City announces new safety standards for drop-in programs after drowning of 7-year-old
All Boston Centers for Youth & Families drop-in programs will now follow new standards “to strengthen oversight and child safety,” in response to the death of Kyzr Willis, the 7-year-old boy who was found dead in the water at Carson Beach Tuesday, according to a statement from Mayor Marty Walsh’s office.
Kyzr Willis.
“The city experienced a terrible tragedy with the loss of Kyzr Willis and we immediately launched a review of all our protocols at our BCYF centers,” Walsh said in the statement. “Thousands of families entrust their children to our summer camps and we take that trust extremely seriously. It is our priority to act quickly on any potential improvements to our programs, and I will continue to work closely with BCYF leadership to ensure we have proper oversight and safety procedures at all of our programs.”
During a press conference Friday afternoon, Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said police believe the tragedy unfolded at the L Street day camp Willis was attending. The camp, located at the Curley Community Center, is one of five drop-in programs overseen by BCYF, along with 21 fully licensed summer camps and seven fun stops.
New procedures at the Curley Community Center will include a headcount of all campers every 60 minutes, increased front desk staffing to ensure no child leaves the facility without an adult, and a minimum camper-to-adult ratio of 10:2 for all children ages 6 and under, according to the statement.
The center will also require all children who enter the ocean to wear a life preserver at all times, with a maximum of 10 children and two staff members allowed in the water at any given time.
The center’s staff will participate in a full-day training on the new procedures prior to returning to the Curley Center on Tuesday, August 2, according to the statement. The mayor’s office said Inspectional Services Department staff will visit all drop-in programs over the next month to brief them on the new regulations and how they can be enforced.
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