Though many parents shy away from purchasing cell phones for their children, there are many benefits to giving children a mobile phone. Particularly, it’s safer if children do have a phone; parents can be connected with their children and check in with them. Before purchasing a cell phone for your child, be sure to research the best mobile phone deals for families to make sure you’re getting the most from your money.

One of the best mobile phone deals for children comes from Firefly. The plan is parent-friendly: parents can limit the number of people their children can contact to ensure the child won’t use the phone to contact unknown parties. Firefly also offers pay as you go plans with low per-minute rates so parents can restrict the amount of talk time on the child’s phone.

You can also opt for a family plan; family plans offer a better value than multiple individual plans within the same household.

T-Mobile offers a family plan for a steal. T-Mobile’s family plans allow kids to talk and text for free; the plans come with two lines, and lines three through five are available for no additional cost. Users can either share family talk minutes or opt for an unlimited family plan. All of the carrier’s family plans include Whenever Minutes that can be used at anytime, unlimited nationwide T-Mobile to T-Mobile calling, and unlimited nights and weekends.

AT&T also offers family plans at a discounted rate through its FamilyTalk service. The plan offers two lines and additional lines can be added for a low montly fee. Users get unlimited mobile to mobile calling within AT&T’s wireless community, no roaming or long distance charges, and unlimited messaging for lines within the FamilyTalk group. Callers can also enjoy the Push to Talk feature, which allows users to see if family, friends, or coworkers are available to talk before they call.