Dear Supporter

November 19, 2010

Dear Supporter,

Though the state economy is still climbing its way out of a recession and unemployment is hovering at 12.4% — there is one local business that is booming...

Michael Walker is a 35-year-old businessman with an eye for talent. He has found a growing niche market in the East Bay. His employee recruitment and training tactics have served him well — preying on foster youth, runaways and children with no visible ties. And tragically, for young, vulnerable girls in Alameda County, Michael Walker is hiring.

There are hundreds of men like Michael — right here in Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley, and other cities that make up Alameda County. Many of these pimps and former drug traffickers figured out that selling children is more profitable than selling dope.

Janessa Jackson was seven years old when she was placed in the foster care system. Like many foster youth, she went through a revolving door of foster homes often ending up on the run without a parent figure who could support and protect her.

At twelve, life changed more drastically for Janessa — she met Michael Walker. Forced into a job she wasn't looking for, Janessa entered the life of commercial sexual exploitation. Through a deliberate process of indoctrination, Janessa began to see Michael Walker as her protector instead of her perpetrator. At age 16, Janessa was arrested, charged with prostitution and sent to juvenile hall — continuing a cycle of treating sexually exploited children as criminals instead of victims.

After her release from juvenile hall, Janessa was referred to Deanna, a WestCoast Children's Clinic psychologist who works in the C-Change program. Deanna's job was difficult — getting Janessa off the streets and engaging her in the long road back to safety. Through her relationship with Deanna, Janessa felt respected for the first time and realized that there is not always a price tag attached to a relationship.

Deanna helped Janessa stabilize in her foster placement, return to school and find a job. She now attends Laney College in Oakland, where she is studying to become a nurse. Janessa attends individual therapy weekly, and calls Deanna whenever she needs extra support. Janessa in on her way to making a better life for herself.

Please take a moment to read "Black Girls for Sale" written by Jeannine Amber. It presents a disturbing description of how children in our community are recruited into human trafficking.

3301 E. 12th Street Suite 259, Oakland CA 94601 (510) 269-9030 / (510) 269-9031 (F) Page 2 of 2

Alarmingly, the U.S. Department of Justice estimates that some 300,000 American children are at risk of being forced into prostitution. According to the F.B.I., Oakland is the epicenter of child sex trafficking in the United States.

In response to the local child exploitation epidemic, WestCoast Children's Clinic launched C- Change: Transforming the Lives of Sexually Exploited Minors in 2009. This program addresses the complicated mental health and emotional needs of sexually exploited children in Alameda County. Since inception, the C-Change program has worked with 120 girls, has quadrupled in size, and continues to receive more referrals every day.

Beyond our therapy services, WestCoast is leading groundbreaking clinical research to develop treatment standards for sexually exploited children. The rate of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for commercially sexually exploited children exceeds that of war veterans, yet specialized psychological services do not exist to address this kind of trauma.

C-Change is one example of WestCoast's commitment to developing specialized treatment that is responsive to problems and patterns that surface among the youth we serve. WestCoast's services range from treating toddlers in the first hours of being removed from their home, to helping former foster youth break down barriers that otherwise might lead them to homelessness or incarceration.

With your help we can transform the lives of children who, without us, face dire consequences. Your donation will help prevent more girls from becoming the next victims of commercial sexual exploitation, and help girls like Janessa Jackson break away and become healthy adults. As always, we are grateful for your support — we need our broader community to continue our work in the community.

Many thanks,

Stacey Anne Katz Executive Director