“Growing the Movement across Georgia”

“Growing the Movement across Georgia”
• Doing what we are called to do. • Doing what we are able to do. • Doing what must be done.
Copyright 2010
The Interfaith Children’s Movement is an
interfaith advocacy movement that is
dedicated to improving the well-being of
all children in the state of Georgia.
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
Founded in 2001 on the conviction that people of all faiths, can
and must work together for the good of all children
Created “Faith in Action” program which focuses on eight work
areas:
Poverty
Education
Healthcare
Juvenile Justice
Child Care/Child Protection
Parental Nurture
Child Advocacy (Public Policy)
Immigration
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
Education – communicating to faith communities what we know about
the issues that adversely affect the lives of children in Georgia
Advocacy – appealing to those who can make a difference (faith
communities, legislators, community coalitions, corporations, etc.)
Mobilization – gathering faith communities for action
Networking - connecting with people and programs that can help
children
Information Resourcing – providing access to materials, data and/or
expertise through advocacy organizers, agencies or other means to assist
with the maintenance and development of programs and initiatives for
children
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
Who is a child sexual exploitation and
trafficking victim?
A child who has received food, drugs,
money, or shelter in exchange for sex.
Georgia Care Connection*
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
In April 2010, Atlanta was declared by the police to be the number
one city in the nation for child and adult prostitution.*
“Recruiters are everywhere children are…”**
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MARTA stations,
Bus stops,
Malls,
Underground Atlanta,
Schools,
Churches,
Detention centers,
Shelters,
Greyhound Bus Station
Sources: http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/atlanta-tops-us-cities-for-prostitution-041210;
**2005 study, “Hidden in Plain View” by the Atlanta Women’s Agenda
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
400 – 500 girls are victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking in Georgia
each month*
That’s at least 4,000 girls who are victims each year. Some are as young
as six years old.
There is only one regional assessment center in Georgia for female
victims of child prostitution (yet, in 2009, there were 32 juvenile
detention centers in Georgia)
Current Georgia law allows sexually abused children to be arrested for
and charged with the crime of prostitution
No regional assessment center in Georgia for boys who are victims of
child sexual exploitation and trafficking
*According to a study conducted by We Urge You.org
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
Sexually exploited children consume state resources disproportionate to
their numbers
State resources include the juvenile justice system, social services and
remedial education for those not on grade level
Untreated post-traumatic stress disorder and related mental illnesses of
these children will yield a low employment rate
There is a spatial relationship between entertainment clubs and the
prostitution of children*
Sex trafficking victims are a vulnerable population to contracting HIV
Nine common risk factors make children vulnerable to sexual exploitation*
*2005 study, “Hidden in Plain View” by the Atlanta Women’s Agenda; other information resource AFNAP
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
As identified in the 2005 study “Hidden in Plain View.”
Poverty – 20% of Georgia’s children live in poverty. Faith communities can help
provide food; clothing; safe shelter; access to proper medical care; education
assistance; financial counseling; and job training.
Homelessness – Women and children comprise 70% of the homeless population
in Georgia. Faith communities can help provide safe shelter; day care; afterschool
care; postal mailing addresses; and counseling.
Runaways/Throwaways - In 2009, 2,600 youth in Georgia were arrested and
charged as runaways. Within 24 - 48 hours, a runaway/throwaway can be “turned
out” by someone involved in child sexual exploitation and trafficking. Faith
communities can help provide runaway/throwaway hotlines (phone & Web); safe
shelters; counseling; reunification with family; foster care ministry; and summer
camps (highest number of runaways is in summer months).
Physical and/or Sexual Abuse – Every 30 minutes, a child is the victim of
abuse in Georgia. In 2006, 1,588 incidents of sexual abuse were substantiated by
DFCS. Relatives are the most common perpetrators of sexual abuse. Faith
communities can help by becoming educated about the problem; by holding special
awareness and training services and community prayer vigils; by connecting with
child abuse prevention organizations (such as Prevent Child Abuse Georgia); by
offering hotlines (phone & Web) and counseling.
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
Parental Neglect – In 2006, the largest victim population in Georgia for child
maltreatment was between one to six years of age. Overwhelmed parents are not
a new phenomenon. However, communal support networks are not as available as
they once were. Many parents feel alone. Faith communities can help by
providing parental counseling; day care and afterschool care for children; and inhome support.
Conflicts at Home - Work-family conflict is much higher in the United States than
elsewhere in the developed world. The typical American middle-income family put
in an average of 11 more hours a week in 2006 than it did in 1979. Over-stretched
parents are stressed-out parents. Faith communities can help by providing respite
care for parents; family counseling in problem-solving, child/adult relationships and
absentee parent guilt.
Educational Failure – Georgia has the nation’s third largest rural student
population. Yet, concentrated poverty rural districts in Georgia graduate only four
out of 10 of their students. Faith communities can help by providing afterschool
tutorial programs; partnerships with the local school system for in-school tutoring
volunteers; weekend tutorial programs; and summer camps with leadership and
academic components.
