Babysitting and Child Care Education and Training

American Red Cross Babysitting Training and Advanced Child Care courses can help you gain the skills you need to confidently care for children. Created for both young babysitters and seasoned child care professionals, our best-in-class training gives you the opportunity to sharpen your skills and become a safe, reliable babysitter. To supplement your child care training, you can also choose to earn your First Aid and CPR/AED certifications (good for two years), which can help you learn how to provide care during an emergency. Online and in-person courses are available for participants of all ages.

Find a child care training course near you and earn the certification you need.

Babysitting and Child Care Courses

Designed for new babysitters and childcare professionals alike, our childcare training courses allow you to gain the skills necessary to confidently care for kids of all ages. The courses currently available include:

• Babysitting Basics Online: Created for those ages 11 and older, our online babysitting training course can help you learn how to provide confident care for infants and children, understand what to do in an emergency, choose age-appropriate activities, recognize and handle a range of behaviors, learn how to start your own babysitting business, and more. Upon completion, a certificate of completion will be issued.
• Babysitter's Training: This in-person course prepares youth ages 11-16 to safely and confidently care for children and infants. It includes hands-on activities, videos, and discussions to develop essential, real-life readiness babysitting skills. The course covers feeding, diapering, picking up and holding children, safety and emergency response.
• Advanced Child Care Online: Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to care for children and infants inside and outside of the home. The course delivers leadership training, child behavior and discipline training, as well as information on professionalism, safety, basic childcare and more. (Note: This course is not intended as certification for state-licensed childcare providers and does not meet all state requirements for such certification.)

To complement your child care training, we also offer First Aid and CPR/AED certification courses. These courses can not only help build your skills – and your resume – but can allow you to safely help others in times of need. View all Red Cross Babysitting and Child Care online safety courses here.

How to Become a Babysitter at 11, 16 and Every Age In Between

Whether you're in middle school and just starting out, or you're a high-school and college student who's been babysitting for a while now, it's important to have the skills needed to land those good-paying babysitting jobs. From knowing what to do in the event of an emergency, to being on-time and reliable, to bonding with the kids — there are some simple steps you can take to boost business — or just get your business off the ground:

• Start with people you know. There are probably a lot of people you already know who need a good babysitter—from teachers and neighbors, to extended family, friends of your parents, or people you know through your community. It's important to use networking to find your first job or to boost your current babysitting business.


• Highlight your skills. Once you start landing babysitting jobs, create a resume that includes up-to-date experience, safety certifications, skills, hobbies and any other pertinent information. (Be sure to ask your parents before posting any information online and don't share personal information, like your address, private email, phone number, etc.)


• Set realistic goals. It's great to have a lot of paid babysitting jobs, but not at the expense of schoolwork, after-school activities, or valuable time with family and friends. While it's fine to take babysitting jobs that fit your schedule, leave plenty of time for other things, as well. Talk to your parents about their expectations. These considerations will help you become a reliable babysitter.


• Know what to charge. Babysitting is an important job that comes with responsibilities, so be sure you're earning a fair wage. To determine your rate, talk with your parents, family members, experienced babysitters, older siblings, etc. A quick check online can also help you determine how much babysitters in your area are charging. In addition, be sure to get answers to the following questions, as all these factors will determine how much money you should be earning:
  • How many children will you be watching and for how long?
  • Are they infants, toddlers, or school-age kids?
  • Do the children have special needs/dietary requirements?
  • Will you be preparing meals, administering medication, tidying up?
  • Do they require help with homework?
  • Will you need your own vehicle to run errands or pick kids up from school?

These simple steps can make for a more seamless process. The good news is the more jobs you land, the more skills and confidence you gain, and the more in-demand you become.