When Dreams Change: 50% bitter, 50% sweet

If you know me, or have even just read my previous blogs, you know that D.C. is my favorite place in the world. It’s my Disneyworld, it’s magical, enchanting, and sucks you in and you become quickly attached. You also know that I planned to stay forever after this semester, or at least until I go somewhere abroad, but then come right back. Even when I walked to work last week in 2 inches of snow and almost slipped multiple times on ice, nothing was going to end the loving relationship between me and DC. I was going to graduate from University of Maryland and be a full blooded DC native. It was going to be okay when I left for Christmas because I would be back soon.

Well, last Wednesday that all changed. I’d been researching scholarships and post-grad programs and came across one that is for people wanting to go into public service and is an incredible opportunity. But, you have to be nominated by your university. Because some people plan these things months in advance, I figured TCU would have already nominated its students. But I reached out to professors and found out they would nominate me, but I had to come back. Suddenly, everything I planned to do in DC flashed before my eyes and disappeared.  I was at a crossroads.

So I talked with every wise person I knew, sought advice, and spent hours laying in bed contemplating this decision. To abandon my dreams in DC for a long-shot dream of this program, or to continue on in DC and lose my connections with my professors and programs at TCU, but gain by interning and keeping my connections in politics.

Eventually, I chose to return to TCU and graduate this December (2014). So, I guess I’m kind of a Junior/Senior now, which is crazy. Through the process, I remembered what it was like when I retired from my cross country and track careers. I was devastated at the time, slightly excited for DC, but mostly angry that I fractured my legs and wondered why. I still don’t know why or how it happened, but I know that it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. As many of my friends told me, the opportunities in DC will always be here for you, but this opportunity won’t. And they’re right, sometimes we have to take risks and sacrifice our short-term wishes for long-term potential. Meanwhile, on this day, one year from now, I will be a college graduate. 

One Road May Have Many Paths

Read Part I here: http://adventuresandaspirations.blogspot.com/2013/12/there-are-5000-animal-shelters-and-only.html

A case specifically in DC, which Mr. Dold brought to my attention, was the case of Shelby Lewis, who was arrested in 2010, less than a mile from my apartment, for trafficking former foster youth between the ages of 12-16, who he had gained guardianship of. This horrific crime continues to happen every day in every US city. When the government fails children, it creates an environment which perpetuates a cycle of crime and poverty that is due to the lost innocence of these children, lack of recovery programs and trauma they have experienced.

On October 5^th, I volunteered at the Unbound Walk Against Human Trafficking, which unfortunately had to be moved from the National Mall to a more concealed area of DC due to the government shutdown. There was still a great turnout of about 500 people and I checked volunteers in, while learning about DC churches’ efforts to create temporary and permanent housing for trafficking victims. This led me to pursue volunteering through National Community Church’s Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. That same week, I volunteered at the Angels in Adoption Gala, which recognizes heroes in foster care and adoption efforts around the world. I was excited to see one of my intern friends from the summer and also my former nanny who was being recognized for her efforts in foster care in Louisiana. This event was amazing and I learned about many people making a difference. One of these people was Elijah Evans who is a former foster youth that was adopted and a fellow Louisianan. He started his own organization, which helps collect and distribute Christmas presents for foster children.

While listening to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee’s Briefing on Sex Trafficking and Foster Care Kids, I learned how congressmen’s lives before entering congress affected their passionate views towards combating human trafficking and improving the foster care system. Representative Reichert was the first speaker who described his experience as a detective who captured a serial killer targeting sex slaves as his first knowledge about trafficking. Representative Paulsen spoke of his efforts to collect better data regarding trends in trafficking in order to better understand and educate people on the issue. Representative Slaughter spoke of the staggering statistic that 80% of trafficking victims in New York are former foster youth. Representative Poe spoke of legislation that would provide grants to state and local governments to create programs to combat trafficking. Representative Bass, the chair of the Foster Youth Caucus, spoke of her encounter with a Los Angeles Child Welfare Director whom she asked about the Foster Care and Human Trafficking problem and he said it didn’t exist. She then informed him of her meeting with the FBI who said this was one of the biggest trafficking areas in the country and that 80% of trafficking victims were foster youth. Senator Hatch spoke of emancipated foster youth that are trafficked after becoming homeless.

During the second panel of the briefing, T, an incredible survivor of trafficking and former foster youth spoke of the vulnerability of foster youth citing that they are seeking affection and that pimps do not worry about being prosecuted because of the lack of attention given to missing foster youth. She also spoke of “paycheck ideology” which demonstrates foster parents apathy for the children and just seeking personal gain by taking care of children and just looking for a paycheck because there are no protections to ensure money is used for the foster children. There is little stability in foster care because of changing placements and when children go missing there is a lack of reporting because the parents and homes do not want to be guilty for this. Foster youth are also unable to make their own decisions regarding their lives, which enables them to seek stability and they often seek this when a pimp promises them love and affection. She recommended that child welfare agencies work together to fight this issue. Melinda Giovengo recommended that all foster parents be required to undergo training on sex trafficking and the signs. Emily Harris, a former caseworker in Texas, cited caseloads that are too large to be managed as a major issue for the wellbeing of foster youth.

