Safe Sitter® At Your Church

For years, adolescent babysitters have been "stepping in" for parents who are "stepping out." And while many of these young people bring with them a love for children and an earnest desire to do their job well, few are prepared for, or even aware of, the responsibilities they assume. Churches across the country and the Safe Sitter® program can give parents confidence (peace of mind) when choosing a babysitter for their children.

Safe Sitter®, a national, not-for-profit babysitting preparation course, is designed for young adolescents no younger than age 11. For over 25 years, Safe Sitter® has provided a pool of over 500,000 prepared sitters from coast to coast.

Teaching sites impact the lives of youth and children, plus enjoy increased visibility and enhanced relationships in their community. "What a gift these kids are to the community - that they know how to handle an emergency - whether it's at church, their school, or McDonald's," exclaims Deb Wahlquist, instructor at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. "Although most of our students are members of our church, Safe Sitter® allows us to open the doors of a church to those who aren't. They can see the other opportunities available to them at the church."

Churches are working hard to keep children safe and sound. "I was looking for a medically accurate and updated course that worked at the level of the age group of the youth taking the course. I wanted a course that was interactive," said Trisha Schmidt, instructor at Our Shepherd Lutheran Church and School in Indianapolis, Indiana. "It helps them to become confident. It emphasizes keeping calm, giving comfort, keeping in control, and that calling for help is a sign of maturity. Kids comment that Safe Sitter® makes them feel better to babysit now that they know the rescue skills."

Safe Sitter® is a "ready-to-teach" program. Instructors attend a half-day workshop where they learn how to teach the course. Instructors typically become passionate about the need for Safe Sitter®. They remember when they babysat and weren't always sure what to do. Instructors frequently say they like giving young sitters more confidence and knowledge on how to deal with problems.

Safe Sitter® is the only national, non-profit organization devoted exclusively to preparing adolescents to be safe, nurturing babysitters.  But Safe Sitters learn far more than babysitting skills. They learn life skills - skills that will benefit them throughout their lives, especially in their future role as parents. Safe Sitter® has a far-reaching vision. Better Sitters Today. Better Parents Tomorrow.® Safe Sitter® is more than life-saving - it is life-affirming.

For more information on becoming a Safe Sitter® teaching site, contact:

Safe Sitter, Inc.
8604 Allisonville Road, Suite 248
Indianapolis, IN 46250-1597
317-596-5001
800-255-4089
safesitter@safesitter.org
www.safesitter.org