How To: Set Up a Babysitting Program to Help Teen Moms

Only 1/3 of teen mothers earn high school diplomas. Set up a babysitting program that allows teen moms extra time to study and pursue goals that will benefit them and their child.

• Recruit your sitters. Find experienced babysitters that are willing to volunteer their time. Ask your friends, classmates and other neighborhood moms for referrals.
• Set requirements. Your sitters should pledge a certain number of hours a week that they will help out.
• Learn some extra expertise. If your team of caretakers isn’t fully confident with their child-watching skills, sign up for a babysitting and/or CPR course at your local community center, YMCA or Red Cross location.
• Find moms in need. There are plenty of moms to choose from! To get some business, you can:
• Advertise in your community (hospitals, supermarkets, schools, newspaper, etc.)
• Contact the National Association of Social Workers and ask them to connect you to possible clientele
• Snag the necessities. In order to do the best job possible, your sitters are going to need a few vital details from their prospective child-bearing clients. Such information includes:
• Emergency contact information (where to reach the mother or family in case of an emergency, child’s physician, etc.)
• Where the mother will be, if they are not staying at home
• Any allergies or medication that the child has
• Preparation for the job. Participating babysitters can brainstorm to figure out the most effective ways to entertain and take care of the child while the mom is studying. Whether you want to stay at home with the child or go on excursions to allow more peaceful study time for the hard-at-work mother, talk with the mama to decide the right call of action.