Training Safe Babysitters
By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: July 7, 2011
Joplin, MO- There's always a need for a good babysitter during the summer break from school. But some local parents may need even more help now as they deal with the aftermath of the tornado.
12 year old babysitter Tiera McGraw already has a pretty good grasp of how to keep kids entertained. She said, "We played hide and go seek and they killed my IPod four times."
But she also knows there are a few things she could still learn - how to handle issues that could come up while on the job. Fran Cloyd is the Community Education Coordinator for Freeman Health System. She said, that includes "rescue skills, what to do if the child is choking, if there's an emergency - how to handle it. When to call 911 and how to call for help."
Cloyd added one option is to take the Safe Sitter class which addresses those issues - as well as business and ethical decision. The course targets 11 - 13 year olds who are just starting to babysit. "It's essential they have those emergency skills, the knowledge and what to do in case of something happens especially a choking child. The Safe Sitter course was actually started because a choking child died while in the care of an adult babysitter who did not have the knowledge, didn't know what to do for a child who was choking."
The next Safe Sitter class is just a week away. It's July 13th and 14th at the Joplin Family Y, South. The course costs $50 and advance registration is required. For more information, you can call (417) 347-4430.
