Grandview Medical Center

Students Learn Babysitting Basics & More

Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center will offer three 2-day sessions of the Safe Sitter babysitter workshops for young teens 11 and up this summer.  Safe Sitter follows the latest guidelines of the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Injuries are the leading cause of death in children up to age 5, so today’s babysitters need to know more than just the basics of child care.

Partnering with the Pope County Cooperative Extension Service, Pope County EMS, Russellville Police and Fire Departments, students learn how to safely care for infants and young children. Participants will receive information on safety and security precautions, basic first aid, fundamentals of infant and toddler CPR and choking rescue techniques. They will practice different scenarios where a call to 9-1-1 is warranted, learn what information they’ll need to make a successful call and how to talk to a 9-1-1 dispatcher.  There are more than 150 documented cases of lives saved by graduates of the nationally acclaimed Safe Sitter program.

Babysitters also receive instruction on how a child’s age affects how to care for them, age-appropriate games and activities, how to prevent problem behavior and how to run their own babysitting business.

As part of the nutritional education component of the class, students will be involved in preparing their own healthy lunches and snacks which they may later prepare for children in their care.

 

“Safe Sitter is a well-rounded youth development program with a strong focus on personal and medical safety” said Jennifer Harris, RN, MSN, educator for Saint Mary’s.  “This workshop offers an excellent opportunity for students to learn and practice CPR and other life safety techniques they can use throughout their lives.”

To graduate from the Safe Sitter course and receive a completion card, students must pass a rigorous practical and written test that indicates their mastery of key concepts and life and safety skills.

Workshops will be held on Monday and Tuesday, July 2-3, 9-10, and 16-17 at Saint Mary’s Annex located on C Street.  Registration is $35 per student and includes course materials, backpack, t-shirt, tools and a certificate of achievement. Lunch and snacks are provided each day.  Classes are conducted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. on the first day of class.

To register your child to participate in one of the three 2-day workshops, please call (479) 968-2841 extension “0” or email brenda.harrison@saintmarysregional.com. Reservations are required as class size is limited. For more information on Saint Mary’s Safe Sitter classes please visit http://www.saintmarysregional.com/category/safe-sitters/

 

Safe Sitter babysitting workshop, July 2-3, 9-10, and 16-17 from 9a.m to 3 p.m., Saint Mary’s Annex. Cost $35. Registration and information, (479) 968-2841 ext: “0” or Brenda.harrison@saintmarysregional.com.