Police Offer Safe Sitter Training for Teens

Tampa Police officers and child care experts welcomed 18 teens into its “Safe Sitter” club today.  It was all part of an eight-hour training geared towards teaching teens how to properly care for younger children.  Officer Susan Bowers partnered with the St. Joseph’s Children Advocacy Center to host the interactive training at the East Tampa Resources in Community Hope (RICH) House.  The young sitters went through various scenarios that taught them how to handle emergency situations, including how to rescue a choking infant or child. 

And just like in the famous novel series, ‘The Baby-sitters Club,’ the teens received pointers on how to run their own safe and successful sitter service.

The East Tampa RICH House is a safe haven for children who live in one of the city’s most economically challenged area.  The majority of the teens who participated in the “Safe Sitter” training come from single-parent households and are often tasked with watching their younger siblings while their parents are at work.

Officer Susan Bowers believes that the daylong training will give these teens the basic skills they need to stay safe while an adult is not in the home.

For more information about the nationally recognized “Safe Sitter” class, visit http://www.sjbhealth.org/body_childrens.cfm?id=2382