The Coordinator of Youth Services for The Kitchen has worked to bring the program to Springfield. It will start in August but it's going to take the help of many more businesses and organizations to help kids in crisis. Some are already on board.

The Rare Breed Youth Outreach Center, 215 S. Campbell Ave., already helps record numbers of kids, both high-risk and homeless. It averages more than 70 participants each evening.

“There's a link between economic downturn and both domestic violence and child abuse, and that could be connected to why we're seeing so many more youth out here,” said Todd Duncan, coordinator of Youth Services at The Kitchen, which runs many social service programs in the city.

The walk-in center is a place that youth can get food, clothing, and much more.

“They find a listening ear, a caring adult in terms of staff here,” said Duncan.

Now, The Kitchen is ready to take a big step to reach more youth.

“Essentially, what the SafePlace Program will do is turn our two or three doors to our youth-serving agencies into over 100 within the community, conveniently located for youth, right near their own neighborhood,” said Duncan.

The kids will be able to just walk into a SafePlace site. Traditional locations include QuikTrip stores, a corporate sponsor of the national program, fire stations, libraries and youth-friendly businesses. Public transit makes a great SafePlace partner too, and City Utilities of Springfield is already on board.

“Obviously this is a program where you hope you never have anything happen, that nobody will ever need the service, but, since we have 14 routes, 20 buses out at peak time, and we cover the majority of the city of Springfield, it just seems a natural fit for public transit to be a part of the program here in Springfield,” said Carol Cruise, CU’s director of Transit.

“We want more businesses that are youth-friendly and believe in the safety of children and youth in the community to come on board with us behind the SafePlace Springfield program,” said Duncan.

For businesses to become SafePlace sites, they would pay a $100-a-year site fee, and would be asked to incorporate SafePlace training into their regular employee training programs. Then, if a child came for help, they would check to see if it's a 911 emergency, get them to a quiet, safe place in the business, and call SafePlace staff.

A kid could use a SafePlace site if he or she is lost, comes home from school and finds the house locked, is being followed by a stranger, or even being abused at home. Whatever it is, the program wants to help.