EASTON, MD
The University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is hosting upcoming Safe Sitter® courses at UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown and Easton, and the 2025 dates were recently announced. UM SRH is a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System.
The course will be taught by UM SRH Women and Children’s Department skilled nurses and is designed for children ages 11 to 13. Dates and times for the courses are: Saturday, January 18, April 26 and June 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton’s Health Education Center, 219 South Washington St.; and Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the conference room at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, 100 Brown St.
The course is designed to prepare students to be safe when they are home alone, watching younger siblings or babysitting other children. The instructor-led class is taught using games and role-playing exercises so that students can practice rescue skills. Participants in the program can also expect to learn safety skills, including how to prevent unsafe situations and what to do when faced with dangers such as power failures or weather emergencies; child care skills, such as tips to manage behavior that will help sitters stay in control of themselves and the children in their care; first aid and rescue skills, including CPR and choking rescue; and life and business skills to help sitters screen potential childcare jobs, discuss fees and greet employers.
“Safe Sitter helps pre-teens gain skills and confidence in caring for a sibling or babysitting, while learning in a supported and hands-on environment,” said Stephanie Blades, MSN, RNC-OB, clinical nurse educator, Women and Children’s Services, UM SRH. “The Safe Sitter course is a nationally recognized program that provides up-to-date information about caring for younger children in today’s world, including teaching CPR, choking rescue, and basic first aid skills. The course is nurse-led and designed to be interactive, through a mixture of learning and game play. My own children took this course more than 10 years ago and now I get the opportunity to teach it to the next generation.”
The cost of the program is $50 and a Safe Sitter kit will be provided to all student participants. Students should bring a lunch on the day of the program.
To register for the course, email Gladys Peeples at Gladys.Peeples@umm.edu. Early registration is encouraged, as class size is limited. For questions, call Stephanie Blades at 410-822-1000, ext. 5234.
