help is close by, but they’re far more likely to happen at home. At the same time, CPR skills remain worryingly low, with only one in four Australians updating their training each year, a figure that hasn’t improved in over a decade.****
“If your skills are rusty, that can be overwhelming in an emergency, which is why our mission is to equip caregivers with the skills and confidence to respond in critical situations.”
The Heart Beat Club delivers a simple yet comprehensive, one-hour online training module overing CPR, choking, burns, scalds, shock, bleeding and other first aid essentials for babies and toddlers.
Mr Lawrence emphasised the importance of regularly updating CPR and first aid skills.
“Research shows bystander CPR can double a person’s chance of survival, yet skills can fade within just three to six months without refreshers. The Heart Beat Club online program is a great option to refresh your knowledge, and we also encourage parents and carers to further develop their skills by attending an in-person course.”
Free access to the Heart Beat Club online course is available throughout May – www.heartbeatclub.org.au
CASE STUDY
“I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t here”
For Jacci Hutchinson, water safety isn’t just something she talks about, it’s something she’s lived.
While visiting a friend, Jacci discovered what she thought was a doll submerged in an esky of water. In seconds, that moment turned into every parent’s worst nightmare.
“I don’t think my brain could process what I was seeing,” she says.“It was my daughter’s reaction that made it real.”
Acting instantly, Jacci pulled the eight-month-old baby from the water and began CPR.
“He was blue and lifeless. I didn’t think… I just acted. The training kicked in.”
She continued CPR, watching for any sign of change.
“Then I saw his colour start to come back. I knew it was working.”
Moments later, the baby gasped, cried, and opened his eyes, minutes before paramedics arrived.
As she handed him over, the child’s mother told her:“I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t here.”
For Jacci, it reinforced a simple but powerful message:
“This is why we do what we do: teach water safety, educate families, and make sure more people know how to save a life.”
Source: Vritimes
