Dear Friend,
My name is Layne Shill and I’m the director of the Parent Center here at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. Today I will share the journey that has led me to this movement, and to the Parent Center.
It all started when I lived in Russia for a year and a half as a missionary. I became close with several women who had been formerly prostituted. At this point, sexual exploitation stopped being a distant concept and became deeply personal.
Glennon Doyle writes, “What is it that affects you so deeply that whenever you encounter it, you feel the need to look away? Look there… The thing that breaks your heart is the very thing you were born to help heal.”
Those words captured my experience. These were women I knew and loved, and I witnessed the lasting harm exploitation caused in their lives. I returned home heartbroken but determined to pursue meaningful change.
In college, I focused on social impact studies in public health, nonprofit management, and policy, searching for solutions beyond short-term responses. While I admired much of the work being done, I was often discouraged by how reactive it felt. I wanted work that was preventative, strategic, and capable of lasting impact.
That search led me to the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. NCOSE’s focus on addressing demand and root causes immediately stood out, and my internship there confirmed this was the path I had been seeking since Russia.
So why the Parent Center?
The Parent Center represents prevention in action. I am deeply passionate about prevention because so much harm can be avoided when parents are equipped with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to protect their children. Too often, parents want to help but aren’t set up to succeed. I believe the Parent Center can flip that script—empowering parents early and helping prevent exploitation before it begins.
I’m grateful to be part of an organization committed to addressing root causes, supporting survivors, and creating lasting change.
Please join us! The Parent Center is all about building a community of parents, looking to bring about lasting change together.
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