SKIES Unlimited offers babysitting certification course for teens

By U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, School Support Services, NewsAca,!E+ReleaseDecember 22, 2009

SCHOFIELDAca,!E+BARRACKS, Hawaii - Family members between the ages of 11 years 9 months and 18 looking for part-time work, should check out the free babysitting course offered by SKIES Unlimited (the School of Knowledge, Inspiration, Exploration & Skills) and Child, Youth and SchoolAca,!E+Services (CYSS).

Officially known as "CYSitters," the two-day course is designed to familiarize teens with the responsibilities of babysitting and also teach skills and techniques needed for sitters to become competent and caring.

Students will learn safety, discipline skills, nutrition and entertainment ideas, in addition to the business of babysitting and how to manage their new part-time job.

The first day of the course, held Friday evenings, is a five-hour classroom session where students learn babysitting basics from a curriculum developed by National 4-H and Army CYSS.

During the second day of class, held Saturdays, students spend a full day learning CPR and first aid from certified Red Cross instructors. Students receive training materials, a certificate of completion, a wallet-sized babysitting course card, and they are placed on the garrisonwide babysitting referral list.

Parents choosing a babysitter from the referral list can feel comfortable knowing that their babysitters are adequately trained.

Garrison policy requires that all youths 12 years old and older must pass a certified babysitting course to watch their siblings. It also requires all youths 13 years old and older to pass a CPR/first aid class to babysit non-family members. The two-day SKIES babysitting course meets all of the garrison's requirements.

Parents can register their children for the class at either the Schofield Barracks or the Aliamanu Military ReservationAca,!E+(AMR) CYSS registration office. Call 808-655-5314 for Schofield or 808-833-5393 for AMR. Classes are held throughout the year at both Schofield Barracks and AMR classrooms.