Supporting Foster Youth at Risk of Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Research has shown that youth who have experienced trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) often have histories of homelessness, contact with the juvenile justice system, and / or involvement in the foster care system. When it comes to supporting youth at risk of CSE, there is a lack of safe and supportive housing options designed to meet their unique needs. Reasons for this include a lack of available shelter and residential care beds, restrictive policies that prohibit youth from returning to shelters and foster care placements after leaving, and a lack of foster caregivers with the knowledge, training, and skills required to support youth who have experienced complex trauma. Additionally, there are very few rigorous evaluations of interventions serving youth at risk of CSE. To address these gaps, HRC is partnering with the San Francisco Safety, Opportunity, and Lifelong Relationships (SF SOL) Collaborative to develop continuum of care options for CSE-affected youth.

The Health and Human Rights team is leading the evaluation of SF SOL’s three innovative interventions for youth who have experienced or are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation:

• Family and Me (FAM), a new model of family-based foster care
• Youth Stabilization Pathway, an innovative emergency housing program 
• Freedom Forward’s HYPE Center, a multi-service drop-in center designed by and for young people

Through rigorous evaluation and groundbreaking research, this project aims to develop specialized supports for CSE-affected youth that can be replicated throughout California.

HRC led an independent, in-depth evaluation of the first iteration of the family-based foster care pilot (FAM 1.0) from 2019-2022. The evaluation used a longitudinal, mixed-method design to evaluate intervention processes and changes in outcomes for both youth and caregivers over time. Over the evaluation period, our team issued a series of reports with recommendations to adapt and improve the program throughout its implementation. The final report presents key findings from the final pilot evaluation, offers policy and practice recommendations, and lays the groundwork for FAM 2.0.