What can parents do to protect their kids at school?

We know you would do anything to keep your children safe. Here are the steps that make the biggest difference. This is general information, not legal advice.

1. Update the emergency contact card

This is the most important step. If you are detained or stuck somewhere, the school needs to know who can take your child home.

California law backs you up (AB 495). Since January 1, 2026, when a school learns a parent is not available, it must first follow the instructions on your emergency contact card. It should not call child protective services unless it cannot arrange care that way. Licensed child care centers and state preschools must follow the same rule.

• List two trusted adults who live nearby and answer the phone during the day.
• Write who may pick up your child, and who may not.
• Tell those adults they are on the list. Make sure they can show a photo ID.
• Do the same at child care, after school programs and sports.
• Check the card every fall and whenever a number changes.

2. Think about a caregiver form

A signed Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit lets a trusted adult enroll your child in school and consent to school related medical care. A relative can also consent to other medical care. The form is free. It needs no notary and is not filed with a court. Parents do not need to sign it, and you can cancel it at any time.

What it cannot do: it does not give legal custody, and it cannot be used against your wishes. It stops working if your child stops living with the caregiver. The court's self help page says to sign a new one each year, while the form itself says it does not expire. A fresh copy each year is the safe choice. Step by step help: How to fill out the caregiver form.

3. Make a family safety plan

The Attorney General recommends a family safety plan that names a trusted adult, lists emergency numbers and says where important papers are. Keep it where your child knows to find it. Our step by step version: Make a family preparedness plan.

4. Know what the school must do

You don't have to take the school's word for it. Under Education Code 234.7 (Attorney General guidance):

• Staff need a parent's consent before an immigration officer interviews or searches your child, unless there is a judge's warrant or court order.
• The school must tell you right away if an officer asks for access to your child.
• Staff may not let officers into classrooms and offices, or share records, without a judge's warrant, judicial subpoena or court order.
• The school may not collect your immigration status, except where the law requires it.
• Every K to 12 school must have a plan to notify parents when immigration enforcement is confirmed on campus (SB 98).

Ask the principal: "How will you tell parents if agents come? Is my number right? May I see the district's policy?" Schools must share the Attorney General's guidance with families.

5. Give your child a simple plan

Keep it calm and short. Children do best with a clear plan and steady adults.

• Tell them who picks them up if you can't. Use names they know.
• Have them learn one phone number, or keep it in their backpack.
• Tell them that if someone they don't know asks about their family, they can say they want their parent there.
• Tell them to stay with their teacher in any emergency.

Don't share more than they need. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests asking what your child already knows, being honest, avoiding promises you can't keep, and keeping daily routines. More: When your children are afraid of immigration raids.

6. Keep your status out of school papers

The school does not need it. You never need to give a Social Security number or immigration papers to enroll your child. For free meals, a school may ask only the last four digits of an adult's Social Security number, and must say that leaving it blank will not block enrollment. Every public school student in California can get free breakfast and lunch anyway.

What if I need a longer plan?

A caregiver affidavit is for school and medical care. It does not give custody. If you worry you could be away for a long time, a court guardianship is the stronger tool, and California is adding a way for a parent and a trusted adult to share it. New joint guardianship court forms are proposed, not yet adopted. As of October 21, 2026, they are scheduled for the Judicial Council's October 24, 2026 meeting, with a proposed start date of January 1, 2027 (Judicial Council committee agenda). After that meeting, check the court's guardianship self help page for the final forms. A court cannot name joint guardians over the objection of a parent who does not have custody unless it finds that giving that parent custody would harm the child (Probate Code 2105). Guardianship is a court case, so talk to a family law attorney or your court's self help center first. See Make a family preparedness plan.

Should I keep my child home?

That choice is yours. But children 6 to 18 generally must be enrolled in school, and missing class can make fear grow. Talk with the principal or counselor first. Many families find that a strong plan lets them keep their children in class.

What mistakes should we avoid?

• One backup adult. Name two.
• Trusting rumors. Check with your rapid response line or the school.
• Paying someone who is not a lawyer. Only an attorney or a DOJ accredited representative can give immigration legal advice. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• San Mateo County Rapid Response Hotline (for San Mateo County): (203) 666-4472, 24 hours
• Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network (for Santa Clara County): (408) 290-1144, 24 hours
• Other California counties: CCIJ's local rapid response hotline list
• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (for low income residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties): (650) 326-6440
• For East Palo Alto families: Ravenswood City School District: (650) 329-2800. Sequoia Union High School District: (650) 369-1411
• California Attorney General, Bureau of Children's Justice: (800) 952-5225, if a school breaks these rules

Only an attorney or a DOJ accredited representative can give you legal advice about your case.

Related questions

• Can ICE come into my child's school?
• What protections do immigrant students have in California schools?
• What should schools do if ICE comes?

Planning ahead is an act of love. Your children are not alone, and neither are you.