Dear WestCoast Community:
Children are bought and sold for sex every night throughout California. Most go unnoticed. We know from our research that exploited youth are abused for 2 to 3 years before anyone recognizes it. In response, WestCoast developed a brief screening tool to help professionals see the signs of exploitation and intervene earlier.
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From all of us at WestCoast Children’s Clinic:
Best Wishes for a Peaceful New Year
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Dear WestCoast Community,
Over the past year, nearly 63,000 unaccompanied children have crossed the Southwestern U.S. border. Many of these youth have fled gang violence and sex trafficking in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala to seek refuge in the United States. Continue reading
Dear WestCoast Community,
Read any major metropolitan newspaper and you will find references to “child prostitutes.” Victims of commercial sexual exploitation are often arrested, while purchasers of sex with minors are not typically prosecuted. But children who are bought and sold for sex are victims, not criminals.
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Dear WestCoast Community:
What do youth need to thrive as they recover from sexual exploitation? Breanne M. blogs about what was most important to her as she worked to establish a new life for herself.
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An article in this week’s East Bay Express denounces the treatment of sexually exploited youth as criminals. There are over 100 girls sold for sex in Oakland every night. They are often arrested instead of given the services they need as victims.
Reporter Lynsey Clark interviewed WestCoast staff including Adela Rodarte, TAYS Service Coordinator; Jodie Langs, Policy & Communications Director; and Stacey Katz, Executive Director.
It seems to me that no matter what we believe, our current practice of incarcerating youth says: ‘You’ve done something wrong and that’s why we’re locking you up and charging you with a crime.’ This conveys the same thing that their traffickers do — that no one cares what happens to you.
The recently passed 2014-15 State Budget is helping to change that. The final State Budget includes unprecedented funding for child welfare agencies to provide services through the Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Program. These resources are a critical first step toward helping communities like Oakland meet the needs of sexually exploited youth.
You can help raise awareness about child sex trafficking in Oakland and the recent changes to California’s response by forwarding this email or sharing the East Bay Express article on facebook and twitter.
*Please note that the article states Assembly Bill 2035 failed to move forward in the Legislature, however the bill continues to work through the legislative process.
Dear WestCoast Community:
We congratulate Governor Brown on Friday’s historic action: For the first time, the California state budget includes dedicated funding to serve and protect child sex trafficking victims through the child welfare system.
Dear WestCoast Community:
Today the Oakland Tribune published an op-ed co-authored by WestCoast’s Executive Director, Stacey Katz, and the Director of Alameda County Social Services, Lori Cox.
Help us spread the word: Post the article on Facebook and Twitter with #CAstopCSEC, or forward this email to a friend.
Jodie Langs
Policy Director
Dear WestCoast Community:
The Legislature recently voted to invest $20.3 million in State funding to protect and serve commercially sexually exploited children through California’s child welfare system. Now we need your help to make sure Governor Brown approves these funds in the 2014-15 State Budget. The final budget will be determined in the coming days.