Schools
More than half of Safe at Home program participants are school-aged children. School administrators may also encounter adult program participants as students or as school employees.
While the number of Safe at Home participants in one school district may be small, the employed security measures of the school and district are critical to ensuring the safety of the student and his or her family. The Safe at Home program administration and our participants appreciate California's schools' and school districts' cooperation and partnership in protecting the confidential address information of survivors of violence and their families.
Accepting the Safe at Home P.O. Box
- State, county and local government agencies are required to use the Safe at Home substitute address (a P.O. Box in Sacramento) in lieu of the residence address for all internal and external records created on behalf of a participant. (per Government Code §6207)
- Each participant certified by the Secretary of State receives a laminated Authorization ID card that displays his or her name, signature, Safe at Home P.O. Box address, four digit authorization number, expiration date, and the Secretary of State’s toll-free number: (877) 322-5227.
- When the parent, guardian or student participant presents his or her authorization ID card and the Student Record Suppression Form (view sample), the school administrator(s) must accept and use the Safe at Home substitute P.O. Box address (shown on the card) in lieu of the participant’s actual residence address.
- For emergency card purposes and to establish school district eligibility, if required, the actual physical address of the participant should be provided and records containing this information should be kept in a confidential location and not shared with other parents or staff.
- If there are any concerns, please contact the Safe at Home program at (916) 653-1769.
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Confidential Transfer of School Records
- For safety purposes, we ask participants not to release new school information to their child's previous school.
- In order to protect enrolled participants’ information the Safe at Home program will transfer school records (under confidential status) to the new school at the request of the enrolled parent/guardian.
- The participant or the enrolled parent (whose child must be enrolled) must complete and sign the Records Transfer Request provided by the new school and do the following:
- Complete and sign the new school transfer request form and mail it to: Safe at Home, P.O. Box 846, Sacramento, CA 95812.
- In a separate letter, provide your child’s name and previous completed grade, previous school name, address and telephone number.
- Once the above are received, Safe at Home sends a letter to the previous school requesting the release of the records.
- When the records are received, Safe at Home forwards them to the new school.
- If you are home schooling your child/children, their school records can be transferred to the new school district. School records will not be forwarded to parents/participants.
- If you have additional questions about the transfer of school records, please contact us at (916) 653-1769 or email us at: safeathome@sos.ca.gov .
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Keeping the Participant’s File Confidential
- Student records that are accessible to general school staff, non-custodial parents, and the public must display only the Safe at Home P.O. Box address – never the student’s actual residence location.
- Student records containing emergency address information should be kept in a confidential location, with restricted access.
- Parents are provided with an informational form (the Student Record Suppression Form (view sample)) to give to the school for placement in the school file.
- If a parent enrolled his or child/children and did not receive the Student Record Suppression form, please contact our office toll free at (877) 322-5227 or email us at safeathome@sos.ca.gov to request the form.
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Verifying Enrollment
- To verify the enrollment status of a student in the Safe at Home California Confidential Address program, call our office at (916) 653-1769 or toll free at (877) 322-5227. You must have the following information to verify enrollment:
- The student’s name,
- the student’s Safe at Home’s assigned four digit ID number,
- the student’s date of birth,
- the school name and phone number(s), and
- the name and title of school staff requesting the information.
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