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
Emotional/Psychological Problems - There are approximately 202,500
children in Georgia with a diagnosable "serious emotional disturbance.“ Faith
communities can help by becoming educated about the challenges and difficulties
that children with emotional/psychological problems face; providing counseling
services for children and families; offering sponsorships to special camps/schools
that help children cope with their disability; providing respite care to parents of
children with special needs.
Housing Instability – Georgia ranks 10th in the nation in the number of
foreclosures; 15th in the nation in unemployment numbers; and 5th in overall
economic distress. Faith communities can help by establishing services that link
people to jobs; providing financial counseling; offering homeowner seminars;
establishing short-term transitional housing for families; and by providing school
transitioning information.
Information resources:
http://www.interfaithchildrensmovement.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
http://gbi.georgia.gov/vgn/images/portal/cit_1210/13/41/1598322302009%20Summary%20Report.pdf
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/01/three_faces_report.html
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?ind=649&cat=1
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
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Angela’s House – 6 beds*
Regional Assessment Center – 7 beds* (located in Douglas
County; victims identified in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and
Gwinnett counties are eligible for services.)
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Living Waters for Girls – 10 beds
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Wellspring Living for Girls – 16 beds
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A total of 39 beds at centers that provide educational and treatment
services for girls who are victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking.
*Beds at Angela’s House have been relocated to the Douglas Center. There may be as many as 17
beds at the combined facility.
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
Georgia Care Connection
A new initiative to identify commercially sexually exploited children and link them to services
without subjecting them to arrest;
 Established by the Governor’s Office for Children & Families to provide statewide
independent care coordination for child victims of sexual exploitation and to help set a new
direction for their lives;
 Offers a single point of contact for anyone who seeks help for a sex-trafficked child, or who
needs information or technical assistance;
 Takes a Child-Centered Approach — The child is the victim;
 Connects the Dots — Tracks both actual and potential sexually exploited children;
 Creates a Single, Comprehensive Care Plan — Leads a dialogue among a multi-disciplinary
team of family, child, and involved agencies and providers; and
 Links the Child with Services — Locates the appropriate services and assists the family in
accessing federal, state, and local funding for those services.
 To seek help for a child who may be a victim of commercial sexual exploitation, call: 404602-0068. Go to www.interfaithchildrensmovement.org for on-line information about Georgia
Care Connection.
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
SB 69 – Passed into law in 2009 - Amend GA Code 19-7-5, mandatory reporting of child
abuse, to also report a child who is suspected of being prostituted by someone other
than a “parent or caretaker.”
SB 91 – (Did not pass) Implement a surcharge on the entrance into an adult
entertainment business (with those additional funds expended on services for minors
who have been the victims of commercial sexual exploitation);
SB 74 – (Did not pass) Change the age of exotic dancers from a minimum age of 18 to
21; require proof of age and tie enforcement to licensing regulations;
SB 304 – (Did not pass) Amend Chapter 6 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to sexual offenses, so as to mandate a minimum age [16 or older]
for the prosecution of the offenses of prostitution and masturbation for hire;
HB 582 – (Did not pass) Amend Chapter 6 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to sexual offenses, so as to mandate a minimum age [18 or older]
for the prosecution of the offenses of prostitution and masturbation for hire.
HB 1256 – (Did not pass) To amend Chapter 6 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to sexual offenses, so as to mandate a minimum age [16 or older]
for the prosecution of the offenses of prostitution and masturbation for hire; to provide
for certain procedures for minors that are younger than the minimum age for the
prosecution of the offenses of prostitution and masturbation for hire and are found
committing such offenses.
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
 Get educated! Invite ICM for an information and education session.
 Join the Movement - Contact: Pamela Perkins, ICM Coordinator at
info@interfaithchildrensmovement.org or at 770.498.2141.
 Implement/Support programs that mitigate the nine
common risk factors.
 Join the Speak Up Now! campaign.
 Complete the Commitment to Take Action form.
 Support more regional assessment centers.
 Work with local law enforcement to identify areas of
prostitution in your community.
 Implement a response program to child prostitution in
your community, city and/or the state.
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
May 2010 ajc article:
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/atlanta-still-a-hub511465.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+S
potlightOnPoverty%2FInTheNews+(Spotlight+on+Poverty+and+Opportunity%3A+In+
The+News)
For a 10-year overview of child sexual exploitation in Georgia (with a concentration in
the metropolitan-Atlanta region) go to:
http://www.interfaithchildrensmovement.org/FaithinActionProgram/ChildCareChildProt
ection/ChildProstitution/tabid/64/Default.aspx
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia
STOP Child Sexual Exploitation
and Trafficking
Interfaith Children's Movement - Growing the Movement Across Georgia