Inova Loudoun Hospital to Offer Safe Sitter Classes in 2013

Inova Loudoun Hospital will offer Safe Sitter® classes for girls and boys age 11 to 13. The Safe Sitter® classes will be taught on the first Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Lansdowne Campus, 44045 Riverside Parkway, Leesburg beginning January 5, 2013.

Safe Sitter® is a medically accurate, competency-based, highly structured babysitting preparation course designed for 11-13 year olds. The curriculum, written by a pediatrician includes: babysitting as a business, success on the job, childcare essentials, safety for the sitter, injury management, preventing problem behavior, care of choking infant and care of the choking child. The class will provide expanded information on preventing injuries and behavior management.

The cost is $75 and includes the student handbook, snacks during the day and a tour of the Mobile Health Unit. To register your son or daughter or your child’s babysitter, call 571-308-5794. Advanced registration is required.

Thousands of young adolescents across the country have been trained by Safe Sitter® to handle life threatening emergencies.  During the course, students will get hands-on practice in basic lifesaving techniques so they are prepared to act in a crisis.  Safe sitters also receive helpful tips to make them more confident caregivers.  They learn safety precautions, how to understand children of different ages, and even the business of babysitting.

To successfully complete the Safe Sitter® program, students must pass a practical and written test to show that they have mastered the key concepts and have the skills necessary to handle an emergency.

Inova Loudoun Hospital, serving Loudoun County for 100 years, is part of Inova, a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Visit us on the web at www.inova.org/ilh. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InovaLoudoun.