THE GARDEN AT HIS HOUSE CHILDREN S HOME PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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2 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Mission The Garden at His House Children s Home will provide compassionate, therapeutic and trauma-sensitive support to minors who are victims of sexual exploitation offering them safety and restoration. The Need Nationally, the number of children who are sex trafficking victims is estimated to be as high as 300,000. Florida is ranked as one of the top regions in the nation for human trafficking cases (Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: Child Sex Slavery in Broward and Dade Counties, Florida 2009). In a field assessment conducted by Shared Hope International, it was found that in South Florida, victims do not receive the adequate services that meet the critical needs of a child sex trafficking victims. Representatives from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) report that many child victims of commercial sex trafficking go through multiple foster homes because they lack the services catering specifically to the unique needs of these underage victims. Due to this lack of resources, it is common for youth to return to the streets into a life of sexual slavery. Even as law enforcement pursues traffickers and rescues these children, none of those children receives the kind of help that experts say they require to overcome the trauma of their experiences, and some are still languishing in local juvenile detention centers (Chicago Tribune Child Prostitution: Children rescued from sex trade struggle to find care in U.S.) In Miami-Dade County, no organization provides victim-centered residential care which focuses on the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). More so, only forty five beds specific to this population exists across the U.S. (Finding a Path to Recovery: Residential Facilities for Minor Victims of Domestic Sex Trafficking). The Response In response to this mounting issue, His House Children s Home offers The Garden, a safe and loving residential program for rescued child victims of sexual exploitation. The Garden at His House seeks to rescue these young girls from their entrapment and offer them the therapeutic support they need. The Garden at His House will be the first long-term residential program in South Florida specifically designed to serve child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Program Design Located near the Miami-Dade and Broward County line, The Garden at His House will offer twelve girls a continuum of care in a safe and secure therapeutic home. The Garden design will articulate a therapeutic environment with garden-like surroundings and lush landscaping; providing a private and pleasant space for each resident. Here, girls will be empowered to begin the healing process and led toward a productive life of purpose, wholeness and independence. Due to the intensive level of care required for the target population, all services will be provided on-site with the exception of routine medical care. The model of care reflects an effective approach as it is focused on providing a unique, high quality, home-like setting. Page 2 of 9

3 The Garden is centered on three key components focused on the Rescue, Restoration, and Independence of victims. Program services and objectives include: 1) A safe, secure and therapeutic home 2) Live-in Houseparent that provides around the clock guidance and counseling 3) Peer support and mentoring from survivors 4) Intensive case management (Dependency, Delinquency, and Criminal) 5) On-site school that provides individualized educational services for middle and highschool grade levels (GED and vocational) 6) Ongoing mental health counseling and intensive clinical care including trauma-based therapy 7) Medical screening and routine care coordination 8) Substance abuse recovery and rehabilitative services 9) One-to-One life coach mentoring to promote strong relationship building 10) Intensive life skills and job training 11) Youth development programming 12) Outreach and investigative cooperation with law enforcement His House has been an active participant in the Miami-Dade CSEC Working Group created to design a community-wide response to the problem of CSEC since The agency is working in partnership with Kristi House, a leader in South Florida in the fight against commercial and sexual exploitation of minors, to provide a continuum of care for child-clients it rescues through its outreach programs. Kristi House s Project Gold (Girls Owning and Living their Dreams) provides case management, outreach, advocacy and mental health services to survivors and those still at risk. Facility & Support The proposed facility is in close proximity to the His House campus and a secluded locale. It has a 13-bedroom capacity, spacious floor plan, move-in condition and well maintained equipment. The same operational infrastructure used at His House will be used at The Garden. The facility s location puts it at the greatest distance away from the life offering the seclusion needed to promote safety and security. His House has vision for the Facility and has the expressed financial, in-kind and collaborative support of its community partners including The Batchelor Foundation, the Joseph and Sherrie Garfield Charitable Foundation, local churches and a list of private donors and individuals. Conclusion Before any child victim of domestic sex trafficking can start on the path of healing, recognize their potential and discover their purpose, their most basic needs must be met. Currently there are no long term emergency shelters or transitional housing options specifically designed for victims of sex trafficking in South Florida. These child victims need a place to belong, not only for protection and safety, but to be empowered to break the psychological dependence with their trafficker. The Garden at His House Children s Home is that place. Page 3 of 9

4 Photograph: Proposed Facility Figure 1: Floor Plan Page 4 of 9

5 Photograph: Proposed Facility Figure 2: Dining/Cafeteria Figure 3: Kitchen Page 5 of 9

6 Photographs: His House Model of Care Figure 4: Adolescent Girls Cottage Bedroom 1 Figure 5: Adolescent Girls Cottage Bedroom 2 Figure 6: Adolescent Girls Bedroom in Cottage #23 Page 6 of 9

