Safe Place
Project Safe Place is a national crisis prevention program for children and teens. Youth In Need is the regional provider of Safe Place services in the eastern Missouri. If a young person needs help for any reason, they can go to any business displaying the yellow and black Safe Place sign. Sites include all QuikTrips, Walgreens, Gateway Region YMCAs, St. Charles City-County Libraries and most Fire Departments as well as all Metro buses and trains in Missouri. All sites are trained to call a designated help line, and a Safe Place case worker will immediately be sent to assess the situation, provide assistance, and, if necessary, pick up the youth and transport them to a shelter. Project Safe Place is a great way for children and teens in our area to easily access immediate help when a situation has become dangerous.
Why would a young person need Safe Place help? If they are: 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 they need Safe Place help. View a list of Safe Place sites in the community.
Safe Place staff are available to attend community events and deliver presentations to schools, churches and youth groups. Learn more about what’s included in a presentation and how the St. Louis County Youth Connection Helpline can help children, teens and families. For more information, call 636-757-9345 or email.
Become a Community Safe Place Site
Youth In Need 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:
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To designate responsibility for the Safe Place program to a management level employee, who is at least 21-years-old.
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To inform Youth In Need when a young person enters your location seeking Safe Place assistance.
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To provide a safe environment where the child or teen in crisis can wait until Safe Place staff can respond, and to monitor them as needed.
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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.
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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.
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To inform all new employees about the Safe Place program, including appropriate procedures to follow when a child or teen seeks Safe Place assistance.
The cost to enroll your business as a Safe Place site is $75 or $25 for nonprofits. Signing up is easy. Download the site enrollment form, call 636-757-9345 or email.
