Babysitting certification
Six modules, a published pass mark, and a verification page families can actually check. $45, and you can see exactly what it takes to pass before you pay.
90% to pass. Eight questions you cannot get wrong.
Every candidate sits the same assessment. Eight questions are designated critical safety — miss any one of them and it is a fail regardless of your overall score.
We publish this because most providers do not. One advertises a 100% pass rate with unlimited attempts. Most do not state a pass mark at all.
What is covered
What every babysitting certification actually costs
Nobody publishes this comparison, so we did. Care.com lists twelve programmes and quotes no prices at all. Every figure below was read off the provider’s own page in August 2026.
| Provider | Price | Length | Video | Pass mark | Public verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Babysitting Blueprint | $45 | ~5 hrs, 6 modules | Yes | 90% + 8 mandatory | Yes, public |
| American Red Cross | $45 | ~4 hrs | Partial | Not published | No |
| AED.com (resells Red Cross) | $49 | ~4 hrs | Partial | Not published | No |
| Babysitting Certification Institute | $95 | 1–2 hrs | Not stated | 80% | No |
| ExpertRating | $99.99 | 2–4 weeks | Not stated | Not published | No |
| CPR Certification Institute | $49.95 | Not stated | Not stated | Not published | No |
| Safe Sitter | $25–$50 | 6.5 hrs, in person | No | Not published | No |
| The Babysitting Course | $45 | ~5 hrs | Not stated | Not published | No |
| American Health Training | $30 | 1 hr | Yes | “100% pass rate” | No |
| Course For Babysitting | $25 | 2 hrs | Not stated | Not published | No |
The verification page
Every certificate comes with a public page at /verify/your-id. A parent can open it and see your name, your certification date, the expiry date, the full curriculum and the standard you met. It never shows your score, your attempt count, or any failed result. It is yours, it works for every family you sit for, and if it lapses it says Expired.
Common questions
What happens if I fail?
You get three attempts. If you do not pass on the third, there is a seven-day wait and you retake the relevant module before trying again. We do not offer unlimited retakes — a certificate you cannot fail is not worth holding.
Is this a licence?
No, and be wary of anyone who says otherwise. There is no such thing as a babysitting licence anywhere in the United States. This is a certificate of completion, which is what every babysitting credential actually is.
Are you accredited?
No. No accrediting body exists for babysitting training, so nobody in this field is genuinely accredited — including the providers whose names suggest they are. What we offer instead is a published standard and a verification page anyone can check.
Why does it expire?
Because two years is long enough for safety guidance to change and for you to forget things. Red Cross expires theirs too. Renewal is a shorter refresher plus the current safety assessment, not the whole course again.
Can a parent pay for it?
Yes. They buy it, you redeem the code, and the credential belongs to you — it works for every family you sit for, not just the one who paid.
Do you show my score to parents?
Never. Your verification page shows that you met the standard, not what you scored. The bar is public; your mark is yours.
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