CPS and the Broken System - why rescuing is only a small part of healing for human trafficking victims

AFTER A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS RESCUED, YOU'D THINK, "THAT'S GREAT ALL DONE", BUT NO. THE VICTIMS ARE OFTEN VERY STEEPED IN A FLAWED, ABUSIVE VIEW OF LIFE. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES ANY MORE, GET A JOB, DRIVE, OR KNOW WHO TO TRUST. OFTEN THEY ACTUALLY TRUST THEIR ABUSER MORE THAN THEIR RESCUERS.

The average age of a trafficking victim is age 12, so when they are rescued they go straight into the childare foster system, which is broken and underfunded. These are children, they have no idea who to actually trust. So suddenly getting a cop car ride to a random foster home, where the parents don't know anything else except to feed and clothe the child, is very confusing to a victim. As awful as their life is, they are children, this is all they have ever known. They don't know what is better or how to not fear everyone.

Governor Abbott spoke about the childcare system saying “don’t underfund this and expect to not come back and haunt you”. and it is haunting everyone. That is why HOME organizations are SO critical. Home organizations are ones that are providing help for those who get out of trafficking, because these victims are rewired to think that they have no where else to go, except back into the hands of their abusers. It is estimated that it only takes 24-48 hours for a “freed” victim to get picked up or run away back into an abuser’s hands, because they don’t know what is truth or not. We support ten local organizations here, because the more funding they get, the more help they provide. The victims need immediate therapy and a safe place to be monitored and helped so they don't run away and are out on the street again to get picked up by yet another abuser. CPS and the Foster system are not equipped to handle human trafficking victims, they just don't have the funds nor training and knowledge to be successful in this area, it isn't their expertise.

We think that the best part is getting a victim freed, but it is teaching them how to live again, how to actually BE FREE. Giving them freedom, helping them learn how to earn money, apply for jobs, use phones and computers, therapy to relearn how to communicate and trust, how to value their own lives and bodies again.

That is why here at Saving Pearls we support organizations who cover all the needs of rescuing and helping rescued victims learn to be free. These organizations are local, so with each purchase, 50% of the profits goes directly to eliminating trafficking right here in Texas.