Single Parent Safety — A Quiet Plan for If Something Happens to You
For single parents, one question quietly sits in the back of the mind: if something happened to me, how quickly would someone notice — and reach my child? A safety check-in app answers exactly that. With Still OK you tap “all OK” on your own schedule; if you ever don’t, a trusted person you’ve chosen is alerted automatically via WhatsApp, SMS and email, with your location — so they can come to your child instead of waiting days for someone to notice. In Germany alone there are 2.9 million single parents, around a quarter of all families with children (Destatis, Mikrozensus 2024). Having a plan isn’t fear. It’s one less thing to carry. No tracking, no constant monitoring, GDPR-compliant and ad-free.
How your safety net works
You set a check-in interval — say, once each evening. Before it runs out, the app reminds you to tap “All OK.” If you don’t, the trusted person you chose is notified automatically, with your last location, so they can check on you and be there for your child. Nothing happens in between: you actively check in, you’re never watched and never tracked. Still OK is a safety net, not a replacement for the emergency services — in an acute emergency, always call your local emergency number first.
Set up your safety net in 60 seconds
- Add one person you fully trust to step in for your child — a grandparent, your closest friend — as your emergency contact, and send them a test alert so they know what it means.
- Choose a check-in interval that fits your day, and turn on GPS location so an alert carries your last position.
- Done. Check in with one tap each day. Miss it, and your trusted person is alerted via WhatsApp, SMS and email, with your location.
What matters when you parent alone
- A clear chain to your child — your alert goes to the person you’ve chosen to step in: a grandparent, your sister, your closest friend. They’re the one who comes to your child if you can’t, and they’re notified the moment a check-in is missed.
- Reached on every channel — the alert goes out by email, WhatsApp and SMS at once, so it gets through whatever phone your trusted person uses, day or night.
- Notes for the emergency (Premium) — the optional emergency profile has a “Children & Dependents” section where you can note what matters in a pinch: your child’s name, where they are, who can look after them. It’s included in the alert your contact receives.
- Location only in an emergency — your GPS location is shared only when an alert fires, never as ongoing tracking. Your everyday movements stay yours.
- Ad-free & GDPR-compliant — all data in EU data centres, no ads, not even in the free version. Nothing about you or your child is anyone’s product.
An ordinary weekday evening
Mara, 38, raises her six-year-old son Til on her own in Leipzig. Most evenings, after Til is asleep, she taps “All OK” — it takes a second. Her trusted person is her mother, Til’s grandmother, who lives ten minutes away and has a key. One night Mara collapses in the kitchen with a sudden circulation problem and can’t get to her phone. Her evening check-in doesn’t happen. The app reminds her twice; when there’s still no tap, her mother gets a message via WhatsApp and email, with Mara’s location. She’s at the door within the hour — for Mara, and for Til.
It’s not about expecting the worst. It’s about knowing that, if it ever came, someone would reach your child fast.
What a check-in app does — and what a notary handles
It helps to be clear about two different things. Still OK handles the immediate moment: making sure someone is alerted quickly and comes to your child if you suddenly can’t. It does not arrange custody or any legal guardianship. Who should care for your child long-term if something happens to you is a legal decision — in Germany you can set this down in advance (for example a “Sorgerechtsverfügung”, a custody directive). That’s a question for a notary or a family-law advisor, not an app. Think of the two as complementary: the legal directive answers “who, in the long run”; Still OK helps make sure that person, or someone you trust, is reached in the first hours. This page isn’t legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to my child if something happens to me?
In the immediate moment, the point is that someone finds out fast. With Still OK, if you miss a check-in, the trusted person you’ve chosen is alerted automatically — so they can come to your child within hours instead of no one noticing for a long time. Who cares for your child in the long term is a separate, legal question best settled with a notary (see above). The app doesn’t replace that, but it buys the time that matters first.
Does Still OK arrange custody or legal guardianship?
No, and it’s important to be honest about that. Still OK is a safety net that alerts a trusted person quickly; it has no legal role in custody. To decide who should care for your child long-term, look into a custody directive (“Sorgerechtsverfügung” in Germany) with a notary or family-law advisor. The app and the legal document do different jobs and work well alongside each other.
Who should I choose as my emergency contact?
Someone who would genuinely step in for your child and is usually reachable — a grandparent, a sibling, your closest friend, a trusted neighbour. Talk to them first so they know what an alert means and what you’d want them to do. With Premium you can add more than one contact, so several people are notified at once.
Can I leave notes about my child for an emergency?
Yes, with Premium. The optional emergency profile has a “Children & Dependents” section where you can note things that help in a pinch — your child’s name, where they are, who can look after them, anything a responder should know. These notes are included in the alert your contact receives. Filling it in is entirely your choice.
Will my child or contacts be tracked?
No. There’s no tracking of anyone. You actively check in, and your location is shared only once, only if a check-in is missed and an alert fires. Between check-ins, nothing is sent and no one is watching — neither you nor your child.
Does it replace an emergency call?
No. Still OK doesn’t detect emergencies or call the emergency services for you. It quietly notices when you don’t check in and makes sure a trusted person finds out. In any acute emergency — for you or your child — always call your local emergency number first.