Become a Safe Place site

Safe Place® sites play a vital role in creating safer communities for young people. These youth-friendly businesses, schools, libraries, transit locations, fire stations, and organizations help extend the reach of the licensed Safe Place agency by providing visible, accessible places where youth can ask for help.


When a young person sees the yellow Safe Place sign, they know:
“Someone here will help me.”



By becoming a Safe Place site, your location becomes part of a trusted network that supports youth safety and strengthens the community’s overall response to youth in crisis.

What It Means to Be a Safe Place Site

Safe Place sites serve as trusted access points where youth can safely ask for help and be connected to trained professionals who respond to their needs. Your role is not to resolve a crisis, but to offer immediate support and initiate the response.

Safe Place sites:



  • Display the yellow Safe Place sign
  • Welcome youth who ask for help
  • Contact the licensed Safe Place agency when a youth arrives
  • Provide a comfortable, supervised space while awaiting a trained responder
  • Participate in staff training
  • Serve as a visible symbol of safety for young people


Your willingness to provide a safe, supportive environment is what makes the difference.

Who Can Become a Safe Place Site?

Safe Place sites can include:

Stack of books with an apple on top.

Schools and school districts

An open book icon.

Libraries

Truck inside a garage.

Fire stations

Black and white line drawing of a bus.

Transit systems (vehicles, stations, shelters)

Icon of a store with a striped awning and a door and window.

Youth-friendly businesses

Smiling face with black outline.

Recreation centers

People inside a house, suggesting community or family.

Community centers

Black and white icon of a stethoscope with a heart shape and a cross inside.

Healthcare clinics

Two hands reaching upwards, cupping a heart.

Nonprofit organizations

Hands in prayer with radiating lines.

Faith-based organizations

If your location interacts with young people or serves as a welcoming, trusted space — you may be eligible to become a Safe Place site in communities where a licensed Safe Place agency operates.


If your community does not currently have a licensed Safe Place agency, there are still meaningful ways to support youth safety. Organizations can explore participation through TXT 4 HELP partnerships, Transit Safe Place partnerships, or First Responder partnerships — all of which play an important role in building a Safe Community.


To learn which option fits your community best, visit the Start a Safe Place Program page or email info@nspnetwork.org

Why Become a Safe Place Site?

  • Strengthen Community Safety: Become a reliable point of help where youth know they will be supported.
  • Support Youth Before Harm Occurs: Safe Place sites help prevent trafficking, homelessness, exploitation, victimization, and avoidable system involvement.
  • Demonstrate Community Leadership: Your participation shows a clear public commitment to youth well-being.
  • Build Trust With Young People: Displaying the Safe Place sign communicates: “You can turn to us.”
  • Join a National Network: Safe Place is a respected program with thousands of participating sites supporting youth nationwide.
  • Small Commitment — Big Impact: Most sites assist only a few youth per year, but every interaction can be life-changing.

What Safe Place Sites Receive

Your local licensed Safe Place agency and NSPN provide:

  • Site onboarding and staff training
  • Clear and simple response procedures
  • Safe Place signage and materials
  • Ongoing support and communication
  • Annual update training
  • Access to national best practices and youth safety resources


You are never expected to manage a youth crisis alone — the responding Safe Place agency is always just a phone call away. For any questions or needs related to the program that are not addressed by your local licensed agency, please contact info@nationalsafeplace.org

How to Become a Safe Place Site

Becoming a Safe Place site follows a clear and supportive process. While each licensed Safe Place agency determines local eligibility and site selection based on community needs, all Safe Place sites must meet national program criteria and complete required training each year.

Connect with Your Local Safe Place Agency


Your local agency will discuss your interest, review site criteria, and determine whether your location is a good fit based on community needs and agency capacity.

Complete Required Safe Place Site Training


 Your staff participate in a brief, accessible training that covers what to do when a youth asks for help.

Install the Safe Place Sign


After training is completed and your site is approved by the local agency, Safe Place signage is installed to identify your location as a designated place of safety for youth.

Begin Serving as a Safe Place Site


When a young person requests help, your staff follow the established local protocol to connect with the Safe Place responding agency.

Each licensed agency manages its own response system and procedures, but the national standards guiding youth safety, access, and training remain the same.


Your location becomes an important part of your community’s youth safety network — offering immediate help, reliable support, and a trusted place for young people to turn.

Ready to Become a Safe Place Site?

Find your local licensed Safe Place agency and take the next step in strengthening youth safety in your community.


[Directory of Licensed Safe Place Agencies]


Or return to Build a Safe Community to explore additional ways to support youth safety.