You can currently take a free self defense class in Louisville, have a certified technician check your child's car seat, sign up for free prenatal classes and attend a free estate planning workshop.

The programs are offered by Louisville Parks, local hospitals and Metro Government. Some have specific dates. Others are available throughout the year.

JCPS Insider checked the current listings on September 6 and limited this guide to opportunities available September 13, 2026, or later.

Louisville has a free self defense class for adults and teens

Louisville Parks and Recreation currently lists a free Self Defense class at Douglass Community Center.

The live Parks registration system, checked by JCPS Insider on September 6, lists the class on Mondays from 7:00 to 7:50 p.m. for ages 12 and older. The cost is $0 and registration is currently shown as available.

Location: Douglass Community Center, 2305 Douglass Boulevard

Time: Mondays, 7:00 to 7:50 p.m.

Age: 12 and older

Cost: Free

Phone: 502 456 8120

The Parks registration system does not display an end date for the class. Parents should check the listing when registering, particularly if they plan to attend later in the fall.

Check the current Louisville Parks registration listing

Norton Children's offers free car seat checks

Parents who have ever wrestled with a car seat installation can get another set of eyes on it for free.

The Norton Children's Medical Group Iroquois office lists free car seat checks by a certified technician among its services.

For a scheduled check through Norton Children's Prevention and Wellness, call 502 629 7358. That program provides year round car seat help from certified technicians and lists weekly checks at several locations. One of them is Norton West Louisville Hospital, giving west Louisville families another in county option.

Technicians can check proper installation and fit and help identify counterfeit car seats or seats that are not approved for use in the United States.

Norton also offers car seat classes for families experiencing financial hardship. The classes last about an hour and conclude with installation of a car seat in the family's vehicle. Resources are limited, and families must register and complete the class to receive a seat.

See Norton Children's car seat help

Free UofL prenatal classes start September 14

UofL Health's Center for Women and Infants offers its Beautiful Beginnings prenatal classes free to everyone.

The next virtual class is divided between Monday, September 14, and Monday, September 21, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

UofL splits the course material between the two evenings, so participants should plan to attend both.

Topics include signs of labor, comfort techniques, medical procedures, vaginal and Caesarean delivery, postpartum care, breastfeeding, infant nutrition and infant care.

Additional 2026 sessions are scheduled for October 17, November 9 and 16, and December 12. UofL notes that classes are subject to change or cancellation.

Register for UofL Health Beautiful Beginnings

Norton also has free classes for new and expecting parents

Norton Children's offers childbirth and new parent classes covering pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, baby care and safety.

Norton says most of its childbirth and new parent classes are free, and many classes are available in person or online.

Parents can check the current schedule online or call 502 629 1234, option 4.

Browse Norton Children's new parent classes

A free estate planning workshop is September 15

Louisville Metro's Land and Roots Workshop Series has two sessions remaining after September 13.

The live Metro workshop page, checked by JCPS Insider on September 6, lists Estate Planning on Tuesday, September 15, and Succession Planning on Tuesday, September 29. Both run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Baxter Community Center, 1125 West Liberty Street. There is no session September 22. Admission is free, but registration is required.

The series focuses on inherited property, identifying legal heirs, ownership issues, estate planning and ways families can protect property for future generations.

Louisville Metro's published FAQ specifically states that participants do not need to own property. The program is also open to people who may inherit property in the future or who want to learn about estate and succession planning.

The same Metro page states that participants who demonstrate strong attendance and active participation throughout the series may have the opportunity to receive complimentary preparation of a Last Will and Testament by a licensed attorney. Additional eligibility requirements apply.

Location: Baxter Community Center, 1125 West Liberty Street

Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

September 15: Estate Planning

September 29: Succession Planning

Cost: Free

Questions: 502 574 4200

That phone number is the questions number published on Louisville Metro's workshop page.

Register for the Land and Roots Workshop Series

Free infant and child CPR is available October 13

Baptist Health La Grange is offering a free Infant and Child CPR class on Tuesday, October 13, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

The class is held at the Oldham County EMS Training Center, 1101 New Moody Lane in La Grange.

It is intended for expectant parents, new parents, adoptive parents and other caregivers of children from newborn through age 8. The class covers CPR, choking response and safety concerns involving infants and children.

Baptist uses the American Heart Association Friends and Family course. This is a skills class, not a CPR certification course. Someone who needs CPR certification for employment, child care or another requirement should choose a certification course instead.

Date: October 13

Time: 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Location: Oldham County EMS Training Center, 1101 New Moody Lane, La Grange

Cost: Free

Information: 502 222 8563

Advance registration is required.

Baptist Health's live La Grange events calendar, checked by JCPS Insider on September 6, lists additional Infant and Child CPR classes on November 11 and December 9.

There is a discrepancy in Baptist's own published information. Another current Baptist Health page lists November 10 and December 8 instead. Parents planning one of those later classes should rely on the live La Grange events calendar when registering.

See the current Baptist Health La Grange events calendar

Your PTA or parent group can request safety training

Parents do not necessarily have to wait for a public class to appear on a calendar.

Louisville Metro Emergency Services offers community programs covering Hands Only CPR, AED use, choking response, Stop the Bleed, overdose response and emergency preparedness. Metro says programs can be tailored for schools, businesses, organizations and community events.

Louisville Fire has a separate public education program that includes children's fire safety, fire extinguisher training, emergency evacuation planning, school visits and firehouse visits. The department says it conducts around 1,000 educational programs in the community each year.

Groups can request a Louisville Fire public education program by calling 502 574 3731 or using the city's public education request form.

Metro's public pages do not state that every requested Fire or Emergency Services program is free, so JCPS Insider is not labeling those programs as free without confirmation.