As summer approaches and children prepare for camps, day trips, and new environments, Toras Chaim Day School is making sure its students head into the season with something more than sunscreen and a packed lunch.
This spring, the school brought in Debbie Fox and the Magen Yeladim International Safety Kid Program to equip students, parents, and staff with the knowledge and language children need to stay safe.
The transition from the structured school year to the relative freedom of summer is one of the most vulnerable periods for children. New settings, unfamiliar adults, and less-supervised hours can create situations where children are unsure of how to respond or who to turn to. The Safety Kid program addresses that gap head-on by giving children a clear, memorable framework and the confidence to use it.
Fox, who consults and speaks internationally on the topic of child abuse prevention, led a comprehensive series of trainings that touched every level of the Toras Chaim community. Teachers participated in professional development sessions designed to help them recognize warning signs and reinforce safety concepts throughout the school year. Parents were also trained, giving families the vocabulary and conversation starters to continue these discussions at home, with a key element focusing on how to create a home environment where children feel safe and comfortable sharing about their day and raising any struggles they may have come across. Finally, a cohort of staff members participated in a “train the trainer” program, training in the Safety Kid approach to ensure the program can be sustained and delivered to students from year to year.
At the heart of the program are the ABCs of Safety: Ask for help, Bring a friend, Check first, and Do Tell. These four principles were taught directly to students in age-appropriate classroom sessions and are designed to be immediately actionable. Rather than relying on abstract warnings, the ABCs give children concrete steps they can take in real situations.
Students learned practical emergency skills: how to call 911, how to speak clearly to safety personnel, and, critically, how to stay on the line until help arrives. They were taught what to do if they become separated from their group or get lost in a public place, and how to communicate changes of plans to a parent or trusted adult. Scenarios included a child at a summer camp, on a family outing, or in any new setting a child might genuinely encounter.
Perhaps one of the most lasting lessons involved identifying a trusted adult. Students were taught how to recognize which adults in their lives they can turn to when something feels wrong or makes them uncomfortable, and that speaking up is not only permitted but expected. This message is especially vital for children navigating new social environments during the summer months, where the trusted figures of the school year may not be present.
The Magen Yeladim International Safety Kid Program has earned wide recognition from law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, and school administrators for the way it delivers critical safety information in ways that are dignified, age-appropriate, and culturally sensitive. It has been equally praised by parents and children themselves; a reflection of how carefully the program is designed to empower rather than frighten.
For Toras Chaim, bringing the Safety Kid program to the entire school community reflects a commitment to the whole child, not just academic excellence. As families finalize summer plans, the school encourages all parents to help their children know what to do and who to talk to when a situation feels uncomfortable, making sure their children know who the child’s trusted adults are at camp or in new settings. But perhaps the most important thing for parents is to be present and create a happy and comfortable home environment where the parent-child relationship is a healthy and supportive one.
Rabbi Aryeh Kravetz is Head of School at Toras Chaim.