Logistics of taking the CPST course

ks227 · Feb 3, 2014

DH and I both want to get certified as techs, so I searched on the Safe Kids site to find a class. There is only one listed for Connecticut so far this year and it's only 20 minutes from our home, but it's in April. I'm a nursing mom who pumps at work, and will not be pump weaning until June when the baby is a year old. DH is able to get the time off but his company has no PTO, so he'd be taking 4 days unpaid.

How far in advance are classes typically scheduled? Is it reasonable to hope that there will be more than one class offered this year?

For me, is it worth emailing the instructor to ask about breaks? DD will be 9.5 months old at the time of the April class and if there's an actual lunch break then I can pump in the car on the way to/from the class site and get away with only pumping at lunch.

MommyShannon · Feb 3, 2014

When I went to conferences while pumping, I took my manual pump in an insulated bag where it could stand up with the bottle attached. That way I could run to the bathroom (I know, yuck bathroom) and pump a little in the 5-10 minute breaks if I wanted. The setup meant the pump stayed in my bag except when I was using it and I didn't need to set it on anything.

thepote · Feb 3, 2014

If you email your state safekids coordinator you can usually find out their plan and class timing for the rest of the year.

ebp913 · Feb 3, 2014

I'm not pumping and I haven't taken the course yet but I heard there are lots of breaks so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I don't know if you want to wait or not but some areas are starting to offer the course in 3 days instead of 4. I'm taking one in March that is only 3 days in case that matters to you. If you really want to do it, I would just do the 4 day because who knows when the next one will be. I am driving 5 hours to take mine!

CTPDMom · Feb 3, 2014

Breaks are not a problem.

I just looked it up and that's a Waterbury class. Yeah, there will likely be another this year, at least. Probably several more in the state. Generally much is not posted during the winter.

Also, our state coordinator resigned. I have not seen an announcement for a new one yet. So keep in mind that might slow things up a bit this year, not sure what kind of changes will be made (if any) to the SK programs in the state.

We also lost the SK in the southeastern part of the state recently, the one at Lawrence and Memorial. It was disbanded. There still is no program in Fairfield County either. (This is where I work, primarily in Fairfield and New Haven county and there aren't many seat checks or other events around here. Just a handful.)

What town are you in? Waterbury does have regular seat checks at AMR. And Hartford does many of them, but they might be affected by the coordinator change too for a while.

ks227 · Feb 3, 2014

CTPDMom said:
Breaks are not a problem.

I just looked it up and that's a Waterbury class. Yeah, there will likely be another this year, at least. Probably several more in the state. Generally much is not posted during the winter.

Also, our state coordinator resigned. I have not seen an announcement for a new one yet. So keep in mind that might slow things up a bit this year, not sure what kind of changes will be made (if any) to the SK programs in the state.

We also lost the SK in the southeastern part of the state recently, the one at Lawrence and Memorial. It was disbanded. There still is no program in Fairfield County either. (This is where I work, primarily in Fairfield and New Haven county and there aren't many seat checks or other events around here. Just a handful.)

What town are you in? Waterbury does have regular seat checks at AMR. And Hartford does many of them, but they might be affected by the coordinator change too for a while.

We're in Bristol, so the Waterbury class would definitely be convenient. I noticed that the only seat checks without appointments listed on the CT Safe Kids site are in Waterbury (Hartford requires an appointment). There's pretty much nothing listed in other parts of the state. As a working parent it's tough to not have Saturday or Sunday seat checks - even a couple of years ago it seemed like there were checks every weekend and now there are fewer and they seem to be mostly during the week.

I think I'll email the instructor for the April class to find out if there'll be an actual lunch break. I only need 15 minutes to pump.

CTPDMom · Feb 3, 2014

ks227 said:
We're in Bristol, so the Waterbury class would definitely be convenient. I noticed that the only seat checks without appointments listed on the CT Safe Kids site are in Waterbury (Hartford requires an appointment). There's pretty much nothing listed in other parts of the state. As a working parent it's tough to not have Saturday or Sunday seat checks - even a couple of years ago it seemed like there were checks every weekend and now there are fewer and they seem to be mostly during the week.

I think I'll email the instructor for the April class to find out if there'll be an actual lunch break. I only need 15 minutes to pump.

Yeah, I think Waterbury is your best bet too. Pat (a female) Zainc, the lead instructor for that class, is a super nice lady. I can all but guarantee a lunch break, but do call her to confirm. (After all, many of her classes have cops in them...they don't do working lunches. LOL)

I have a thriving private seat check business because of that very thing...little to no weekend seat checks in some counties. Difficulty getting an appointment in towns that offer it, and the number of towns that don't offer seat check appointments at all.

Logistics of taking the CPST course

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