A McGruff House is a temporary haven for children who find themselves in emergency or frightening situations such as being bullied, followed, or hurt while walking in a neighborhood. A McGruff House provides a sense of security and a source of emergency aid. It is not an escort service or a guarantee of safety but rather a place for appropriate short-term help by an adult for a child.

The McGruff House Program represents a partnership between local communities, state programs, and a national office (the National McGruff House Network). The local community develops a partnership of school, law enforcement, and community organization to implement the program. The local community: recruits and screens McGruff House volunteers; educates youth and parents about the program; promotes public awareness of the program; maintains and monitors the program; and provides information about the program to the state.

The state program develops an organizational structure to coordinate the program throughout the state: promotes the program within the state; provides training and technical assistance to local programs; collects and maintains information about the program; controls inventory of signs provided by National McGruff House Network; monitors the program; and provides information about the program to the national office.

The national office monitors and reviews program standards; controls inventory of all signs; maintains data about the program as implemented throughout the country; evaluates the program; develops related products; provides technical assistance with developing state level McGruff House legislation; provides services to local communities where state programs are not available; promotes nationwide public awareness and education; and conducts research on specific issues relevant to the program.

An individual who volunteers as a McGruff House participant agrees to provide the following types of emergency assistance for children as they go to and from school and are at play in the area: telephone appropriate authorities for help; reassure and aid children who are frightened or lost; assist children who have medical emergencies by obtaining appropriate attention; assist those who are in immediate fear of becoming victims of personal crime or thefts, child abuse, gangs, or bullied; and report crimes and suspicious activities to law enforcement officials and provide descriptions of vehicles and suspects when possible.

To be accepted into the program, applicants must meet the following criteria: have at least one member of the household who is 18 years of age or older; have homeowner's liability insurance or if renting renter's liability insurance is recommended for one's own protection; have a working telephone; be generally available when children are going to and from school; agree to abide by the regulations of the McGruff House Program and attend educational sessions; be cleared through your local law enforcement background check.

View the Code of Virginia and other regulations regarding the McGruff House Program (.pdf or .doc, 9 pages).

More Information

For more information, contact:

Rick Arrington
Phone: 804.371.0863
Cell Phone: 804.840.7784
Email