Age- appropriate Safety Planing

Age-Appropriate Safety Planning

Safety planning is a vital part of helping children and youth impacted by domestic abuse feel empowered, prepared, and supported. At Child and Youth Partnerships, we use age-appropriate safety planning to ensure that each child understands how to recognize unsafe situations and respond in a way that is appropriate for their developmental stage.

Our safety planning process is:

• Child-centered: We consider the child's age, communication style, emotional capacity, and living environment.
• Empowering: We focus on what children can do safely—without placing responsibility on them for the abuse.
• Supportive: Plans are developed in collaboration with trusted adults and caregivers, ensuring continuity and protection.

Children and youth are gently guided through identifying:

• Safe adults they can talk to
• Where to go during a crisis
• How to seek help without escalating danger
• What to do if they're feeling scared, confused, or unsafe

This process not only increases safety but also helps children rebuild a sense of control, trust, and self-worth in the aftermath of trauma.