Keeping kids safe when you have a protection order

Provincial Court

How can I keep my children safe if I have a protection order against their parent?

It’s important that children don't live in a household where they can witness or experience abuse. Getting a protection order and removing a violent partner from the home is an important step in keeping your children safe.

Include your children in the protection order

You can include your children in the protection order if you think the other parent might harm them. The protection order only protects the people named in the order.

Think about whether you need a parenting time order

If you think your children will be safe with their other parent, you can tell the court that you want a protection order and a parenting order that allows the children to have parenting time with their other parent. Be prepared to propose a plan for parenting time at your protection order hearing.

  • Your proposed plan might include how you will arrange parenting time for the other parent. For example, the protection order might say that the other parent must not have contact with you except by text, email, or through a third party for the purpose of arranging parenting time.
  • Your plan should also consider how the children will go from one parent to the other safely.
  • If it’s not possible to have a third person pick up and drop off the children, your protection order can specify that that your partner can have parenting time if it’s arranged in advance in writing (by text or email) and that exchange of the children will happen in a public location.
Be very careful about agreeing to parenting time right away after leaving an abusive relationship. It may be better to take your time and figure things out, rather than to rush into parenting time. When tensions are high, children are at risk of experiencing violence.

Make a safety plan for yourself and your children

Making a safety plan helps everyone reduce their risk of more violence. It also helps everyone know what to do if your abusive partner becomes violent.

For you

VictimLinkBC provides information and referral services to all victims of crime and immediate crisis support to victims of family violence, including making a safety plan. It is a toll-free, confidential, multilingual telephone service available across BC and the Yukon 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1-800-563-0808 or send an email to VictimLinkBC@bc211.ca.

For your children

Children need to know how to recognize risk, keep themselves safe from abuse and violence, and have access to a phone and someone to call if they need help.

A child's safety plan should also include having someone to talk to if they feel scared or worried about their safety for any reason. Children might not want to talk to one parent about the other parent because they don't want to get anyone in trouble. Your child might be able to talk to a teacher, school counsellor, grandparent, or a family friend. Or they might prefer to use a children and youth counselling service such as the Youth Against Violence Line or the Prevention, Education, Advocacy, Counselling and Empowerment (PEACE) program for children and youth experiencing violence.

You can also visit or call an advocate at any family or women service office and they can help you make a safety plan.

Keep the children safe if the situation changes

If you have court orders for parenting time, you should follow the orders as long as it is safe and possible to do so.

The risk of violence may increase if your situation or the other parent's situation or their behaviour changes. (For example, they lose their job, have financial problems, have mental health problems, or have access to weapons.)

If you think you or your children are at risk of violence from your partner, you must get legal help immediately. A lawyer can help you assess the risk and advise what steps you can take to protect yourself and your children. If you are in danger, call 911.

The law allows you to immediately stop parenting time if you feel the children may be at risk of abduction or family violence.

Get legal help

If you can't afford a lawyer, you can get legal help in other ways, including:

Staff at Justice Access Centres in Nanaimo, Surrey, Victoria, and Vancouver can also answer your questions and help you fill out forms. Call someone who can help or find a nearby office.

Get more information

Legal Aid BC has several resources to help you keep yourself and your children safe from your abusive partner. You can download a PDF to read on a computer or device.

Legally reviewed in February 2023
If someone is is immediate danger, call the police

Call 911 or your local police emergency number if you're afraid for your safety or your children's safety. Don't wait. 

Help is available

These organizations are here to help you:

Legal Aid BC

VictimLink BC 

Battered Women's Support Service

Updated on 11 January 2024