It’s August, summer vacations are ending, and many students are returning to uncertainty and challenges due to the pandemic. But on top of this, “Back to School” means even more when your education was interrupted by exploitation and trafficking.

For children in our Survivor Care, re-engaging with school is like trying to climb a hill while carrying a heavy weight. The hill has typical steps and obstacles that everyone has to master. Like showing up on time or learning how to ask for your own makeup work. The kinds of things that every teenager has to learn how to do.

Education is a major focus of our Survivor Care program. Your support provides fierce advocacy for survivors: Helping navigate Planning and Placement Team (PPT) meetings and assisting in the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for youth. Getting educators to adapt to the needs of youth who’ve been affected by trafficking. Attending parent-teacher meetings. Love146 is always available, cheering, supporting, and helping survivors through those difficult moments when it would be tempting to close the books on school. 

Feeling more confident in school has also been a factor in students being able to break off relationships with those who were involved in their exploitation. At some point the youth start giving us clues that they are becoming more self-sufficient: fewer absences, fewer distressed phone calls, more reports of good grades and achievement, healthier relationships and support.

Thank you for all you do supporting children impacted by trafficking in every season of their journeys.