One Way Every Day: September 24 (Day 207) Children of the Night

Children of the Night is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1979. We are dedicated to assisting children between the ages of 11 and 17 who are forced to prostitute on the streets for food to eat and a place to sleep. Since 1979 we have rescued girls and boys from prostitution and the domination of vicious pimps. And we provide all programs with the support of private donations.

We are making a difference in the lives of hundreds of children each year. Our commitment to rescuing these children from the ravages of prostitution is shared with a small but committed group of detectives, FBI agents, and prosecutors in Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Ana, Anaheim, San Diego, other areas of California, Las Vegas, Portland, Billings, Montana; Seattle, Washington; Miami, New York, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Phoenix, Hawaii and Washington D.C. — all stops on the child prostitution circuit. And our numbers keep growing as more and more dedicated individuals become concerned about the welfare of these desperate children.

Child prostitutes require specialized care for effective intervention. Most of the children victimized by prostitution were first victimized by a parent or early caregiver. Most have been tortured by treacherous pimps, and many testify in lengthy court proceedings against the pimps who have forced them to work as prostitutes.

In most cases these children do not have appropriate homes to return to, and the only relative who is a suitable guardian may live far away from the child’s hometown. For many the only option is an out of home placement, college dorm, maternity home or mental health program.

Child prostitution is international in scope. Pimps have become more sophisticated in recruiting and harboring the children they force to prostitute, moving their victims from state to state, often forcing them to work as prostitutes outside the larger cities and in small towns where police are unfamiliar with the operations of child prostitution rings.

Children are recruited by pimps in arcades, malls, entertainment centers, at tourist attractions and concerts. The pimp seduces a new recruit with the lure of wealth and the luxury of designer clothes, fancy cars, and exclusive nightclubs. Pimps move from city to city looking for children who are easy prey: alone, desperate, and alienated. Once he moves a child from her hometown into a strange city, the pimp can easily force her to work as a prostitute. Thousands of children are victimized by this horrible con game every year. Child prostitution is an immense and devastating problem that nobody wants to recognize, nobody wants to talk about, and everyone wants to cover up. Child prostitutes are not only abandoned by their parents, but by the social services system as well.

Child prostitutes are typically victims of incest at an early age. Without intervention, these children run to the street during adolescence to escape the terrifying sexual exploitation by a trusted caretaker.

Sexually abused children respond differently than children abused in other ways. They are defenseless and lack the aggression required for survival on the streets. They are more vulnerable to the manipulations and skillful con games of pimps.

The Children of the Night home is open to American child prostitutes (ages 11-17) throughout the United States, and the Children of the Night hotline is ready and able to rescue these children 24 hours a day. Our hotline staff works closely with law enforcement to rescue children from vile, dominating pimps.

Our home features an on-site school and college placement program. After youngsters complete our rigorous and comprehensive program of academic and life-skills education, caseworkers are available to provide ongoing case management to hundreds of graduates.

Get Involved:

Donate to Children of the Night.

Children of the Night Wish List.

Volunteer opportunities with Children of the Night.