As a babysitter, your job is to watch over little ones and make sure that they are safe. However, mishaps can happen under even the most watchful eyes, which means a competent babysitter should be able to recognize when CPR is needed and to perform CPR correctly.
Learn more about the requirements for First Aid, AED & CPR certification for babysitters – then get started with your certification online!
Babysitters should earn their CPR and First Aid certifications specific to the age group they are caring for.
Babysitters are responsible for the care and well-being of children while their guardians are away, but there is no national requirement to be CPR certified. To effectively handle any emergency situation, babysitters should acquire CPR and First Aid certifications specific to the different age groups they watch over. This will ensure that appropriate life-saving support can be provided in an emergency situation.
Babysitting is a common job for adolescents and young adults, and can be a great stepping stone of responsibility on the path to adulthood. However, it’s also not a job to be taken lightly. Babysitters are responsible for the care and wellbeing of children while their guardians are away.
Given that children tend to be energetic, curious, and prone to getting swept up in their play time, they can also be more susceptible to injuries or exposure to new substances that may cause allergic reactions or toxicity. If something goes wrong, a competent babysitter should know how to handle an emergency and sustain life until emergency personnel arrive.
There is no national requirement for babysitters to be CPR certified. However, most guardians or babysitting agencies will have their own requirements. Even if you are not required to complete CPR training, these skills are beneficial for babysitters to be able to recognize and handle life-threatening situations, and to be able to respond in ways that are appropriate for children of all ages.
CPR and First Aid skills vary depending on the age of the victim. If you are babysitting an infant, you will need to know how to safely administer CPR safely for that child’s age. Likewise, if you are babysitting prepubescent children, there are other special considerations you’ll need to learn to provide life-saving support that’s age-appropriate.
As the watchful eyes of children when their parents are away, babysitters are expected to be vigilant observers and confident rescuers. To be a proficient rescuer in any situation – whether it be cases of choking, allergic reaction, head injury, or something else entirely – babysitters ought to earn their CPR and First Aid certifications specific to the age groups they watch over.
Babysitters are not considered emergency responders, even if they are the first person to notice a problem, but they still need to be trained in proper CPR and First Aid so that they can sustain life until emergency personnel arrive. Because of this, you will likely be asked to complete a CPR and First Aid course specific to children and infants. This is your course content requirement. Be sure to select a CPR certification for babysitters that specifically includes infant, child, and adult CPR and First Aid skills training.
Most likely, as a babysitter your requirements for learning and performing CPR for infants and children will state that you need to complete a CPR certification program, but that a hands-on portion is not required. This is your course delivery modality requirement. If you do not need to complete a hands-on portion, you can complete a fully online CPR program.
Finally, your employer may have specific course brand requirements. Some employers require that your CPR training for babysitters come from a specific brand; others don’t have brand-specific requirements and allow you to complete your training with flexible online providers like ProTrainings.
There may be specific CPR certification requirements and special considerations for Babysitters performing CPR according to your state. To learn more about which requirements impact you, select your state on the map below.