Vancouver Childcare Emergency First Aid and CPR B

All caregivers who work at either a licensed or registered childcare facility in British Columbia are required to be certified in first aid. For non-licensed or non registered childcare providers, it is up to the parents whether their childcare provider will require first aid training. We definitely encourage non licensed childcare providers such as nannies and babysitters to take a first aid class, and we see many of them in our classes even though there are no provincial rules that require it.

If you have no training and your child is seriously injured, please call 911 and follow their directions! But we believe you should take a course to learn how to give effective first aid to your children. In a nutshell, knowing what to look for when assessing a situation and an injured child is important, as well as having a basic set of life saving treatments in your toolbox. Taking a Standard or Emergency First Aid course will give you an understanding of the priorities when an emergency happens, and the skills and confidence to be ready to treat your child’s injuries.

Child Care First Aid is just what it sounds like - it is a first aid course that ensures that you are ready to provide first aid for children in the community. While ‘Emergency First Aid’ or Standard First Aid’ along with CPR C will have a more generalized approach to first aid, these will still meet the first aid requirements for most people who work in childcare settings. But if you work specifically in a licensed childcare setting your employer may prefer for you to be certified in ‘Emergency Childcare First Aid’. While most first aid topics are universal in nature, the Child Care first aid courses will have a few extra topics - such as a stronger focus on managing typical childhood injuries, and touch on some of the legal responsibilities that come with caring for other people’s children.

Emergency First Aid is a basic 1 day course that focuses on life saving skills and knowledge. It is the minimum requirement for many jobs, but some employers may require the 2 day Standard First Aid certification instead. Worksafe BC recognizes Red Cross Emergency First Aid certificate as equivalent to OFA Level 1. Topics covered include: Scene Assessment, Primary Assessment, Clearing an Obstructed Airway, CPR with AED, Breathing and Circulation Emergencies, Controlling Severe Bleeds, Basic Minor Wound Management.

There are no requirements if you are babysitting a single sibling group or up to 2 children at a time. That being said, many parents would prefer or even require their babysitters to have first aid certification. We think it is very important that anybody who is babysitting children be trained in first aid so that they will know what to do in case there is an emergency even if it isn’t required by law!

Yes, the Emergency First Aid courses that we teach will always touch on how skills might be different when applied to children and give specific instructions for child CPR. If you sign up for Emergency First Aid with CPR C the course will also include CPR and choking procedures for babies. While most first aid topics apply similarly across all age groups, if you are looking for a course with a bit more focus on children then you might prefer to sign up for one of our Emergency Childcare First Aid Courses instead of Emergency First Aid.