by Gwen Navarrete Klapperich
If your child is between the ages of 11-16, they may be looking to earn a little extra money by offering babysitting services to local kids in their neighborhood or community. But how does your child prove they are trustworthy and credible to potential parents who are looking for a babysitter for their little ones?
Become an American Red Cross Certified
One of the ways for tweens and teens to earn this trust is to become an American Red Cross Certified Babysitter. According to the Red Cross, “8 in 10 surveyed parents said they would pay more for a trained babysitter who holds a Red Cross Babysitter Certification.” Babysitters who get additional certifications in First Aid/CPR/AED classes have the potential to earn even more because they will be fully prepared to deal with numerous emergency situations, thereby adding more value to their services.
What’s even more exciting is that the Red Cross just updated this training in 2025, with courses sharing the latest information and techniques on child care while preparing participants to properly care for children safely and confidently. Classes can be taken online through the main American Red Cross website or in person in Hawaii through KITA LLC, a licensed American Red Cross training provider located in Kapolei, HI.
The Babysitting Basics Class
The online Babysitting Basics class introduces skills and concepts necessary to babysit children. Topics include caring for infants and children, choosing age-appropriate activities, and managing child behavior. A certificate of completion is issued upon completion. This is an excellent first step in starting a babysitting business, but it is important to note that this is a certificate of completion and not a certification.
The in-person class focuses on these same topics with additional training in basic care for infants and children (including feeding, diapering, and safely picking up children and infants), basic first aid skills, water and fire safety preparedness, and basic emergency response. The course includes hand-on activities, videos, discussions, and a digital e-book to help youth develop essential, real-life readiness babysitting skills. Completion of this class will earn participants an American Red Cross Babysitters Certification that is good for ten (10) years.
Babysitters’ Training
The Babysitters Training can be taken separately or include additional certification and training in either Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED or Pediatric only First Aid/CPR/AED. These additional certifications are valid for two years in accordance with American Red Cross guidelines.
Even if your child elects not to take the Babysitters Training, we highly recommend downloading the free American Red Cross Child Care app that can be found in the Apple Story or on Google Play. The app is an excellent resource for child caregivers of any age because it offers detailed information on topics like basic child caregiving skills, emergency first aid, interactive lessons, quizzes, and child profiles to track vital information. Babysitters can also download the free American Red Cross First Aid app ad even a free American Red Cross Pet First Aid app in the event they are also asked to watch a family’s cat or dog as part of their babysitting job.
Babysitting can be a wonderful stepping stone for youth to learn leadership, business acumen, and caregiving skills so it is important that potential babysitters are confident enough to keep themselves and their charges safe.
Gwen Navarrete Klapperich is the owner of Klapperich International Training Associates (KITA) LLC, a proud licensed training provider of the American Red Cross. For further information on CPR, First Aid, Babysitters Training, or Wilderness First Aid classes, please visit www.kitaconsult.com or call 808-200-7136.
