⚠ IF A CHILD IS IN IMMEDIATE DANGER

Call 911 right now. To report suspected exploitation: NCMEC CyberTiplinereport.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline1-800-422-4453, 24/7.

PROJECT DEFEND & PROTECT OUR CHILDREN · PDPC
An initiative of America's Future

Protecting children is a skill — and it can be taught.

PDPC is child-safety education for parents, educators, faith and community leaders, and youth-serving organizations. We teach prevention, awareness, healthy boundaries, digital safety, and responsible reporting — so the adults around a child know what to watch for and what to do.

6
Certification pathways for every role
13+
Courses across prevention & digital safety
4
Printable family tools, yours to use

Our principles

Prevention
The first line of defense. Safe environments are built on purpose.
Education
Knowledge reduces vulnerability — for adults and for children.
Awareness
Recognizing warning signs early improves outcomes.
Responsibility
Every community member has a role in keeping children safe.
Collaboration
Families, schools, and organizations protect best together.
Respect
Every child deserves dignity, safety, and the chance to thrive.

Certification pathways

Each pathway is a guided set of courses ending in a printable Certificate of Completion. Watch short lessons, pass a quick knowledge check, and earn your certificate — all on this device. These build knowledge and confidence; they are educational certificates, not professional licensure.

The curriculum

Thirteen courses across six tracks. Tap any course to start it.

Safety for young people

Age-appropriate lessons that build confidence, not fear.

Elementary

Trusted adults, personal safety, speaking up, and kindness. It's always okay to say no and to tell a grown-up you trust.

Middle School

Online safety, healthy relationships, handling peer pressure, and being a good digital citizen.

High School

Leadership, risk awareness, advocacy, and looking out for the younger kids in your community.

Learn & watch

A small, curated set of safety videos from established child-protection organizations. We deliberately do not embed open YouTube search here — only these hand-picked clips from trusted sources. Start with the featured clip below.

Helping Kids be Safer Online with “Into the Cloud”
A parent-friendly introduction to NCMEC’s online-safety resource for younger children — a good first watch. Source: NetSmartz · NCMEC.
Start here
Online Safety for Pre-K through 2nd Grade
Calm, age-appropriate personal-safety basics from Childhelp’s Speak Up Be Safe.
Childhelp
Speak Up, Be Safe — PSA
A short public-service message on encouraging children to speak up to a trusted adult.
Childhelp
Combating Child Abuse Images Online
How the Internet Watch Foundation works to find and remove abuse imagery and where to report it.
Internet Watch Foundation

Warning signs & what to do

These are general indicators worth paying attention to — not proof on their own, but reasons to stay engaged and ask gentle questions.

  • An adult seeking unusual private time, secrecy, or one-on-one access to a child
  • Gifts, money, or special attention that feels designed to create a private bond
  • A child becoming withdrawn, anxious, or secretive — especially about a person or device
  • Pressure to keep secrets from parents or other trusted adults
  • Sudden changes in mood, sleep, or online behavior
1
Stay calm and keep the conversation open. Let the child know they're safe and not in trouble.
2
Write down what you observed — dates, words, and facts, kept objective.
3
Report concerns to the right authority. In an emergency, call 911; otherwise use the hotlines above.

Family resource library

Tools to protect your kids

PDPC works alongside a family of privacy-respecting child-safety apps from America's Future. Search or filter by who they're for — each one opens in a new tab.

🔎 Know the Signs A calm navigator that helps you recognize warning signs and routes straight to NCMEC or 911 — it never monitors your child. ParentsReporting Open tool 🛡️ D.A.D.S. Digital Toolkit Dads Against Digital Sex-Crimes — a hub of practical tools for protecting kids from online exploitation. ParentsOnline Open tool 🗂️ Family Emergency Binder Organize medical info, contacts, and documents your family needs in a crisis — stays entirely on your device. ParentsPrivate Open tool 📝 Safety Plans Build a brand-neutral personal safety plan, offline and private, for a child or family member at risk. ParentsSurvivors Open tool 🔐 Guarded A digital-privacy coach with a score, short course, and quiz — great for teaching teens safer online habits. ParentsKids Open tool Circles of Defense Child-safety protocols, drills, and incident logging for congregations and youth-serving groups. Organizations Open tool 🎓 ARC Training Finder Find child-protection FIGHT courses from the Association for the Recovery of Children. OrganizationsTraining Open tool 🥛 Project Milk Carton Toolkit A companion set of child-safety tools built around the Project Milk Carton missing-children mission. OrganizationsReporting Open tool 🕊️ Project Exodus America's Future's anti-trafficking initiative — awareness and resources against child exploitation. ReportingAwareness Open tool 💪 I Matter An on-device creed and confidence movement that helps young people know their worth. Kids Open tool 📚 Trinity & Kingston A children's book and guided reader that opens gentle conversations about safety and trust. Kids Open tool 📖 PDPC Citizens Guides Two survivor-empowerment guidebooks — read online, with a quick-exit button and crisis resources built in. Survivors Open tool

No tools match that search. Clear filters

Report & get help

Emergency — child in immediate danger911
NCMEC CyberTipline (online exploitation)1-800-843-5678
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline1-800-422-4453