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One of the easiest ways to give yourself a boost is to take a babysitting course or earn a safety certification. Parents often look for sitters that are CPR certified or have childcare training. It’s important to highlight those qualifications in your bio to stand out to parents when they are looking to hire babysitters for their children.

For CPR and First Aid certifications, many cities and schools offer in-person training and certifications. Additionally, you can take virtual courses online on babysitting and child safety. Some courses are only a few hours, while others are more extensive and take a few days to complete. Here are six online babysitting courses to improve your babysitter skills:

The Babysitting Course

Price: $45

The Babysitting Course is an online, self-paced program that turns you into an awesome babysitter! Developed by a First Aid Training agency, this 5-hour course emphasizes safety and basic first aid knowledge. Ideal for ages 12-16, it covers essential skills like CPR and handling emergencies. Earn a certificate upon completion and access the course anytime for a refresher.

Best Feature: This course is full of engaging videos that put you right in the babysitter’s shoes! It’s a fantastic way to immerse yourself and learn effectively.

The Newborn Training Academy

Price: $30-$80

If you are looking for more education focusing on babysitting newborns, The Newborn Training Academy offers a variety of courses ranging from topics like car seat safety to working with twins/triplets.

American Red Cross Online Babysitting & Child Care Classes

Price: $0-$120

The Red Cross offers two different online babysitting courses.

Basic Babysitting is for ages 11+ who are just starting out and want an introduction to caring for infants and children, choosing age-appropriate activities, and understanding child behavior.

Advanced Child Care Training provides in-depth training in leadership, child behavior and discipline, safety, and professionalism.

Best feature: The Red Cross also offers in-person First Aid and CPR training. Click here to search for a course near you.

Babysitter Boot Camp

Price: $24

Wimbledon Babysitter Camp is designed for kids ages 10 -17 looking to start babysitting. You’ll learn about interviewing the parent to review house rules, dealing with fussy children, understanding basic CPR/AED and First Aid, and keeping children safe during an emergency. Each participant takes a quiz at the end of a lesson and receives a certification after completing the course.

Best feature: Babysitter Boot Camp lessons emphasize tips on sitter etiquette and professionalism.

Babysitting Certification Institute

Price: $95 for certification, $65 for recertification

The Babysitting Certification Institute provides online training for older children and teenagers to learn the basics of child care. It includes up-to-date information on Infant and Child CPR and First Aid, as well as current trends in entertaining kids with crafts, games, and other activities. You will receive your certification or recertification immediately after passing the online exam.

Best feature: There is no exam time limit and it can take it as many times as needed.

SafeSitter

Price: $25 (grades 4-6); $68 (grades 6-8)

The SafeSitter classes are curated directly for younger babysitters looking to earn experience and learn how to safely take care of a child.

Bonus: Heartsaver® Pediatric First Aid CPR AED Training

The Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED course trains participants on how to respond to and manage illnesses and injuries in a child or infant in the first few minutes until professional help arrives. The course is geared toward all childcare providers and covers an extensive array of emergency situations. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive a course completion card that is valid for two years.

Best feature: Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED Online is the eLearning portion of the Blended Learning Course. Upon completion of the online portion, students must complete a hands-on skills session with an AHA Instructor.

With any job, training is a must. A babysitting course is the best way to prepare for your first babysitting job. If you are an experienced sitter, a babysitting course can further your skills and keep you up-to-date on safety practices. Parents will feel safe having you care for their children, you’ll be a big hit with the kids, and you will feel more confident and prepared to handle things while the parents are out!

The next step? Put those skills to use! Find safe parents to babysit for with the help of Bambino. Bambino is a socially-connected app that helps sitters find parents, book jobs, and track payment.