Why get involved
Young people can often find themselves looking after children. It might be a favour for a friend of their family, caring for a sibling or as part of a volunteering role. Whatever the circumstances, it is a big responsibility and can prove difficult or stressful.
That’s why the Red Cross is encouraging schools and youth organisations to organise their own courses by nominating one person to operate as a course director. Course directors are responsible for convening courses, arranging suitable trainers and ensuring that decisions of student competence are fair and correct. Course directors will also be responsible for administration, quality of training environments, registering courses, confirming course completion and ensuring that participants receive certificates.
How do I sign up?
Once you have bought a copy of the babysitting pack, your organisation can register an interest in becoming a course provider through this website. You will be asked to register your organisation, provide two referees and nominate a member of your organisation as a course director. Once we’ve received feedback from your referees, you’ll be able to run and manage courses and download certificates.
Becoming a course provider means that you’ll be playing a key role in helping young people to learn important and potentially life-saving skills.
Points to consider
Successful completion of the course does not 'license' a person to babysit nor does it make any statement on their quality as a babysitter. However, it does give parents some comfort that their babysitter has made the effort to develop skills and is therefore more likely to cope with looking after young children.
The Red Cross recommends that students should have reached their 14th birthday by the final session. This is however, a guide for delivering the course rather than a minimum age requirement. The Red Cross emphasises the advice of other agencies that urge parents to consider carefully who they choose to babysit for their children.
Register as a course director
If you offer courses about babysitting and childcare using our Looking after other people's children guide, then register as a course director. Once your registration has been approved, then you will be able to login to add details of the courses you run and the venues you use to this site.
Already an approved course director?
Log in here to advertise new courses, amend existing courses and request certificates.