Providing life skills, safety skills, and child care training in order to build safer communities.
Whether your child just completed a Safe Sitter® class or you’re considering enrolling them, this page is for you. Here’s everything you need to know about what your child learned, what certified Instructors are qualified to teach, and how you can support your Safe Sitter® at home.
Safe Sitter® is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1980 by Patricia A. Keener, M.D., a pediatrician who recognized the vulnerability of young children when cared for by unprepared providers. When a young child died from choking while in the care of an adult babysitter, Dr. Keener resolved to teach young adolescents the skills they needed to handle emergencies from their very first babysitting job.
For more than 40 years, Safe Sitter® has been a leader in providing safety skills, life skills, and child care training through a network of certified Instructors across the United States and Canada. To date, more than 775,000 students have completed a Safe Sitter® program — and nearly 200 lives have been saved as a result.
Safe Sitter, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Safe Sitter® classes are taught by certified Instructors — trained professionals who have completed the Safe Sitter® Instructor Certification process. Instructors come from a variety of backgrounds including healthcare, education, childcare, and community service. To become certified, Instructors must meet qualification requirements and complete Safe Sitter® Instructor training.
Safe Sitter® takes the safety of students seriously. All Instructors are required to follow our Youth Protection Policy, which includes standards designed to protect students in every class setting. Safe Sitter® students must never be placed in situations where they are alone with an Instructor in an area where other adults could not easily observe them.
Safe Sitter® offers courses for a range of ages and audiences.
Safe Sitter® Babysitting Course
For students in grades 6–8
Our flagship course prepares students to be safe when they are home alone, watching younger siblings, or babysitting. Students learn how to practice important safety skills, handle emergencies, care for children, and treat illnesses and injuries. Some classes also include CPR practice. In addition, students learn important business skills — how to screen jobs, set a rate, and work with employers. Students who complete the course receive a Safe Sitter® Completion Certificate.
Safe@Home
For students in grades 4–6
A 90-minute program designed to teach students to be safe when they are home alone. Students learn how to practice safe habits, prevent unsafe situations, and know what to do when faced with dangers such as power failures or weather emergencies. Students are also introduced to the Safe Sitter® First Aid Chart and learn a system to help them assess and respond to injuries and illnesses.
Intro to Safe Babysitting
For students in grades 6–8
A 60-minute introductory program designed to introduce students to safely caring for children. Students learn the ages and stages of child development, practice diapering, and learn tips to stay in control of themselves and the children in their care.
Grandparents: Getting Started
For adults
Designed to prepare adults to provide the best and safest care for their grandchildren whether providing care on a regular basis or only occasionally babysitting. Participants learn current practices for child care, first aid, and behavior management, and learn how to effectively support their child as a parent.
All Safe Sitter® programs are built on the same core curriculum, giving every student a strong foundation in safety, child care, and life skills. Depending on the program completed, your child has learned skills in the following areas:
Safety Skills Students learn how to recognize and prevent unsafe situations, and what to do when faced with dangers such as severe weather, power failures, and other emergencies at home.
Child Care Skills Students learn the ages and stages of child development and practice hands-on skills like diapering. They also learn behavior management techniques that help them stay calm and in control of themselves and the children in their care.
First Aid & Rescue Skills Students learn a system for assessing and responding to injuries and illnesses, along with hands-on skills including choking rescue. For many students, this is their favorite part of the class. CPR is a modular option that may be included depending on the program and Instructor.
Life & Business Skills Students practice real-world skills through role play — including how to screen job offers, discuss fees, and greet employers professionally. These skills set students up for success now and long into the future.
These life skills are valuable whether or not your child ever babysits. Safe Sitter® graduates regularly report using what they learned to help friends, family members, and even strangers in emergencies.
The following is a letter from Sara Ross, M.D., Medical Director of Safe Sitter, Inc., sent to parents of every Safe Sitter® graduate.
Safe Sitter® graduates who stay home alone, watch younger brothers and sisters, or babysit other children have many new responsibilities. Parents of a Safe Sitter® have some new responsibilities, too.
Your child has learned many new things during the Safe Sitter® course. However, completing this course does not necessarily mean your child is ready to stay home alone, watch younger siblings, or babysit. Decide if your child is ready based on their maturity level. If your child is going to babysit or do odd jobs for friends or neighbors, monitor their job requests and activity, and help them decide which jobs they can handle.
Help your child practice good work habits, especially screening jobs and being on time. Have a method to track the jobs your child accepts — a family calendar works well, and there are several apps that make it easy to share scheduling information.
Help your child stay safe. Don’t allow your child to advertise on the internet. Many of those sites require users to be 18 and over, and it isn’t safe for young teens to advertise to strangers. We encourage students to babysit or do odd jobs for friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and other people that either they or you know personally.
Talk to your child after each job. Young teens need guidance. When you ask your student how each job went, you’re likely to learn more about what they experienced.
Sibling sitting is especially difficult. You can help by letting younger children know that your Safe Sitter® is in charge while you’re gone. Review the rules in front of the siblings and urge them to support the sitter’s authority while you are away. Sibling sitting is an important family contribution — be sure to show your appreciation.
The Safety Signal. We have taught your child that if they are ever in a situation that feels unsafe, they should call or text you: “I’m ready to be picked up now.” If you receive that message, it means: Come immediately and pick me up. Don’t ask questions — I’ll explain later. Your child can use the Safety Signal in an unsafe babysitting situation, or in any situation — now or in the future — where they feel they are in danger. Make sure they know you will always come, no questions asked.
The life skills learned in Safe Sitter® are valuable whether or not your child decides to babysit. Safe Sitter® graduates gain skills in responsibility, planning, and decision making. We have many wonderful stories of Safe Sitter® graduates who have stayed calm in emergencies and used their skills to save the lives of their friends and family.
Thank you for enrolling your child in Safe Sitter®.
Sincerely, Sara Ross, M.D. Medical Director, Safe Sitter, Inc.