In early November, I sent a blind email to a trafficking organization working in Baton Rouge. I hoped to visit Hope House, one of only a few trafficking specific residential facilities in the US, which is only 45 minutes from my home when I went home for Thanksgiving. I thought this would be an integral part of my research and understanding of the recovery process. I met with Emily Chenevert, the Awareness Director of Trafficking Hope, who taught me about the beginnings of Trafficking Hope and the work of the Louisiana Task Force Against Human Trafficking, a group of law enforcement, state legislators, non-profit leaders, judges, and child welfare officials. Louisiana was recently given an A grade by Shared Hope International for their efforts in fighting trafficking. Emily also told me of the challenges former trafficking victims face when trying to get a job because they have often been arrested for prostitution, even as minors which is illegal, and are unable to get this expunged from their records. She invited me to visit Hope House with her the following weekend. When I visited Hope House in Louisiana, I was able to see a facility that houses 16 of the 226 beds in the country reserved for victims of sex trafficking in America. I met Chuck Robb, executive director for Hope House, who told me about the construction and generosity of the supporters during the building process. I also met Dawn Andre, a counseling professional, who lives on the property and develops and implements programs for the women. The individualized and detail-oriented approach to holistically helping these women recover was amazing to me. It occurred to me that ordinary people with immense amounts of passion really can change the world.

This past week, I saw the documentary, Nefarious. Each time I am deceived into thinking I have an understanding of this issue, I find out something new. This film focuses on a team’s travel around the world to learn about the extent of trafficking and efforts to end it. I learned that by prosecuting johns, or solicitors of prostitution in Sweden, they have been able to significantly decrease the presence of prostitution and trafficking. I was also struck by the testimonies of former prostitutes in Las Vegas who spoke of the fact that most prostitutes are not there on their own account, but are instead often being pimped and coerced into selling themselves. Most of them were trafficked as minors and unable to get away. When one sees the successful efforts to fight trafficking in countries such as Sweden, it appears that this problem is indeed able to be solved. If we live in what many would argue is the greatest country on earth, why aren’t we doing more? One of the major reasons is because many of our own politicians, such as Senator David Vitter from my own state of Louisiana, have illegally engaged in prostitution. Trafficking is also incredibly profitable: it’s a $32 billion industry. Until we decide to start prosecuting those that demand and make it less profitable for pimps, we cannot combat trafficking.

Attending Politico’s Women Rule event and hearing Cindy McCain and Malika Saada Saar, two influential trafficking abolitionists, speak about their efforts to fight trafficking at the Super Bowl, which is the world’s largest trafficking event, the diversity of the backgrounds of the people I met and heard speak struck me. Whether you are John McCain’s wife, a congressman, a trafficking survivor, social worker, or just an average student like me, we all have a role to play in fighting this issue. We can all lead by learning, telling congress this issue matters, mentoring youth at risk, or creating a shelter like Hope House. Before doing extensive research, my thesis was that if foster youth had great mentors they would be less vulnerable for traffickers. While I still think this is very true, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to solving this problem. Every one of the 400,000 foster youth in this country has their own unique story. The correlation between human trafficking and foster care is a major issue with many facets and it will take many different agencies and people of diverse backgrounds working together to combat it. As my boss Whitney likes to say, “Institutions are not very good at raising kids, kids need families.”

            My exploration and efforts to improve the foster care system and eliminate the pipeline for foster kids to be trafficked is just beginning. Upon my return to DC, which will hopefully be next semester, I plan to volunteer with Courtney’s House to do street outreach and continue working with ASE’s efforts to develop shelter for trafficking victims in DC. It is said that “one road may lead to many paths”. Without those who planted this seed of inquiry in my mind and heart, this journey would have never begun.  It is my hope that those who have read this will feel compelled to act.

For more information and resources used in this report visit:

www.Sharedhope.org

www.Polarisproject.org

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/SexTraf

www.traffickinghope.org

Email me at abbyterhaar1@gmail.com if you would like a full copy of this report. 

Special thanks to my high school professor and friend who first exposed me to this issue: Ms. Elizabeth Kelsey and Clare Murrell, to my TCU professor and classmates Dr. Vanessa Bouche, Rachel Adcock, and Hannah Paul for deepening my understanding, to Lexie Gruber and Conrad Hawk for putting a face on the foster care and teaching me the perils of the child welfare system, Senator Landrieu and Congressional Coalition on Adoption for opening my eyes to the foster care system, James Dold and Polaris Project for answering many of my questions, Emily Chenevert and Hope House for allowing me to visit, The Washington Center for giving a platform to this issue, Whitney Reitz and Libby Whitbeck for expanding my mind, and NCC-ASE for their work in DC. 

