Separated families — questions, safety and the plain truth
For families split apart by jail or prison, foster care, a hospital or locked unit, or immigration detention. Real answers, what we can and cannot do, and how to keep yourself safe on lines that other people control. Help is free and it does not depend on papers, income or a case number.
If someone is in danger right now
Call 911 or your local emergency number. In the US you can call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any hour. DBATR is not an emergency service and cannot dispatch help.
Questions families actually ask
Staying safe while you are separated
- If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number first. DBATR is not an emergency service.
- In the US, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is 988, by call or text, 24/7.
- Assume any call, message or tablet inside a facility can be monitored and recorded by that facility. Keep case details off those lines.
- Never share Social Security numbers, A-numbers or full account numbers with us. We do not need them and we do not store them.
- Use as little detail about children as possible — first names or initials are enough.
- If you are being watched or controlled by someone at home, use Discreet Mode so your notes stay on your own device.
- Nothing about you is shared with a facility, agency, caseworker, school or court unless you say so and see the wording first.
Legal & safety disclaimers
Not legal advice, not a law firm
DBATR is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, legal representation or immigration advice. Reading anything here does not create an attorney-client relationship. Information may be out of date or wrong for your state, county or country. Have a licensed attorney — or, for immigration, a licensed immigration attorney or accredited representative — review anything before you rely on it or file it.
A human signs and files, always
Any document prepared here is a draft for a human to read, correct, sign and file. Nothing is signed or submitted on your behalf automatically, and no automated system is presented as the author of a legal filing.
No outcomes are promised
No one can promise release, reunification, custody, placement, a visa, a dropped charge, a shortened sentence, or a discharge. Anyone promising those things should not be trusted. What is promised here is preparation, records, organization and a human being who answers.
Not medical or mental-health care
Nothing here is medical, psychiatric or addiction treatment advice, diagnosis or a prescription. Do not start, stop or change any medication or treatment based on anything on this site. Talk to a licensed clinician.
No background checks or secret files
We do not run background checks on people, do not buy data about them, and do not keep hidden dossiers. When information about a person is needed, that person consents and can see what was collected.
Privacy and monitored lines
Calls to our line are only recorded after you hear what is recorded and agree by pressing 1. Facility phones, tablets and mail are controlled by that facility and may be monitored regardless of what we do. Assume anything sent through a facility system can be read by that facility.
Free means free
Core help for families is $0 — no income check, no waiting list, no credit check, and no charge for anyone who has nothing. We take no referral fee for connecting you to a lawyer or clinic.
These are the app owner’s own statements. Laws and facility rules differ by state, county and country and change over time. Nothing on this page is legal, immigration or medical advice.