Taking care of children is a huge responsibility, and having some First Aid training will help to make you far more prepared in the case of an emergency.
It’s far too late when you’ve got a crisis on your hands.
There are many first aid and safety course available, from very short ones to longer, more involved courses. They are designed for, and invaluable to any person who deals with children - parents, grandparents, family members, baby sitters and child care professionals.
Knowing how to react in an emergency can be the difference between life and death for a child.
Here are some first aid and safety courses that are useful for babysitters in Australia.
Kids First Aid is a group that offers a first aid course taught by expert paramedics. It is designed to equip parents, caregivers and babysitters with the tools to handle 10 common emergencies that are faced by Australian children; CPR, drowning, choking, fits and fevers, bites and stings, poisoning, burns and fractures and bleeding among others.
St. John’s Ambulance has created a course called Caring For Kids and Baby Sitting First Aid that is designed for grandparents, parents, caregivers, childcare centres, babysitters and family members who have the responsibility of taking care of infants and children. This qualification is valid for a period of three years, after which you will need to retake the course once again to be updated on current first aid and safety measures.
Australian Red Cross offers several different first aid courses for multiple scenarios, including Basic First Aid For Child Care, Caring For Children and Basic First Aid. They also offer babysitting courses.
All Australian states have local representatives of these organisations, and others that offer first aid and safety courses for taking care of children, including Little Aid in Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Sydney Children's Hospital, Mater Children's Hospital in Brisbane and Women's and Children's Health Service in Perth.
With so many first aid and safety courses available throughout Australia, and so much at stake, it is something that every babysitter should consider.
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