About Safe Sitter

About Safe Sitter®

Safe Sitter® was founded in 1980 by Indianapolis pediatrician, Dr. Patricia A. Keener, after a nurse's 18-month-old choked to death while under the care of an adult sitter. In reflecting on her colleague's loss, Dr. Keener recognized the vulnerability of young children when cared for by unprepared child care providers.

Dr. Keener taught the first Safe Sitter® class in an Indianapolis middle school. Since that first class of 18 students, over 450,000 young people have completed the course.

Safe Sitter® is currently taught in all 50 states and England.

Safe Sitter® is a high-quality program that gives young adolescents the skills to be safe, nurturing babysitters. Parents/guardians are always impressed with the results. (Parent Testimonials)
Instructors have fun teaching Safe Sitter®. (Instructor Testimonials)

Safe Sitter® has attracted the attention of the media over the years. Dr. Keener has made numerous appearances on shows such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, and the John Walsh Show. Safe Sitter® articles are routinely featured in an array of periodicals including The New York Times, Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, and Sesame Street Magazine Parent's Guide, as well as various medical journals.

Safe Sitter® has been recognized for excellence by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In 2005, Safe Sitter® joined the American Camp Association™ as a Business Affiliate. ACA is the largest association serving over 6700 members of the organized camp industry. This affiliation allows us to offer Safe Sitter® to more youth than ever before.

Safe Sitter® is a member of the National Parks and Recreation Association.