A class to learn the ins and outs of babysitting is returning to the hospital this month.

The Safe Sitter’s class, a babysitting class for ages 11 through 13, will take place July 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at King’s Daughters Medical Center. Registration is required to participate, and the cost is $40.

“It’s a next level program,” KDMC Community Education Coordinator Kim Bridge said.

The Safe Sitter’s class is taught nationwide, and it has been a staple at KDMC for a decade now. The class is geared toward young people and is designed to teach them how to become successful babysitters.

Students will learn a variety of tasks, from the business side to the caretaking side of babysitting. Students will learn how to charge customers for babysitting services, do home inspections when meeting a family for the first time and how to accept and reject jobs.

They’ll learn about how to spot safety issues in a home, along with first aid and when it’s appropriate to call for help.

How to feed, change diapers, manage behavior and development stages are just some more of the things students will learn in the class.

The class will include CPR and Heimlich maneuver demonstrations on both infant and child medical mannequins.

Bridge said the class helps babysitters refine skills they’ve picked up while helping with siblings or other small children.

“It’s how they can often learn how to do these things themselves,” Bridge said.

The cost for the class covers the materials. Students will receive a backpack and manual to keep and lunch is included.

The class has 10 spots and registration will close once the limit has been reached.

Bridge has taught babysitting classes for 15 years at the hospital and he has taught this class for the entire time it’s been at KDMC.

“I like this one because it’s all in one,” Bridge said.

Bridge said the class benefits the community because it lets people who need babysitters find qualified individuals to take care of their children. Students who complete the class receive a certification card.

“It gives the child more confidence that they’ll know what to do,” Bridge said. “It is a big boost for the kids. It just gives them more experience.”

For more information, call Bridge at 601-835-9406.

Story by Gracie Byrne.