How much do your courses cost?
The cost for either the Home Alone & Stranger Safety program or the Babysitters Training Course is $75.00 plus HST, for a total of $84.75.
Which course should we choose?
Choosing the right course depends on your student’s age, maturity, experience, and your family’s needs. Our programs are designed to complement each other, but each one focuses on a different set of practical safety skills.
Quick recommendation
- If your student is under 12, or if you can only choose one course, we recommend starting with Home Alone & Stranger Safety. This course teaches essential “self-safety” skills that students can often use right away at home, in public, and online.
- If your student is 12 or older, has already completed a similar safety program, or is interested in helping with younger siblings or beginning babysitting, we recommend the Babysitters Training Course.
The overview below highlights the main differences between the two courses.
Home Alone & Stranger Safety (Step 1)
This course is designed for younger students, ages 8 and up. It focuses on building independence, awareness, and confidence while helping students learn how to keep themselves safe.
Topics include getting home safely, communicating with parents, stranger safety, internet, door and phone safety, staying productive, setting home-alone rules, beginner kitchen hazards, fire safety, calling EMS/911, and basic self-first aid. After the course, we ask parents and caregivers to review the practical section of the manual with their student, so everyone feels prepared for this important new responsibility.
Babysitters Training Course (Step 2)
This course is designed for more mature students, ages 10 to 14, and builds on the key skills taught in Home Alone & Stranger Safety. The focus shifts from keeping yourself safe to helping keep others safe while they are in your care.
Topics include job readiness, getting your first babysitting job, understanding the needs of different age groups, safe food preparation, handling temper tantrums and other common challenges, planning safe and engaging activities, fire safety, next-level first aid, and rescue breathing.
Both courses are instructor-led and supported by a detailed handbook. Students learn through discussion, examples, activities, and role play, making the experience practical, interactive, and engaging.
Do you provide financial assistance?
Yes! Please contact our offices regarding our assistance program. We work with many community partners and youth service providers to ensure that everyone can participate in our courses, regardless of their personal circumstances.
I have not received a confirmation email yet. Should I register again?
You should receive confirmation instantaneously upon registering online. If you do not see an email from us in your inbox, please check your Spam or Junk folders. You may have a security feature which is preventing our confirmation email from reaching your inbox. If you have not received a confirmation after 1 hour, please email us at register@varisafe.ca so that we may send you confirmation directly and check that your registration was received. Please include your child's name along with the date, city and course type (Home Alone or Babysitters Course).
I am no longer able to attend. How can I cancel a registration or change the date of my course?
Once you have registered for a program, a space is reserved for your child. Depending on the amount of notice that you provide, we may be able to offer a refund, a partial refund, or transfer your student to a new course. Please refer to our Transfer and Cancellation Policy. Please email us at admin@varisafe.ca, and we will assist in processing your request to cancel or transfer to a different date.
Do I need to sign anything if my student brings an EpiPen or similar to the course?
Yes, if your student requires a life-saving epinephrine pen, you must complete a “Consent for Administration” waiver, which will be provided to you during the registration process. If you require a copy of the waiver, please contact us: admin@varisafe.ca
Can my student walk home alone at the end of the course with my permission?
If your student is a minimum of 12 years of age, you may provide us with a signed acknowledgement and waiver. We ask that you complete this form before the day of the event by emailing our office: admin@varisafe.ca
What safeguards do you have in place for the day of the course?
This is a question that we love answering because we care as much as you do about the safety of your student! The following precautions have been in place from day one and will continue to be in place at all courses:
- Full sign-in and sign-out procedures: We have a secure procedure to ensure the safety of your child.
- Contact information: We obtain all pertinent health, allergy or other information for each child upon registration and ensure that our professional instructors are aware of any special requirements and/or health concerns your child may have.
- Student-to-teacher ratios: We maintain a respectable student-to-teacher ratio of 20:1. At Vari SAFE, we are committed to providing a safe, interactive and excellent learning opportunity! Lower student-to-instructor ratios will ensure that our participants can seek clarification and gain assistance from our team with individual attention. Our goal is to ensure that every participant is engaged, supported and confident upon course completion.
- SAFE classrooms: We utilize community centres, local schools, clubs and other clean, reputable classroom spaces. At times, we do offer our courses in conference centres with the added safety of security staff, and we always work with on-site management to ensure a safe environment.
- Students remain in our classroom for the duration of the course except for structured washroom breaks with the added safety of a buddy system and hallway monitoring as needed.
- Open-door policy: We have an open-door policy where parents are always welcome to observe (from outside the classroom) our activities during the course. We also encourage you to meet our instructors upon arrival and to get your child seated and comfortable before we begin our class.
Who are your instructors, and are they qualified?
Our instructors have been selected and screened to ensure a SAFE and valuable learning experience for our participants. All instructors possess a current and clean Criminal Records Check (and Vulnerable Sector Screening) in addition to CPR and First Aid certification. Our team draws from many relevant experiences or educational backgrounds, including Health Care, Teaching, Early Childhood Education, Pedagogy, Policing, Social Services, Training and Parenthood!
How can I get a replacement Wallet Card?
We are happy to provide you with a replacement certification card for a small fee of $5.00 +HST.
Please email us at admin@varisafe.ca and provide the following information:
- Month, year and city of course completion
- First and last name of student
- Complete mailing address
We will provide you with additional information, and once payment has been received, you can expect your replacement card to arrive within 1-2 weeks, via Canada Post.
Parent Resources
Here are some excellent website links that may assist you with answering more of your Home Alone and Babysitter questions: