“To respond to the trauma of their experience, children and youth require a sense of physical and emotional safety. A safety plan, a strategy which involves identifying the steps to take to increase safety, is one step towards this goal; it helps prepare for the possibility of further violence and provides guidelines to follow if one’s safety is at risk.”
PEACE Program Toolkit p.57

Pages 57-65 of the PEACE Program Toolkit provide detailed information about Safety Planning with children and youth of different age groups. Sample activities for safety planning with children and youth can also be found on pages 113-128. During the program intake session, PEACE Program counsellors should discuss with mothers the process, importance, and collaborative nature of safety planning with children/youth. Safety planning with children under five is most commonly done in collaboration with the mother.  PEACE Program counsellors may choose to include mothers in safety planning with older children as well.  PEACE Program counsellors should ensure that the mother has been through the process of safety planning for herself.

‘Be familiar with the mother’s safety plan, and how it relates to the child or youth. Be sure to discuss what kind of safety planning steps are already in place.’ PEACE Program Toolkit p. 57

If a mother does not have a current safety plan, PEACE Program counsellors should refer her to a transition house support worker, local women’s centre employee, local victim’s services representative, or another appropriate local resource to support her with this vital process.

Safety Planning Resources for PEACE Program Counsellors

• Ministry of Justice and BC Housing (2015) Creating a Safety Plan
• Ministry of Justice (2013) Safety Planning with Children and Youth: A Toolkit for Working with Children and Youth exposed to Domestic Violence
• Child and Youth Safety Planning Videos (Government of BC)