Babysitting Classes for Long Island Kids

Students hone their babysitting skills at the American Red Cross babysitting class. Photo courtesy of American Red Cross;
Students hone their babysitting skills at the American Red Cross babysitting class. Photo courtesy of American Red Cross;
3/3/20 - By Linda DiProperzio

When children are ready to start earning extra pocket money, babysitting can be a great first job. There are numerous babysitting classes available for Long Island kids to become trustworthy and reliable babysitters. To better prepare for the responsibility of looking after little ones, tweens and teens can take classes to learn babysitting business skills, CPR and First Aid as well as childcare skills from potty training to creative play. Babysitters will feel more confident and competent and parents will feel more at ease leaving their little ones in the care of a well-trained sitter. Whether you’re the parent of a teenager who’s ready to start babysitting or you want to suggest that your current babysitter enhance their skills, here is a roundup of babysitting courses on Long Island for kids.   

If you’re looking for other children’s classes offered on Long Island, check out Mommy Poppins’ Guide to Classes for Long Island Kids. And if you need drop-in childcare and babysitting services, you won’t want to miss Mommy Poppins’ Drop-In Childcare and Babysitting Services for Parents on Long Island.

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Aquatic Solutions

Aquatic Solutions is an American Red Cross authorized provider. Their Babysitting Class equips babysitters with the skills and training necessary to babysit with confidence. Students complete this one-day course in a traditional classroom-like setting. Students will learn how to keep children and infants safe, basic first aid, how to care for children and infants responsibly and students will develop leadership skills. Babysitters will also learn about babysitting business skills. The cost is $99 per student. Visit their website for upcoming course dates.

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross offers three types of babysitting classes. Babysitting Basics is an online course that provides students, ages 11 and up, with information on how to safely and responsibly care for infants and children, manage a babysitting business, handle emergencies and more. The course takes about four hours to complete and costs $40 per student. Advanced Child Care training is also online and is more advanced than Babysitting Basics. This course teaches about behavior and discipline, in-depth safety and more. The cost is $45 per student. The in-person course, Babysitter’s Training, takes about six hours to complete. This class teaches the same topics as the online Babysitting Basics class, plus it offers hands-on skills practice and additional training in first aid. Currently, this course is offered at the Nassau County Red Cross Chapter in Mineola; The Suffolk County Red Cross is not offering this class at this time. The recommended age for students is 11 to 15 years old and costs $97 per student. Class times and dates are available on their website. First Aid and CPR/AED certification courses can be added to the training online and are offered in-person too.

Local Library

Many local libraries on Long Island offer babysitting training classes and workshops. Generally, libraries require that participants are library card holders. In the Town of Huntington, there are babysitting classes available at Elwood Public Library, Cold Spring Harbor Library, and South Huntington Public Library. Classes cover safety tips, basic child care and more. These classes are free and spaces fill up quickly. There are American Red Cross babysitter training sessions available at Middle Country Public Library. This is a two-part certification program and costs $16.95 per student. Babylon Public Library offers a Getting Ready to Babysit class. The course is three hours and costs $5 per person. Registration is done in person and priority is given to residents. Be sure to ask your local library if they offer a babysitting course, and if they don’t, they may be open to the idea if there’s enough of a demand.


Lifeguard Training NY, LLC is determined to make sure that all of their students know how to save a life in and out of the pool. Photo courtesy of Lifeguard Training NY

Lifeguard Training NY

For those who are interested in babysitting class for a group, Lifeguard Training NY offers private group babysitting classes. Groups such as Boy and Girl Scout troops or local neighborhood groups can contact Lifeguard Training NY with their available dates and times to arrange a one-day class. Class includes CPR/AED and First Aid certification. Students learn how to keep themselves and children and infants safe, basic childcare and students develop professional babysitting business skills. Babysitting Class is one 6 hours and 30 minutes session. The price depends on the size of the class, but it is generally $99 per person and is recommended for students 11 to 15 years old. 

Mid-Island YJCC

The Mid-Island YJCC offers a two-part Babysitting and Beyond class: Babysitting 101 class and Red Cross Infant and Pediatric CPR/First Aid class. Taught by an experienced nanny, Babysitting 101 students will learn babysitting interviewing techniques, creative-play ideas for children, child-discipline strategies, basic childcare skills such as meal making and potty training and more. In the other part of the course, participants will earn a Red Cross infant and pediatric CPR and First Aid certificate. Upon completion of both courses, participants will be added to the babysitting referral list available at the Mid-Island YJCC. This class is open to students in grades 7 to 10; there are member and non-member rates. Participants can register online.

 

A version of this post was originally published in 2014 and was updated in February 2020 by Molly England.

 

 

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