BALDWIN COUNTY , Ala. — Are you rusty on your babysitting skills or worried about how childcare has changed since you last looked after nephews, nieces or grandchildren?

That is where Kids and Kin, a free program designed to support and assist people taking care of their relatives’ children in 33 Alabama counties, can step in to help.

“Children need guidance, early intervention, family support and strong family role models to obtain their potential,” Linda McSorley, program coordinator, said. “We teach providers healthy ways to do these things.”

McSorley, who oversees Kids and Kin for Baldwin County, said the more training the program can provide in a family the better it is for the children in the home.

“The health and wellbeing of the children are our paramount concerns,” McSorley said.

She said training families is important because they need to realize children look up to their grandparents, older siblings and other families members for everything.

“We want to help families and anyone can participate if they have a million dollars or zero dollars,” McSorley said.

McSorely said participants enrolled in the voluntary certification program can obtain level one certification or level two certification.

Level one classification requires taking three classes, first aid certification and CPR certification.

Level two certification requires participants to take an additional four classes on top of the level one requirements.

“We are trying to collect as many people as we can in Baldwin County to participate in the training,” McSorley said. “We also want to work with different cultures to help people provide the best care possible.”

And while the program has a short history in Baldwin County, it has been in the state of Alabama since 1999.

“The program is administered through the Family Guidance Center but funded through the Department of Human Resources,” Kathy Camp, program director, said. “It is designed for grandparents, aunts, uncles and siblings who care for children under the age of 13.”

To eligible for participation in the program, the care provider must be at least 19 years old, provide care to a family member under the age of 13, cannot be a licensed care giver and cannot be the legal guardian of the child.

Camp said there are already programs out there for family members who have legal custody.

“We are looking at traditional people who are keeping the children as family,” Camp said. “That is who we are trying to impact. We are trying to make sure the children are getting quality care.”

An example Camp gave of who could benefit from the program was grandparents who had not had grandchildren in their home in 20 years.

“So much has changed,” Camp said. “The program helps those types of people learn about child development, health and safety.”

The class or “educational workshops” are based on a curriculum involving child development, first aid, CPR, nutrition, discipline, child health issues, stress and time management and stretching your dollars.

“We maintain the integrity of the program by having trainers lead the seminars who fit into the curriculums,” McSorely said.

She said she has held workshops taught by trainers from the Alabama Extension Center, United Cerebral Palsy and registered nurses.

Camp said the four Kids and Kin workshops held in Baldwin County have each averaged nine or 10 people, which is in line with the state average.

“I think (people in Baldwin County) are excited there is educational training available to them,” Camp said.

Camp said of the programs in Alabama 136 of the enrolled participants finished level one certification and 103 of the enrolled participants finished level two certification last year.

Kids and Kin has 164 participants enrolled in the program this year.

For more information about the Kids and Kin program, visit familyguidancecenter.org.