Angela's House
In an average month, the Court sees 12 girls who are victims of sexual exploitation, usually in the age range of 10-14. Until the Fund was established, no services existed to address their need for protection and special therapy.
The alarming rise of child sexual exploitation in Metro Atlanta came to light through Fulton County Juvenile Court, which recognized that many girls seen in Court for curfew violations, loitering and similar charges were actually being sexually exploited by adults. A task force was convened in 1999 that discovered a local child prostitution industry far more extensive than anyone had realized. Some girls had been kidnapped and brought in from out of state. Others lived in deprivation and neglect and were easy prey for perpetrators. These girls endured a brutalized existence, constantly subject to pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease and threat of violent death. Even when removed from the streets, they suffered severe emotional trauma.
As an outgrowth of the task force’s work, one of the Fund’s first initiatives in 2001 was to establish Angela’s House. An anonymous donor gave a residence that was transformed into a safe house where girls live securely, away from the threats of the perpetrators. They receive emergency therapy, medical and psychological assessments, and a long-range plan of care and treatment.
A stay at Angela’s House lasts 120 days, followed by placement in a safe setting where follow-up services can be readily administered. The house can accommodate six girls at a time. As space is available, referrals are accepted from throughout Georgia.
With sexual exploitation a continuing problem, the need is acute for a continuum of care for additional treatment services for girls beyond their stay in Angela’s House.
As part of our ongoing commitment to providing emotional and behavioral treatment for children who have been sexually exploited, the Juvenile Justice Fund selected Inner Harbour, a well-respected treatment facility, to provide the day-to-day operations and therapeutic treatment for the residents of Angela’s House. The Juvenile Justice Fund continues to provide the financial resources, strategic directions and oversight for this program.