Services for sex trafficked children and young adults will be available as soon as August in the Big Bend region of the State through a partnership with Whole Child Leon. Referrals for Open Doors services will engage Leon, Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla counties, with a strong emphasis on launching first in the Tallahassee community.
“Whole Child Leon has a long history of success in helping unserved and underserved children in our community. This partnership is another example of Whole Child Leon meeting the needs of children and connecting them to critical services and resources in our area,” said Florida Senator Loranne Ausley, a founder of Whole Child Leon.
“I’ve seen first-hand how sex trafficking has shattered the lives of Big Bend children,” said Investigator Elizabeth Bascom of the Tallahassee Police Department “More services to help children and young adult victims heal from such complex trauma are needed everywhere, but especially in the Big Bend region. Open Doors provides another method of contact with victims and assists them in moving forward in their lives and healing process. Additionally, Open Doors can help bridge the gap between victims and law enforcement resources.”
Voices for Florida is actively working as well to identify additional providers to expand services to more counties. Requests for Proposals have been issued. Stay tuned for more updates from Voices on expansion!
