NORWICH — The Place will be hosting a free American Red Cross Babysitter Training Class for Chenango County youth aged 11 to 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. The class will be held at The Place, located at 22 East Main Street in Norwich.

The class will teach youth how to care for children and infants and be a good role model. Additionally, youth will learn skills such as problem solving, leadership skills, safety, handling emergencies and accidents, basic first aid, how to write resumes and interview for jobs, and more.

The Place EPIC Program Coordinator Elizabeth Hathaway said participating youth will also learn how to run their own babysitting business.

"I am teaching the kids how to start a babysitting business, how to continue running it, how to branch out, how to safely get clients, and then we go over the skills, what you’ll need to be a babysitter. Then we do the first aid," she explained.

The class will also cover some basic childhood development and how to handle behavioral challenges.