About Safe Beginnings First Aid

Holly and Jill

holly + jill

Safe Beginnings First Aid is the leading provider of infant and toddler-focused safety workshops and courses for parents in North America.

Safe Beginnings First Aid is owned and operated by two sisters, Holly and Jill. Since late 2016, we’ve trained over 35,000 parents, caregivers and professionals across North America with essential lifesaving skills, in addition to our rapidly growing online community of over 70,000 parents.

Our focus on the infant and toddler years is what sets us apart: our unique classes include our signature discussion on preventing injuries around the home for babies and toddlers. We’ll give you the confidence to handle an emergency with your family, and the know-how to prevent injuries from happening in the first place.

After becoming a first-time mom in 2009, Jill saw a gap in parent education when it came to essential lifesaving skills. As a trained first aid instructor of many years, Jill began teaching CPR and choking workshops for parents in 2010.

Jill’s sister, Holly, discovered her passion for teaching and mentoring while working in the medical software field for over 5 years

In 2015, following the birth of her first child, Holly found herself uncertain if her career in software was the right fit for her family. Jill invited Holly to form a business together, and Safe Beginnings First Aid was born. Safe Beginnings First Aid is a proudly family-run, women-led small business operating out of North Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Holly Choi

Co-Owner + Instructor

  • Holly Choi is a leader in childhood injury prevention education in North America. Holly runs our popular Instagram account, @safebeginnings, educating over 70,000 parents  worldwide on injury prevention for babies and toddlers across our social media platforms. Her extensive knowledge in baby + toddler safety - first aid, car seat safety, and childproofing - gives her a well-rounded and unique perspective.
  • Holly is a nationally-certified first aid instructor with both the Canadian Red Cross and Lifesaving Society of BC/Yukon, and a Child Passenger Safety Technician-Instructor with the Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC). Holly sits on the national board of directors for CPSAC. Holly has successfully completed the Home Hazards Test (HHT) with the International Association for Child Safety and is an active member of the North American childproofing community.
  • Holly is a member of the International Association for Child Safety (IAFCS) and Prevent Child Injury, and has completed additional child-focused safety trainings through BCAA and the BC Firefighter's Burn Fund. 
  • Holly is a mom to two daughters, ages 3 and 6.

qualifications

First Aid Instructor
Lifesaving Society BC/Yukon Branch
2015-present

Canadian Red Cross
2020-present

Vice President
Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC)
2022-present

Child Passenger Safety Technician-Instructor (CPST-I)
Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC)
2017-present

Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)
Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC)
2015-present

Child Passenger Safety Educator
BCAA
2019-present

Member, Board of Directors
Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC)
2019-present

Too Hot for Tots Educator Certificate
BC Professional Fire Fighter’s Burn Fund
2020-present

Member, International Association for Child Safety (IACFS)
Holly Choi has successfully completed the Home Hazards Test (HHT)
2020-present

Member, Prevent Child Injury
Prevent Child Injury brings together a coalition of stakeholders to speak with one voice and share specific injury prevention messaging on a national level.
2020-present

Holly in the media

Forbes Magazine

Podcasts

Other publications

Jill Colpitts

Co-Owner + Instructor

  • Jill founded Safe Beginnings in 2010, following the birth of her first child. Our unique programming all stems from Jill's original 2-hour workshop, with her carefully hand-curated curriculum for new parents.
  • Jill's background includes aquatics (where she became a first aid instructor initially), child care, and birth doula services.
  • Jill is an experienced birth doula serving the Vancouver, BC area. Through Vancouver Doula Events, Jill runs continuing education workshops and events for birth professionals.
  • When she’s not busy teaching first aid or attending births as a doula, she loves chasing after her two energetic children, ages 8 and 12.

qualifications

First Aid Instructor
Lifesaving Society BC/Yukon Branch
2003-present

Canadian Red Cross
2018-present

Neonatal Resuscitation Program
American Heart and Stroke Foundation
2014

Birth and Postpartum Doula Training
DONA
Motherwit
The Matrona

Member, International Association for Child Safety (IACFS)
Jill Colpitts has successfully completed the Home Hazards Test (HHT)
2020-present

Janna Bakla

Instructor

spark
  • Janna is a naturally talented teacher. Janna joined Safe Beginnings in 2020 following her certification as a first aid instructor - and while that may seem relatively fresh, Janna was handpicked to join Safe Beginnings following years of working alongside Holly as a peer in child passenger safety.
  • Janna is a former Early Childhood Educator (ECE) with over 10 years of experience in child care before choosing to stay home full-time following the birth of her son. During this time, Janna became passionate about child safety - in particular car seat safety - and certified as a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) through the Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC) in 2016.
  • Janna's dedication to being a community advocate for car seat safety led her to certify as a Child Passenger Safety Technician-Instructor (CPST-I) in October 2019.
  • Janna volunteers daily in her community with car seat checks (More information is available here).

qualifications

First Aid Instructor
Canadian Red Cross
2020-present

Child Passenger Safety Technician-Instructor (CPST-I)
Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC)
2019-present

Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)
Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC)
2016-present

Child Passenger Safety Educator

BCAA
2019

Too Hot for Tots Educator Certificate
BC Professional Fire Fighter’s Burn Fund
2022-present

Member, International Association for Child Safety (IACFS)
Janna Bakla has successfully completed the Home Hazards Test (HHT)
2022-present

Sierra Penner

Instructor

sunshine
  • Sierra has been a passionate safety advocate for over a decade. After years of synchronized swimming, Sierra entered the world of aquatics, a natural progression from her swimming experience, in 2008. Through swimming lessons, drowning prevention education, and first aid instruction, Sierra is passionate about teaching families the importance of child safety, in the water and at home.
  • Sierra's background includes being a dedicated and well-loved nanny for many years; before becoming a mom herself in 2017, to a beautiful boy.
  • Sierra holds many additional certifications related to her first passion, water safety: including holding all 4 possible lifeguard instructor certifications offered by the Lifesaving Society.
  • Sierra is a long-time Canadian Red Cross First Aid Instructor, as well as a First Aid Instructor-Trainer.

qualifications

First Aid Instructor
Canadian Red Cross
2014-present

First Aid Instructor-Trainer
Canadian Red Cross
2021-present

Basic Life Support Instructor (Healthcare)
Canadian Red Cross
2019-present 

Psychological First Aid Instructor
Canadian Red Cross
2017-Present

Teaching Experience Supervisor
Canadian Red Cross
2018-Present

National Lifeguard Instructor- (All 4 Instructor modalities)
Lifesaving Society BC/Yukon Branch
2019-Present

Lifesaving Instructor
Lifesaving Society BC/Yukon Branch
2008-Present

Water Safety Instructor Trainer Canadian Red Cross
2017-Present

Airway Management and Oxygen Therapy Instructor
Lifesaving Society
2020-Present