SAFE HOMES

 

On Tuesday, February 27th, 2007, the Yellow Springs Exempted Village Schools introduced the Safe Homes Pledge initiative to parents and community members. Below please find the names of parents who have signed the pledge and have committed their home as a safe place for teens to gather. Also please find the entire Safe Homes Pledge along with questions and answers about what the Safe Homes Pledge mission is all about. For more information about the Safe Homes Pledge, please feel free to contact a member of the Yellow Springs High School Student Assistance Team (Kevin O’Brien, Sarah Lowe, Robin Fast, Vickie Hitchcock) at 767-7224

 

SAFE HOMES is a directory and a pledge.  The pledge addresses concerns about the role of parents/guardians in preventing alcohol and drug use by young people and an optional secure homes pledge which deals with the issue of firearm safety in the home.  The directory lists the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of others who have signed the SAFE HOMES pledge.  The goal is to acknowledge and encourage young people to have fun at gatherings where they can learn valuable social and friendship skills, but more importantly that they be safe and return home safely.  It is hoped that by parents/guardians signing the pledge and having the directory, communication among parents/guardians will be facilitated and made easier concerning these topics.

A Safe Homes directory will be given to each family that signs the pledge

 

 

 

 

The SAFE HOMES PLEDGE

As Parents/Guardians:

We will not allow parties or gatherings in our home when we are not there.

We will not allow youth under the legal drinking age to consume alcohol in our home at gatherings/parties.

We will not allow the use or presence of any illegal drugs at gatherings/parties.

We agree to have our names in the SAFE HOMES DIRECTORY and use the directory when our son/daughter attends a party/gathering.

 

Parents/Guardians

             Name:       Signature:

                        _____                       ____

                        _____                       ____

Name(s) of child(ren)   

              Name:           Grade:

                        _____                       ____

                        _____                       ____

                        _____                       ____

                        _____                       ____

                        _____             ____

 

Address: __

Town: ________________________      Zip: ____________    Phone #  _________________________

           

 

SECURE HOME PLEDGE   (Optional)

If you decide to check the box in front of this additional pledge, your name will appear with an asterisk in the directory.

 ¨   We will either not allow firearms in our home or will ensure that any firearms in our homes are locked away securely in a separate location from the ammunition.

 

RETURN TO ANY Yellow Springs School Office – Attn: SAFE HOMES, Vickie Hitchcock 

 

  

Questions and Answers about SAFE Homes

 

Q. What makes the SAFE Homes Program unique?

A. SAFE Homes is unique in that it helps bring together parents who share a desire to help their children enjoy their teen years drug and alcohol free. By signing a pledge to supervise get-togethers and prohibit the use of drugs and underage drinking, parents are making an important statement to their own children about their values, as well as participating in a network of parents in whom other parents can have confidence. In our busy world, such networks are harder to come by and require more planning than perhaps they did in the past. 

 

Q. But I trust my children completely. Why would I need to be involved?

A. One of the valuable aspects of the program is that it provides information for each family about the rules and limits set by the other families with whom their children interact. This can make it easier to ensure that your own child will enjoy social events without being put in uncomfortable positions because of a lack of parental supervision. In addition, it can help children, who might feel self-conscious that perhaps their parents are stricter than others, to know that many other parents have the same rules!

 

Q. I can’t imagine that anyone would permit their children and their friends to drink and use drugs at parties. Why is signing a pledge needed when this seems so obvious?

A. Parents who choose to sign are making a commitment to be active in their supervision as well as in their communication with their teens, which sends a message about the importance they attach to this issue to their own children as well as to the community. The goal is, in fact, to strengthen the idea of drug and alcohol free teens as a norm that IS supported by everyone in our community.

 

Q. My children are in high school--of course they are going to experiment, that’s only natural. I’d rather they did it in my home where they are safe than out somewhere they could get hurt. Won’t this program just make them more secretive?

A. While experimentation in adolescence IS natural, there are many ways for teens to experiment that do not involve illegal use of alcohol or drugs! Clear messages from parents have been shown to help most teens resist the temptation to experiment in this hazardous way. While we know that few teens are going to avoid making mistakes, we are trying to give them the tools they need to make wise decisions in as many situations as possible.

 

Q.What will happen if I join the pledge and something happens--the kids sneak it in or my child drinks at someone else’s house?

A. If our children do break the rules, we will be on much stronger grounds with them in discussing their behavior and its consequences if we have stated our position clearly ahead of time. We will also have a support network of parents available to us to help us.