Child safety

TutorCat is a homework tutor, but children sometimes say things that matter far more than homework. TutorCat is designed to notice, to respond kindly at once, and to make sure help is never out of reach.

#What gets checked

Before the tutor sees anything, TutorCat checks what a child sends for signs they may not be safe:

• messages and follow-up questions,
• photos of homework,
• wellbeing check-in notes,
• the subject name of a session, and feedback.

The check has two layers: a careful word list that runs on TutorCat's own server, and an automated safety check that can only add or raise a concern, never clear one. It looks for five kinds of concern: self-harm, abuse, immediate danger, sexual content and bullying.

The tutor's own replies are checked too. If one turns out to be unsuitable, it is taken back and replaced.

#What the child sees, straight away

When a message worries the safety check, the child does not get a homework reply. They get a warm message, a nudge to talk to a trusted adult, and a list of free helplines for their country, each with a one-tap button to call it (or open it, for a website).

The words and numbers come from TutorCat's server, chosen for the child's country and grade. Younger children get shorter sentences. The message ends with an open door: "I'm here if you want to keep talking, and we can get back to homework whenever you're ready."

Help is never blocked:

• A message is checked for safety before any screen-time limit, daily cap or plan limit is applied, so a child who has used up their time still gets the helplines.
• A child can send a message while the tutor is still replying, and a worrying one is answered at once.
• Helplines and safety features are free on every plan.
• While the support message is on screen, the line reminding the child that a parent can see the session is hidden, so a child reading helplines is not told, at that moment, that a parent can read this.

#What parents are told

For a serious concern, every parent who has given consent gets an urgent email straight away, and a Safety note appears at the top of their TutorCat home page.

The note and the email describe what happened in general terms, for example that a child "may be being bullied". They never quote the child's words. They suggest a calm conversation, remind the parent to call their local emergency number if they think their child is in immediate danger, and list helplines for the parent too. From the note, a parent can Read the transcript or Mark as seen.

Smaller worries, which the check rates as "possible" rather than "serious", still show the child helplines, but do not alert parents. If the same kind of serious concern comes up again within 24 hours, parents are not emailed a second time for it, but each serious concern from the last 90 days still appears as a safety note.

#The one exception: possible harm at home

If what a child sends suggests someone at home may be hurting them, parents are never emailed or alerted, because the person involved could be a parent. The child sees helplines and is encouraged to talk to a trusted adult outside the home, such as a teacher, a school counsellor or a relative. That message, and the reply to it, are also left out of everything a parent can see: the transcript, session summaries, the weekly digest, wellbeing notes and data exports.

#Helplines by country

These are the lines a child sees today. The list was last checked against official sources in October 2026, and the app always shows the current list from TutorCat's server.

#What TutorCat cannot do

TutorCat staff cannot read a child's messages, even after a safety concern. The admin tools show only counts, such as how many safety events happened in a day.