Would your babysitter know what to do in the event of a medical emergency? Would he or she know how to respond if your child was injured while in their care? These are just a few of the potential situations that a Safe Sitter trained care-giver will know how to handle. Safe Sitter is a medically accurate course which prepares young adolescents (tweens) for the responsibilities of caring for children. Skills are taught through hands-on training with clinical experts.
Safe Sitter is a national program that teaches young people (ages 11-13) how to have fun with children, to recognize a medical emergency and know the appropriate action to take. It also offers tips for handling specific ages, injury prevention and safety for the sitter and the children, rescue breathing, care of the choking child as well as a section on the business of babysitting.
The founders of Safe Sitter began the program because they believed too little emphasis is placed on the responsibility young adolescents accept when babysitting. According to their website, many “tweens lack the knowledge of first aid, rescue skills and behavior management techniques as well as the life experiences necessary for handling medical or household emergencies which might occur while caring for a young infant or child.” Safe Sitter® courses utilize only trained Instructors, ensuring a quality educational experience for students. Prior to course completion, students must demonstrate the skills they have learned in the care of a choking infant or child and must pass a written exam proving mastery of key concepts.
CarolinaEast Health System is proud to offer Safe Sitter courses as a part of a continued effort to promote the health and safety of our neighbors throughout coastal North Carolina. There are five course dates scheduled for 2013: April 4, June 17, June 27, August 23 and November 11. Registration is open now. Participants must be at least 11 years old at the time of registration. The cost of the class is $35.00 and includes all class materials and a Safe Sitter messenger bag. Class size is limited and enrollment will be on first-come, first-served basis. Classes will be held on the CarolinaEast Medical Center campus.
For more information, or to register your child or your babysitter, call Cyndi Morton, Clinical Manager of Pediatrics at CarolinaEast Medical Center at 252-633-8360.
Submitted by: Megan McGarvey, Director, Public Relations, CarolinaEast Health System