There are among us some who have taken on a special obligation. They are the pathfinders in a very dark landscape who become a guide to help girls and women who are trapped inside find a pathway out of the darkness. One of these pathfinders is Dr. Lois Lee, founder of
Children of the Night
. (Her Ph.D. is in Sociology).
Children of the Night is a privately funded non-profit organization established in 1979 and dedicated to rescuing America’s children from the ravages of prostitution. Some are as young as 11 years old.There is no fee for their services. Children are referred by police from across the nation. Girls also call their hotline for help. For many years the organization managed a residential program that provided them with multiple services, including schooling and case management. Bad home life, exploitation and other causes are “fueling the fire,” Dr. Lee noted. Their work is to rescue children and young people from the grip of prostitution and sexual exploitation, an area that is greatly underserved. Since their founding, Children of the Night has rescued more than 10,000 people from prostitution in the United States. This is more than all other sex trafficking programs combined. There are many alumni who keep in touch with them.