7 ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY Related Experience His House has 22 years of experience providing individualized care to unique populations of youth in crisis. One example is the adolescent girls home that offers a 7-beds specific to the needs of teen girls (ages 14-17) inclusive of pregnant or parenting teens. His House has successfully managed this specialized cottage for over five years. The girls are helped to heal and grow through educational, therapeutic and recreational services. His House has worked with other special populations which have included over 1,000 unaccompanied minors in federal custody and over 500 medically needy and orphaned Haitian children. His House also has a full-case management contract with Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Inc. for a caseload of 350 children in the child welfare system, many of which include runaways and youth with a history of delinquency. The agency also contracts with ChildNet, Inc. of Broward to operate a specialized cottage that serves teen boys with extraordinary needs. His House has the ability and expertise to deliver defined services for sexually exploited children. The agency s twenty-two years of service to the most vulnerable children has resulted in extensive experience, not only managing thousands of youth in foster care, but truly altering the life path of those with behavioral problems, history of delinquency, drug abuse, and other risk factors. Operational Readiness Currently under legislative review is the Florida Safe Harbor Act which will allow first responders the option of treating commercially sexually exploited children as child-victims by dropping them off at private treatment centers, or Safe Harbors, if one is available. The successful passing of the Florida Safe Harbor Act can possibly create the availability of appropriated funds. Nevertheless, through its strong donor and volunteer base, His House has the resources needed to launch The Garden. His House operates with an 11.2 million dollar budget and currently has designated funding for this program. Residential cottages currently in use are fully renovated and furnished by the generous contributions and support of corporate partners, developers and contractors. In the last year alone, twelve (12) cottage makeover service projects were completed representing over $58,000 in investments in the homes on campus. This demonstrates the agency s ability to rally community support and collaborate with government entities to improve their facilities for the benefit of children. The same resources are available for The Garden. His House Location & Facilities His House has a Residential Child Care license for 164-beds on the Community of Landmark campus located at NW 47th Avenue, Miami, Florida. This 110-acre property is at the northwest residential section of Miami-Dade County and is less than one mile from the Broward County line. The entire property is gated and well secured by several 24-hour County staff rotations. His House has occupied the facility for the past 15 years, 9 of those years as a tenant of the State of Florida. His House manages a total of 16 buildings leased from Miami-Dade County including a preschool, private K-8 school and the His House International School a Miami-Dade County Outreach program. Page 7 of 9

8 ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE History & Background His House was established in 1989 to provide care for abused, neglected and drug-exposed children in a home-like setting. In 1996, the agency received a Child Placement Agency license by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) in order to provide foster care and adoption services. As a result of the privatization of child welfare into Community-Based Care in 2005, His House became one of eight agencies in Miami-Dade/Monroe County to provide full case-management (FCMA) and legal advocacy services. The agency is contracted by Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe Inc. and Child Net, Inc. of Broward County. Presently, His House remains as one of six FCMAs in Miami-Dade and Monroe County. In 2008, the agency was awarded a contract from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS-ORR) and established His House International. The program cares for unaccompanied alien children fleeing poor socioeconomic conditions, gang affiliation, homelessness, abuse, domestic violence and human trafficking - all in the hopes of finding personal safety and making better lives for themselves in the United States. In January 2010, the Homes For Haitian Children Program was established when His House was designated by ORR as the entry point into the U.S. to expedite adoption of Haitian orphans. Since inception, His House has provided child welfare services to over 5,000 children from South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean. Today, His House employs 250 staff members; has a Residential Child Care license for 164-bed capacity; and carries a caseload of 350 children in State custody. His House is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors which maintains strong relations with community organizations, civic groups, and stakeholders. His House is also accredited by the National Council on Accreditation and is a member of the National Association of Christian Child and Family Agencies. Programs & Services Residential Care Program: His House cares for children in State custody in a cozy homelike setting. Each cottage provides a home for 6 to12 children. Our model of care is unlike the typical residential program each cottage functions as a family unit and is led by loving, live-in House Parents. Foster Care & Adoption: The Mi Casa Es Su Casa (My House is His House) Program was established in 1996 to provide care for children in need of long term placement by recruiting, training, and licensing foster and adoptive parents. Case Management: The team coordinates services for children and their families and serves as advocates in the courtroom. The team works diligently to ensure evaluations, school enrollment, counseling and corresponding reports are accurately prepared. Case Managers offer ongoing support to foster families in order to preserve placements. Page 8 of 9

9 His House Academy: In a trauma-sensitive learning environment, the Academy (on-site, faith-based, private school) is committed to providing at-risk children the care and attention necessary for consistent behavioral and academic development. Prevention programs are also provided through an afterschool enrichment program and eight-week summer camp. Tutoring Program: Established in 2006, the program provides remedial help to children in order to increase academic performance and enhance future success. Mentoring Program: Provides children with one-to-one supportive relationships with a caring adult who they can trust and count on. Mentors also reinforce life skills training for teens. Iomai Counseling Center: A place for the healing process to continue. Individual and family therapy is provided to help family members cope with separation, behavioral issues and other topics of concern. The program offers children the opportunity to change negative behavior and begin restoration. Unaccompanied Alien Children Program (UAC): His House International was established in 2008 to care for minors who left their native countries due to gang violence, homelessness, economic hardship and abuse in the hopes of starting a new life in the U.S. In 2010, the Homes for Haitian Children Program was established when His House became a center for providing temporary care and expediting adoptions for orphaned children arriving from Haiti. Pre-Independent Living: Through regularly structured learning activities in the home and in other various settings, youth ages are provided life skills training. We provide education in numerous occupational fields to prepare them for transition into adulthood and self-sufficiency. Volunteer Services: 900, level 2 screened volunteers enrich and broaden the services offered at His House. Children s needs are matched with the talents and skills of our volunteers. Monthly training orientations are held on campus to educate volunteers on our mission and values. Smart Baby: This program enhances the early stages of childhood development by targeting eight specific intelligences including: word, logic, picture, music, body, nature, people and self. Caregivers work with multiple intelligences of infants and toddlers to have a profound impact on their education and developmental growth. Road to Independence Program: The program provides services to youth heading towards emancipation from foster care to adulthood including educational assistance, employment preparation and other skills needed to live independently. Page 9 of 9