Project Safe Place is a national crisis prevention program for children and teens.  Family Connection is the provider of Safe Place services for Jefferson and Shelby counties.  If a young person needs help for any reason, he or she can go to any business displaying the yellow and black Safe Place sign.  Sites include Fire Stations, YMCAs, Public Libraries and grocery stores.  All sites are trained to call Family Connection's 24-Hour Help Line, and a Safe Place case worker will immediately be sent to pick up the child or teen, assess the situation, and provide assistance.  Project Safe Place is a great way for the children and teens in our area to get immediate help when necessary, and an opportunity for them to take the initiative when a situation has become dangerous.

Why would a young person need Safe Place help?  If he or she is a runaway, lost, in danger, being abused, locked out of the house, kidnapped, having trouble at home or school, avoiding a bully, on an unsafe date or in the car with an unsafe or drunk driver.

Eligibility, Enrollment and Cost

The program is free for any child or teen who needs help.

Contact

To use the program, all a child or teen needs to do is enter a business displaying the Safe Place sign and tell an employee that he or she needs Safe Place help.

Safe Place staff is available to attend community events and to deliver presentations to schools, churches and youth groups. To schedule a Safe Place presentation, call 205-663-6301 ext. 208.

Become a Community Safe Place Site

Family Connection welcomes new businesses to sign-on as Safe Place sites.  In order for a business or organization to become a Safe Place site location, the following commitment must be made:

• To designate responsibility for the Safe Place program to a management level employee, who is at least 21-years-old.
• To inform Family Connection when a young person enters your location seeking Safe Place assistance.
• To provide a safe environment where the child or teen in crisis can wait until Safe Place staff can respond and to monitor him or her as needed.
• To display the Safe Place sign(s) or decal(s) in a highly visible area on the outside of the location by the entrance that would be used by a Safe Place client.
• To schedule and attend a site training with the Safe Place Coordinator to familiarize staff with the program and gain necessary knowledge to assist a child or teen in crisis.
• To inform all new employees about the Safe Place program, including appropriate procedures to follow when a child or teen seeks Safe Place assistance.