By Jennifer Currence Stupp
South Florida Baptist Hospital is collaborating with St. Joseph’s Hospital to provide a Safe-Sitter certification course at the Palmetto Club in FishHawk Ranch. The all-day class was strategically planned on Wednesday, November 11, when there is no school, to provide parents with a safe option for childcare during the day for ages 11 and up if they need to work. “The course is packed with info,” says Heather Coats, Community Health Program Coordinator, including what to do if a child is choking or stops breathing and what to say when calling 9-1-1. “There’s a lot of role-playing involved. It’s very interactive.” Additionally, attendees will learn some basic babysitting skills and some tips on how to grow their babysitting business. At the end of the day, they are given an open-book test to aid in retention of the materials taught during the day. Parents are welcome to join the group for a certificate presentation and mini-graduation ceremony. Children leave with a babysitting manual, a Band-Aid dispenser and an “Important Phone Numbers” pad to aid in collecting critical information from the parents they babysit for. All instructors are certified to teach the course.The course runs from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and costs $50. It is also being offered at the Plant City YMCA, located at 1507 YMCA Pl. in Plant City, on the same day. It is also available for private groups, such as church youth groups or Girl Scout troops. For more information about private groups, contact Coats directly at 757-8511.The hospital is also gearing up for its second annual Health Fair at Park Square in FishHawk Ranch on Saturday, November 7 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. The event was highly successful last year and includes numerous free health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, skin cancer and osteoporosis. Healthy cooking demonstrations, children’s nutrition information and seasonal flu shots will be on-site as well. Games and entertainment are available for the kids, including a moonwalk, face painting, airbrush tattoos and a magician. A free cookout lunch, drawing for a Wii Fit gaming system and a bike rodeo – complete with a helmet check and obstacle course – round out the events planned for the day. The last Ladies’ Night Out of the year will be held at the Park Square office in FishHawk on Tuesday, November 10 from 6:30-8 p.m. and will focus on information surrounding cosmetic surgery. The event will include a light dinner. For more information or to register for any of these events, call 754-4444.
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