For parents and caregivers
A child safety plan families can practice
Turn general advice into a short routine your child can remember. Adapt the words and responsibilities to the child's age, development, communication needs, and daily schedule.
Published and reviewed by National Offender Map · August 28, 2026
10-minute setup
Start with people, places, and check-ins
Write the answers down, practice them aloud, and keep the plan where the child can reach it.
- Choose two or more trusted adults.Make sure the child knows their full names and how to contact them. Explain that a trusted adult will listen and help—not ask the child to keep unsafe secrets.
- Practice names and numbers.Children should know their own full name, address, caregiver's name, and a phone number. Show them how and when to call 911.
- Pick safe places.Identify a nearby home, staffed business, school office, or other public place where the child can ask for help.
- Set a check-in rule.Choose when the child checks in, who they contact, and what to do if no one answers. Use a family code word only trusted pickup adults know.
Home and after school
Keep the routine simple
- Lock the door after entering and keep accessible windows secured.
- Do not open the door for an unexpected visitor. Contact the caregiver or a trusted adult instead.
- Do not tell callers, visitors, or online contacts that the child is home alone.
- Know where to go and who to call if a door is open, damaged, or something does not look right on arrival.
- Ask before changing plans, accepting a ride, or going into another person's home.
Body boundaries and disclosure
Make it safe to tell
Use clear, age-appropriate names for body parts. Explain that the child can say no, move away, and tell a trusted adult about touching, requests for images, threats, bribes, or secrets that feel wrong—even if the person is known to the family.
If a child tells you something happened, stay calm, listen, say you believe them, and explain that it is not their fault. Do not make the child repeat details to multiple people. Call 911 for immediate danger; otherwise contact the Florida Abuse Hotline for suspected abuse or neglect.
Online contact
Protect the conversation and preserve evidence
- Keep accounts private where practical and review who can message, tag, or locate the child.
- Do not meet someone first contacted online without a caregiver's knowledge and an age-appropriate safety plan.
- Teach children not to send private images. If someone pressures or threatens them, it is not the child's fault.
- Block the account, but do not delete messages or images that may be evidence. Tell a trusted adult and report suspected sexual exploitation to NCMEC's CyberTipline.
Registry awareness
Do not let a map replace the family plan
Registry data covers only people and information Florida law makes public. It does not identify every possible risk or predict behavior. Keep the same check-in, boundary, and trusted-adult rules for familiar people and strangers.
Sources and accountability
Verify the guidance
We link to the agency or organization responsible for each resource. Phone numbers and services can change; check the issuing source when possible.