Kentucky 4-H is focused on getting the youth population Beyond Ready. All youth should be beyond ready for work. The skills that all programs focus on are civic engagement, leadership, and communication. In order to be a babysitter, all three of these skills are required to do the job well. The goal for this program was for the participants to have the skills to start their business following the program. This 6-hour course certification is one that they can show parents when they are starting out.

12 youth from Bardstown Middle School completed the 4-H Babysitting Basics course during their spring break. This course covered the different ages and stages of infants and children. Also, the students made homemade play dough and a snack that they could replicate when completing a babysitting job. Youth had the opportunity to practice their interview skills and complete hands-on care stations. The course ended with the students creating a flyer for their businesses.

This program was set-up through collaboration with the Bardstown Youth Service Center coordinator, Ms. Sheila Calbert. She wanted to offer this course for the students interested in getting hands-on experience in babysitting. Several of the youth had positive feedback to share because of their participation in the program. One youth that participated stated that their favorite part of the course was “When we had a partner and were acting like we were either the parent or babysitter.” Another youth stated that they learned there are different toys and items that each stage of an infant can play with.

A follow up in a few months after this program is scheduled to understand the longer-term impact that the 4-H babysitting program had on the participants.