About

The Covering House provides refuge and restoration, using the least restrictive environment, for sexually exploited and trafficked children and teens, providing safety, dignity, and freedom utilizing top level staffing and oversight.

According to the Department of Justice there are an estimated 300,000 children at risk of being forced into prostitution in the United States each year and the average age of entry is 13 years old. The DOJ also identifies St. Louis as one of the country’s top 20 human trafficking jurisdictions in the country. However, despite this growing issue, there were are only 37 residential programs nationally providing shelter for these survivors, with two of these programs in the Midwest. However, as of September 2014, The Covering House has changed that.

Since its inception, The Covering House has provided services to 61 girls between the ages of 12 and 21 nationwide. The Covering House announced the opening of a long-term therapeutic home in 2014. This facility is for girls, between the ages of 13-17 years old, who have experienced sexual trafficking or exploitation in the U.S. This home is the first in the state of Missouri, third in the Midwest and 38th in the U.S. solely for girls under the age of 18 years old that have experienced this trauma.