This section provides resources for creating safety plans for victims and their children, including State and local examples.
Advocacy Matters: Helping Mothers and Their Children Involved With the Child Protection System (PDF - 420 KB)
Family Violence Prevention Fund (2003)
Provides useful resources for advocates working with women affected by domestic violence who are involved with child protective services. Includes information on helping mothers create a safety plan.
Building Safety for Battered Women and Their Children Into the Child Protection System (PDF - 519 KB)
Pence & Taylor (2003)
Explains how to use case files and focus groups to locate systemic problems in the handling of child protection cases where there has been a history of domestic violence.
Community Partnerships for Protecting Children: Lessons About Addressing Domestic Violence (PDF - 132 KB)
Family Violence Prevention Fund (2006)
Reviews emerging knowledge about the intersection of domestic violence and child maltreatment and discusses the Community Partnerships for Protecting Children initiative's efforts to improve practices and protocols for addressing the issue.
Honor Our Voices
Avon Foundation for Women, Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA), and Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) at the University of Minnesota
Presents an online learning module of practice guides and digital stories designed to increase the awareness and sensitivity of shelter advocates and other providers to the needs of children and suggests promising ways of enhancing services for children exposed to domestic violence.
Loving Parents, Loving Kids: Creating Futures Without Violence (PDF - 671 KB)
Family Violence Prevention Fund (2010)
Presents a card home visitors can give women that provides safety resources and addresses the impact of domestic violence on their parenting and children. The card folds to the size of a business card.
'Talking to My Mum': Strengthening Relationships Between Mothers and Children in the Aftermath of Family Violence (PDF - 2267 KB)
Humphreys
Social Work Now, 2007
Describes a project to strengthen relationships between children and their mothers in households affected by domestic violence. Addresses issues such as self-esteem and confidence, feelings, safety, and communication.
Working With Young Children and Their Families: Recommendations for Domestic Violence Agencies and Batterer Intervention Programs (PDF - 1220 KB)
Gewirtz & Menakem (2004)
In Early Childhood, Domestic Violence, and Poverty: Helping Young Children and Their Families
Discusses strategies for ensuring the safety of and providing services to children and adult victims in families affected by domestic violence.
State and local examples
Child Welfare Services With Families Experiencing Family Violence: Participant Guide (PDF - 4210 KB)
Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (2007)
Links to a curriculum for child welfare workers working with families experiencing family violence. Includes a module on assessing safety and risk and developing safety plans for victims.
Domestic Violence and Child Safety Planning (PDF - 34 KB)
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (2008)
Discusses the correlation between intimate partner violence and child abuse and neglect as well as steps a nonabusive parent can take to help reduce the impact domestic violence has on a child.
Model Protocol: Safety Planning for Domestic Violence Victims With Disabilities
Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (2010)
Provides a sample protocol to help domestic violence programs expand their advocacy practices to provide quality services to victims with disabilities.
Ohio IPV Collaborative
Ohio Intimate Partner Violence Collaborative
Highlights the activities and accomplishments of the Ohio Intimate Partner Violence Collaborative, a group of community partners that addresses practice at the intersection of child protection and intimate partner violence, particularly in the context of an alternative response practice approach.
Safety Focused Parenting Plan Guide for Parents (PDF - 1630 KB)
Oregon Judicial Department & Office of the State Court Administrator (2003)
Offers three examples of parenting plans to be filed in court during divorce or child custody proceedings. The samples help parents develop a plan for the child's safety while he or she is with the other parent, including provisions for overnight visits and public drop-off and pick-up sites.
Safety Plan for Immigrant Women Who Are Victims of Domestic Violence (PDF - 644 KB)
Ayuda, Inc. (2006)
Offers a self-help plan for immigrant victims of domestic violence to protect against the immediate threat of violence and develop long-term steps to prevent future violence.