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Babysitting Training & Certification |
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Are you new to babysitting or looking for a way to expand or polish your skills as a babysitter? There are certain basic abilities and knowledge that every parent wants in a responsible babysitter. While learning from experience is important, there are also a variety of training programs that can prepare you to begin babysitting or help you become a more competent babysitter. Once you complete a course, be sure to add to the course name and date of completion in the comments section of your BabySitters.com profile.
American Red Cross Babysitter's Training
One of the largest and best-known programs, the American Red Cross Babysitter's Training is designed for 6 th-9 th grade students, ages 11-15, and is available at a wide range of sites all across the country. The program is a 6-hour interactive class led by an instructor, in which participants learn by doing. The course teaches how to:
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Interview for a babysitting job |
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Choose safe and age-appropriate toys and games |
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Carry out basic care such as feeding, changing, and holding |
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Perform basic first aid |
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Ensure a safe babysitting experience, and more. |
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The fee for the course is usually between $35 and $50 and includes a copy of The Babysitter’s Handbook. Participants who successfully complete the course receive a certificate.For more information about this training, visit the American Red Cross Babysitter’s Training website.
Some Red Cross chapters offer a more extensive 10-hour training (split into two sessions) that includes certification in infant and child CPR. The CPR training is also offered as a separate course, so participants have a number of options to choose from in planning their training. For more information or to enroll, contact your local American Red Cross chapter.
Childcare & Babysitting Safety (CABS)
The Childcare and Babysitting Safety (CABS) course is a community education program that covers child safety and basic care techniques. Created especially for kids and teens ages 11 and up who are interested in becoming babysitters, CABS was developed with a number of other national organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The course is led by an instructor and offered by a variety of organizations, including community centers, hospitals, YMCAs, and others. The program is very similar to the American Red Cross training and is usually six hours long (though course schedules and topics vary depending upon location and instructor); however, many CABS courses do include CPR training. Cost of the course is usually between $30 and $45 and includes a certificate of completion and a student handbook.
While there is no centralized listing of available CABS courses, you can contact your local hospital or YMCA, or try searching the Internet for “Childcare & Babysitting Safety (CABS)” in your city, county, or region. For more information about this training, visit the Child & Babysittting Safety (CABS) Program website.
Babysitter’s Certificate Online Class
This online course was developed by A Girl's World Productions, an interactive website with classes and programs written and designed by and for girls. The course is recommended for girls ages 11-17 and is popular with Girl Scout troops across the country.
The course covers topics such as safety and security, childcare and discipline, playtime activities, and how to get and keep babysitting jobs. Course authors note that an online class cannot cover hands-on topics such as first aid and CPR, and they recommend that students supplement the course with basic first aid and pediatric CPR training.
The course is designed so that students can learn at their own pace. A $17.50 registration fee provides a full year of access to the online class, so participants can review each topic as many times as needed, logging in and completing the modules as they wish. Tests and quizzes are used to help participants learn the material, and students must complete a Mastery Test at the end of the course in order to earn a certificate. The average time required to complete the course is typically 6 hours.
The price also includes access to live help from an instructor and to the site's Babysitter's Encyclopedia, which contains a variety of tips and solutions to problems that babysitters may face. Upon completion of the course, students receive a set of sample forms, flyers, and checklists that can be used to customize a babysitting business. For more information about this training, visit the Child & Babysittting Safety (CABS) Program website.
Kidproof Babysitter’s Training Program
While Kidproof's in-person courses are currently only available in Canada, the organization offers a home study version of their Babysitter's Training program. The home study program, designed for young people 11 to 15 years of age, teaches students how to:
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Find and prepare for a babysitting job |
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Care for kids of all ages and deal with difficult situations |
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Prepare safe and fun activities |
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Handle emergencies |
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Perform basic first aid, and more. |
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Every student is assigned a personal instructor that can be contacted by email to answer questions, give advice, and mark assignments. The cost is $40 and includes a copy of the Babysitters Handbook. For more information about this training, visit the Kidproof Babysitter’s Training Program website.
Babysitter Lessons and Safety Training (BLAST!)
While Kidproof's in-person courses are currently only available in Canada, the organization offers a home study version of their Babysitter's Training program. The home study program, designed for young people 11 to 15 years of age, teaches students how to:
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Set up and run their own babysitting business |
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Handle the basics of infant and child care |
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React responsibly to medical emergencies and injuries |
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Perform first aid for common childhood injuries and illnesses |
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Entertain children with activities, and more. |
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BLAST is available as a self-study program on CD-ROM for $29.95. It features a unique virtual house tour that invites kids to identify common home safety hazards and explains how to correct them. The program includes a student manual and a wallet-sized certificate of completion. The training requires about 4 hours to complete. In-person BLAST courses may be offered in some communities. For more information, contact the National Safety Council at (800) 621-7619 or by email at customerservice@nsc.org; you can also contact your local NSC chapter.
Safe Sitter
The Safe Sitter program teaches 11 to 13-year-olds the skills to be safe and effective babysitters. The class is taught by a trained instructor and covers a variety of babysitting topics, including safety strategies, how to entertain children of different ages, how to deal with injuries and emergencies, tips for setting up a babysitting business, and more. During the course, students get hands-on practice in basic lifesaving techniques so that they are prepared to act in a crisis. The cost of the program is typically $40-$65 and includes a student manual, completion certification, and a backpack full of babysitting goodies. The class is taught in various locations throughout the country, usually in hospitals and other community centers. To find a location near you, visit the Safe Sitter website.
4-H Babysitting Course
4-H is an organization for young people across the country who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. The classes offered through 4-H differ in various states and counties, but many communities offer a 4-H babysitting course, usually in cooperation with their local university’s extension program.
The 4-H Babysitting Course is designed to teach young people how to be capable and caring babysitters. It includes topics such as safety and first aid, child development, nutrition, and the business of babysitting. The cost is usually about $25. To see if a 4-H class is available near you, visit the 4-H website and look for a link for your state.
Whatever course or training you choose to complete, be sure to share your accomplishments and any special abilities you have developed with your babysitting clients. Parents will appreciate knowing that you are knowledgeable and skilled as a babysitter, and they may even be willing to pay a higher rate for your services. Most of all, in your search for babysitting jobs, your special training will help you stand out from the rest!
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Next Up: Questions to Ask Parents Before Accepting a Babysitting Job |
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