Letter from the CEO - Spring 2023
Chief Executive Officer
In January, The WellHouse was among several others in the Birmingham area who were honored as members of a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). As we all gathered in Washington, D.C. and received the award from Homeland Security Investigations, I reminisced with some who were there in the beginning of the researching, planning, building, and developing of WellHouse Child. These friends, along with countless others also in the fight, including generous donors who caught the vision with us, and a dedicated staff who gave so much to ensure that services for this population were provided with excellence – not perfection – but excellence, are a part of this Team for WellHouse Child.
There are many organizations in Alabama dedicated to serving abused children, including those who have been trafficked. WellHouse Child, which opened in 2021, is a residential service home dedicated solely to trafficked youth. We receive referrals from hospitals, service agencies, and authorized government officials. We have had minors at WellHouse Child referred by Homeland Security, the Department of Youth Services, and DHR via a court order placing the child in the custody of a guardian and directing the guardian to place the child with WellHouse Child. Any minor from another state must first go through that state’s Interstate Compact Process (ICPC) and our state’s ICPC process, both of which are coordinated through each state’s Child Protective Services departments (DHR for Alabama).
Since opening WellHouse Child’s doors in 2021, we have never experienced any type of closing from an officiating organization. Internally, we decided to pause intake in early 2022 to restructure and hire additional staff so that we would continue to meet our standard of excellence. Unrelated to this pause, we also received our final inspection and 2-year license from DHR during that time. Our goal is that fewer trafficked children ever have to enter the system and can be referred directly to WellHouse Child or one of our partners.
And now, as all the efforts have given way to true service for the most vulnerable among us who have endured unspeakable horrors, we see the need to expand the Team. The average age of WellHouse Child youth is 13-14, meaning their abuse likely began much earlier, and the incidents of familial trafficking (family members trafficking the child) bears out the 50% rate of occurrence found by recent studies. For many of the girls who come to WellHouse Child, this means they will not be returning to family. Some will, and family reunification counseling is provided for them, but just as many will not, making it essential that we have great partners.
We are continuing to build the Team as we seek collaborations and partnerships to ensure that after at least a one-year period of stabilization, the minors who do not have the option to return to family will have other options. We are currently engaged in mentoring other organizations who also want to serve this population of youth. Thankfully in our own state, there are those who are able to walk alongside us in this incredible work. We are grateful for those partners already in the fight for abused children – King’s Home, Big Oak Ranch, Grace House – and who have been willing to step into this space of serving trafficked youth with WellHouse Child to ensure that all are served well.
We are very excited about a partnership with Camille Place, a program similar to WellHouse Child, dedicated to young girls who have been trafficked. Their home is built, staff are hired, and they already refer minors to WellHouse Child when they receive calls. We are excited to have another quality, like-minded program in our state to make and receive future referrals of youth needing specialized services on their journey to healing.
Being a leader on the Team is a privilege, and we are honored to be on this journey with so many. Since we have been able to continue to expand our partnerships, we are able to envision the opportunity for many more trafficked minors to be set free in every way!
How beautifully this is expressed in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10:
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow….”