Casey Family Programs, the nation’s largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care in the United States, has published a new article about how helplines can support children and families.
The article explains that while child welfare systems currently rely on mandated and voluntary reporters to share suspicions of child maltreatment through calls to a child protection hotline, many jurisdictions are examining their hotline data and re-examining their mandated reporting procedures in order to reduce reports to these hotlines when situations do not warrant child welfare assessment, investigation, or involvement.
The article argues that child protection hotlines are neither equipped nor designed to effectively deal with the overwhelming number and variety of family conditions presented in the reports they receive, leading to investigation backlogs which distract agencies from their mandate to keep children at high risk of maltreatment safe from harm and those already victims of maltreatment safe from further harm.
Instead of the reporting hotlines, different helplines, whether they are operated or supported by child protection agencies, or operated separately like Safe & Sound’s TALK Line, can provide solutions for families at risk of child welfare involvement, including those experiencing economic stress, by connecting children and families to upstream services.
Ensuring that mandated reporters know how to access helplines, in addition to the families themselves, is critical in the goal to decrease unwarranted calls to the child protection hotlines. This is central to Safe & Sound’s Community Pathway initiative, a scalable, upstream, community-based model designed to reduce child welfare and criminal justice involvement by providing timely, trusted, and trauma-informed care.
The article goes on to outline the other conditions that will support the success of a family support helpline with examples from across the United States. You can read the full article, which includes a list of different helplines nationwide, on the Casey Family Programs Website.
The TALK (Telephone Aid in Living with Kids) Line is a 24-hour parent & caregiver support warmline providing early interventions, support, and community-based referrals to parents and caregivers experiencing any kind of stress or support with parenting or providing care to kids. The TALK Line is primarily staffed by trained and supervised volunteer line operators. We respond to incoming calls and also conduct regular follow-up with parents and caregivers with heightened needs.
Need support in parenting or providing care to kids? Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 415‑441‑KIDS (5437)
Everyone who supports Safe & Sound has their own story—one that reflects not only how they found us, but why they choose to stay. For Rachel, a longtime TALK Line volunteer and now a valued member of our Board, that connection began more than a decade ago—and it’s deeply personal.
Back in 2010, Rachel had taken the initiative to seek out charity partners for her employer when she first walked through the doors of our Waller Street building. She still remembers the warmth that greeted her—something intangible but unmistakable. “I knew immediately this was a place I’d return to”, she says.
Rachel’s connection to our mission was rooted in her own lived experience. She saw in Safe & Sound a way to honor her mother’s strength and to support families navigating hardship, just as hers once had. What began as a professional partnership soon became something much more meaningful.
A few years later, in a new role, Rachel found herself wanting to channel her energy into something positive. She thought of Safe & Sound—and took the leap to become a TALK Line volunteer.
The TALK Line—our 24/7 parent support warmline—is often a family’s first step into the Safe & Sound community. It offers real-time guidance, early intervention, and a compassionate ear. Rachel’s empathy and insight didn’t go unnoticed; her training facilitator quickly saw that she had something special. They were right. For the next eight years, Rachel offered calm, consistent support to countless caregivers navigating the ups and downs of parenting.
One of those relationships stood the test of time: Rachel connected with a parent when their child was just two months old—and stayed with them over the phone as that child grew into an eight-year-old. It’s this kind of long-term, trusted relationship that reflects the heart of both TALK Line and the Safe & Sound community. For many, the TALK Line is not only a lifeline in moments of crisis, but also a steady source of support and a bridge to engagement with our other programs—whenever families choose.
“Parenting is hard”—that’s the TALK Line’s tagline. Simple. True. And powerful. It’s a reminder that asking for help isn’t a weakness, but a strength. And when stigma is removed, real support can begin.
Today, in her role on our Board of Directors, Rachel continues to champion that belief. Safe & Sound has become more than a place she once visited; it’s part of the fabric of her life. Her story is a reflection of the community we strive to build—one rooted in trust, shared purpose, and a willingness to show up for one another.