There are 5,000 animal shelters and only 226 beds for trafficking victims

Lately, I've been too busy to blog about my life. However, I've been working on my portfolio for the end of the semester. So, I decided to blog part one of my research on human trafficking and foster care. Stay posted for part two tomorrow.

Individual Civic Engagement Project

Foster Care and Human Trafficking in America:

 How the Government and Society Fails Kids

“One of the most devastating examples of vulnerability of kids in foster care is when they become victims of sex trafficking.”- Rep. Dave Reichert

“We owe it to these children to ensure our nation’s foster care system does all it can to protect them so that they can live safe, happy and successful lives. But we’re not living up to that promise.”- Rep. Dave Reichert

“The (foster care) system needs to become more cognizant and more forceful in developing strategies to stop it (human trafficking).”- Rep. Lloyd Doggett

During my junior year of high school, I was given the opportunity to create a school wide service project that would be the one cause for all of the clubs and organizations that school year. After reading the book Half the Sky, and being mentored by my English teacher I was exposed to the issue of international child trafficking. A friend and I decided to compete to make building a school in Cambodia for children at risk of being trafficked the one cause at my high school for that year. We won and raised approximately $20,000 to build the school. After this project finished, I sought out more ways to get involved but thought that there was not a whole lot I could do. However, during my sophomore year of college, I asked one of my professors to write me a recommendation and she saw that I was involved with trafficking in high school. This led to work with her on a project with USAID that created a mobile application for first responders against trafficking in Indonesia.  While I was aware that there was extensive human trafficking happening worldwide and some trafficking in America, I was not able to comprehend the extent of trafficking in America until this summer and this project.

On July 31st, 2013, I attended a Senate briefing with my boss and staff within my office, which was a presentation of 15 former foster youth to members of congress and their staff. The testimonials given by the interns and their policy recommendations changed my views on foster care and human trafficking forever. My experience with human trafficking and foster care, like most other things in my life have occurred as a domino effect. A few weeks prior to this briefing I met someone at a briefing who was interning and said he was doing a presentation on adoption at the end of July. He did not give me many details, but told me to ask my boss because she knew about it. Frankly, I forgot about the briefing but I reconnected with my former acquaintance when I saw him there. This led to friendships with two of the foster youth interns. Having gone to private school my entire life, this was the first time I became friends with people my age that had backgrounds vastly different than my own. That fact is hard to admit and sad, but true. While some of my friends came had divorced parents or smaller houses, all of them had a car and a sense of stability: not having to worry about their next meal or where they will sleep. Having read about poverty and foster care and volunteered extensively, it was only apparent to me how little I understood until I met these interns. I learned that while the Foster Youth Interns were incredibly special people, many of their foster care counterparts did not have the same opportunities. Only 1.4% of foster youth graduate from college by the time they are 24. Foster youth “age out” when they are 18 or 21, depending on the state and are often left homeless and without resources. 25% of foster youth are incarcerated within 2 years after emancipation. One of my foster youth intern friends spoke of her homelessness in high school and it occurred to me how easily she could have been trafficked if it wasn’t for her incredible resilience and determination. I realized there was a reason I sat next to a former foster youth at a speaker and that my boss asked me to go to this briefing at the last minute, it was an undeniable calling and I had to do something about it.  When I heard about the civic engagement project, I knew that this was my opportunity to explore this issue further.

My first step was to read about organizations with contacts in DC. I read at least 25 articles regarding human trafficking and foster care and reached out to my professor at TCU who originally sparked my interest. I also watched a CNN documentary about a middle class girl who was trafficked after running away from her Nevada home. The documentary was when I first began to understand the reality that trafficking can affect anyone. I met with James Dold, Senior Legal Council at Polaris Project who helped write over twenty laws last year regarding trafficking at the federal level and also traveled around the country presenting policy recommendations to states. We discussed the process of getting laws passed and the difficult decisions of judges when prosecuting trafficking victims. The major issues when rescuing victims are: lack of law enforcement knowledge about trafficking (ie thinking that trafficked victims are prostitutes), lack of housing and recovery programs for trafficked victims, and Stockholm syndrome which often causes victims to return to their pimps. Mr. Dold informed me of Safe Harbor Laws, which he recommends that states enact. A complete Safe Harbor Law includes preventing minor victims of sex trafficking from being prosecuted for prostitution and protecting child victims of sex trafficking by providing them with specialized services. The precedent of not prosecuting children was a Texas Supreme Court case in 2010 which reaffirmed the law that minors cannot consent to sex. However, with the lack of knowledge by law enforcement and officials, this is not always enforced and many juveniles are imprisoned for trafficking. The second part of the law is also problematic, as there are 100,000 trafficking victims in the US and only 226 beds specifically for trafficking victims. There are 5,000 animal shelters in the US. Safe housing for trafficking victims also includes foster care, however since up to 90% of trafficked minors have been in the foster care system, this is usually ineffective.