Brookings Health to Offer Safe@Home Course to Prepare Kids to Stay Home Alone

Brookings Health System will offer Safe@Home by SafeSitter®, a program designed for students in grades 4 to 6 to prepare them to be safe when they are home alone. The class will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. inside the Ambulance Station and Education Center.

“COVID-19 has changed children’s education for many families. It’s forced many parents and kids to set new home routines,” said Paramedic Wendy Long, instructor for the Safe@Home course. “Some older children may be staying by themselves at home alone for the first time. The Safe@Home education helps these kids understand do’s and don’ts while also giving parents peace-of-mind.”

The 90-minute course teaches students how to practice safe habits, how to prevent unsafe situations, and what to do when faced with dangers such as power failures or weather emergencies. Students are also introduced to the Safe Sitter® First Aid Chart and learn a system to help them assess and respond to injuries and illnesses.

COVID-19 safety precautions will be implemented for the class, including screening attendees for symptoms and temperature, hand washing, and maintain 6-foot social distances.

Safe@Home is ideal for students that have expressed interest in assuming the responsibility of staying home alone. The class costs $20 and is limited to eight participants. Parents may register their child by visiting brookingshealth.org/SafeHome.

About Brookings Health System

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, Brookhaven Estates senior living apartments, Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and extended care services. Brookings Hospital provides local access to doctors in Brookings and offers robotic da Vinci surgery and Mako robotic-arm assisted procedures, making it one of the premier rural community hospitals in South Dakota. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.