Organization:
FAIR Girls
HOPE Court provides youth — who are victims of or at risk of becoming victims of commercial sexual exploitation — with the tools they need to lead free and productive lives. FAIR Girls as a leading anti-trafficking service provider supports the youth in the HOPE Court program by providing a highly skilled and specially trained case manager to work closely with the youth, the juvenile court, and law enforcement to ensure that youth victims are quickly identified and connected to services.
HOPE Court is a unique multi-disciplinary voluntary program launched in February 2018 under the direction and authority of the D.C. Superior Court. It was born out of the passage of the 2014 Sex Trafficking of Minors Prevention Act, legislation for which FAIR Girls advocated for over three years. The main goal of this legislation was to ensure youth victims of commercial sexual exploitation were protected from arrest for charges related to their exploitation, as well as ensuring at risk children were identified and referred by law enforcement to child protective services.
What makes HOPE Court unique is the participants’ support from an anti-trafficking service provider that brings a trauma-informed and a youth-led approach to the program and the goals set by youth. These anti-trafficking service providers directly support youth in setting goals, achieving their potential, and removing barriers to a safe, free and productive life.
