Mission & History

National Safe Place Network (NSPN) ensures an effective system of response for youth in crisis through public and private partnerships at the local, state, and national levels.


For more than four decades, NSPN has strengthened communities by increasing access to safety, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed resources for young people experiencing homelessness, abuse, family conflict, exploitation, or unsafe situations. NSPN works alongside youth-serving organizations, schools, emergency services, transit systems, and local governments to create reliable pathways to immediate help and long-term support.


Our Mission in Action

Central to NSPN’s mission is Safe Place®, a nationally recognized, community-based program that provides immediate help and safety for youth under 18 (and up to age 21 in some communities). Safe Place designates schools, libraries, fire stations, transit partners, and other youth-friendly organizations as locations where young people can safely ask for help. Each site displays the yellow, diamond-shaped Safe Place sign—the universal symbol of youth safety and support.


Safe Place is supported by TXT 4 HELP, a 24/7 nationwide text-for-support service that connects youth to the closest Safe Place site or youth-serving agency and, when requested, to a trained mental-health professional for real-time support. Together, Safe Place and TXT 4 HELP create a trusted, community-anchored safety net that ensures youth can reach help anywhere, anytime.




Impact on Youth and Communities

Safe Place protects individual youth—but it also strengthens the communities around them. The program provides communities with a proven, structured, and trauma-informed response system, contributing to:

  • Earlier identification of youth at risk, preventing crises from escalating
  • Reduced youth homelessness and victimization
  • Stronger partnerships among agencies, first responders, and youth-serving organizations
  • Improved access to local services, including shelter, counseling, and family support
  • Increased community awareness and engagement around youth safety


When youth know where to turn for help, entire communities become safer, stronger, and more connected.


Our History

Safe Place began in 1983 in Louisville, Kentucky, when a local youth shelter partnered with neighborhood fire stations to offer teens safe, clearly identified locations to seek help. The program quickly demonstrated success, and by 1986, Safe Place began expanding to additional communities.


In 1988, National Safe Place was established to support consistent program standards, community partnerships, and national growth. Over the following decades, Safe Place became a cornerstone program for youth crisis response, recognized for its accessibility, visibility, and community-driven approach.


In 2013, National Safe Place merged with the Youth and Family Services Network to form National Safe Place Network (NSPN), strengthening its capacity to deliver training, technical assistance, best-practice guidance, and national leadership in youth safety.

Today, Safe Place continues to expand across the U.S., supported by NSPN’s mission-driven commitment to protecting youth, strengthening community response systems, and promoting collaboration between public and private partners. The impact is seen not only in the thousands of youth who find safety each year, but also in the communities that are better prepared to respond with compassion, consistency, and care.