Anti-Human Trafficking
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All children need to be seen and heard , and know that they are valued and loved . When children for whatever reasons are unable to live with their birth families , we need to support them and find a loving home in an expedient manner . These children suffer from low self-esteem and emotional , mental , and physical issues . For every child to reach their potential and be a productive member of the community , they need to know they are precious and that someone cares . — Deborra-lee Furness
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Together , Emily and Deborra-lee announced the new dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation initiative : Hope to Belong .
Hope to Belong addresses one of the root causes of child trafficking and exploitation by protecting those in foster care , who would otherwise be vulnerable to traffickers . In the United States alone , 400,000 children are in the foster care system , with over 100,000 being eligible for permanent adoption . Unfortunately , a fourth of the children who are eligible for adoption each year reach the age of 18 and leave the foster care system unadopted and without familial support . The global number is , astoundingly , in the tens of millions . Children and young adults who don ’ t have permanent families are among the most vulnerable in our communities . Many sex trafficking victims in the United States reportedly have been in social services or foster care when they went missing .
This is where the Hope to Belong initiative can make a difference . For approximately $ 1,000 per child , personalized , high-quality videos for children in foster care are made , giving them a face and a voice . These personalized videos help connect children with potential families after being distributed to faith-based organizations and familyfocused networks . This initiative significantly increases family placement rates , with over half of the children who received a video finding permanent families within six months of sharing their face and their story .
Together , we can empower children at great risk of being trafficked by giving them Hope to Belong .
* Global Slavery Index
62 dōTERRA HEALING HANDS FOUNDATION I ANNUAL REPORT 2020