MBCH Ministry Helps Save Child Traffickers

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was written by Charles Phillips, Program Director for MBCH Children & Family Ministries.

It is never easy to believe that child sex trafficking exists in the world. MBCH Children and Family Ministry began its ministry to this population in 2012 in St. Louis. When MBCH’s Children and Families Department began the process of opening a juvenile home in 2018 in the Kansas City area, someone in the community argued that a juvenile home was unnecessary and that she did not want children from other countries brought into her community. “That doesn’t happen here!” she explained. In 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) estimated that one in six at-risk runaways reported to them were likely victims of sex trafficking. The International Labour Organization and the Walk Free Foundation, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), estimate that there are 4.8 million people affected by forced sexual exploitation worldwide. In 2021, Missouri ranked 3rd in the nation with 4.31 per 100,000 people.

For MBCH Children and Family Ministries (MBCH-CFM), it starts with a phone call. Calls come from loved ones, the Children's Division, Homeland Security or another government agency; calls requiring a safe place for young girls who have been trafficked or are at risk of being trafficked. Since 2019, MBCH Children and Family Ministry in Kansas City has been serving girls as young as 9 years old. The average age is 14.9 years; 10% of them come from states other than Missouri and 11.9% come from other countries.

The girls who enter the program receive a lot of support, but the number one priority is safety and care. Staff work closely with them to schedule medical appointments, provide counselling and training. Education can be a challenge given that many of them received little or no education during the years they were trafficked. For the 11.9% of girls in the program who speak little or no English, the challenge is even greater.

With so many horrible numbers and challenges, is there success, can there be healing? Actually, YES! Having an incredible relationship/partnership with the school district and an incredible staff that connects and prays for each client, these young women are just at the beginning of their incredible healing journey. For those who could, we saw them return home with their loved ones. For those who can't, homes have been found, whether it's a foster family or a transitional living program. One of the most exciting aspects of the program is that young women who have begun their recovery fall in love with the community, school or church and want to stay there as they continue their recovery. With the help of MBCH's Ministry of Children and Families' Treatment Family Care (TFC) program, families are trained to care for children with high needs, and then once the young woman is placed in the home, the TFC specialist continues to meet with the young woman and family in the home each week. There, the young woman can continue to receive academic support, counseling and stay in touch with a Bible-believing church. The tremendous support from local churches has been encouraging in their ability to meet the challenge and foster the spiritual growth of girls from very difficult places. For example, as I write this, a A young woman who successfully left the program and entered a TFC home has asked Jesus to be her Savior and will be baptized shortly. She has been saved from darkness and is now seeking to be forever in the kingdom with our Lord Jesus.

How can I help you? If you have a heart for the young women profiled in this article, here are some things you can consider:

First, learn more about how to recognize child abuse and what to do if you witness it or suspect it is happening. MBCH-CFM has trainers across the state to train Child Stewards, From Dark to Light, which is a FREE 2.5 hour training course on how to keep children safe. This can be taught to groups of any size, with community groups such as coaches, youth leaders and especially Vacation Bible School teachers. If you are interested, please email [email protected] or call him at 417-380-1082.

Second, we need staff, people willing to work directly with these young women. The MBCH-CFM uses a residency model with one week on and one week off, which allows for consistency of care for the girls. We offer excellent benefits and compensation. Contact our Human Resources department at 1-800-264-6224 for more information.

Third, we also need more therapeutic family foster homes. We have seen Sunday school classes take on the challenge together. Some in the class are TFC family, others offer respite, and still others provide support with meals, prayer, laundry, or just a listening ear. What a group of God's people can do for a child in need is simply amazing because it shows God's love.

Finally, we need people who are willing to pray for us constantly. If you are unable to be a staff member or foster parent, please pray that God will bring those who can, and that God will continue to bless this ministry.