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 5th, 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
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.
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