ATLANTA – The Safe Harbor Commission is pleased to announce the approval of $300,000 Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Grant Program funding for five new projects. After a rigorous review process, the Safe Harbor Commission has selected the following agencies to receive funding: Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia, Gigi’s House in Clayton County, Georgia, Micah’s Promise in Columbus, Georgia, University of Georgia CEASE Clinic in Athens, Georgia, and Wellspring Living, Inc. 

Each agency will receive awards to support the development, enhancement, and coordination of programs and activities purposed to strengthen the state of Georgia’s response against the commercial sexual exploitation of youth. Project purposes include support for construction of residential facilities specializing in service delivery to victims, increasing access to services for noncustodial youth, and supporting direct services including community outreach and education, systems-based advocacy, legal services for survivors of sexual exploitation, and individualized case management for survivors. The grant funds will be available to recipients beginning on July 1, 2021. 

This grant program aims to increase awareness, improve coordination and multidisciplinary collaboration, and support services for sexually exploited children in the State of Georgia. 

"The Safe Harbor funding will expand our capacity to support and empower sexually exploited children across the State of Georgia,” said First Lady Marty Kemp. "Brian, the girls, and I are grateful to the Safe Harbor Commission for the great work they do to help countless survivors access the resources and education they need to live with the freedom they deserve. I am confident that many lives and communities will be changed for the better because of these important projects." 

“Georgia is making great strides in not only the effort to fight human trafficking, but also in supporting victims,” said Division of Family and Children Services Division Director and Safe Harbor Commission Chair Tom Rawlings. “We are optimistic this grant opportunity will bring innovative ideas and interest for others to join in that effort.” 

As a Safe Harbor Commission member, CJCC Executive Director Jay Neal expressed his support for the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Grant Program, stating, “We are grateful to partner with the Safe Harbor Commission to administer additional funding to support children that have been sexually exploited. These new projects will help victims rebuild their lives, provide access to life saving services and ensure that our most vulnerable are supported as they seek justice through the courts against the perpetrators.” 

“The commission is thrilled to announce our first round of grants,” said Allison Ashe, Safe Harbor Commission member and CEO of Wellroot Family Services. ”These grants are a culmination of years of work by many dedicated community members, advocates, and elected officials to ensure survivors of human trafficking receive the critical services they need to heal from trauma and move forward into a future of possibility and hope.” 

For more information about the Safe Harbor Commission or the projects awarded, please contact Erica Mortonson, (404) 654-1814, at [email protected]. 

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About the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) 

Created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1981 as an Executive Branch agency, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) represents the culmination of many efforts to establish a statewide body that would build consensus and unity among the State's diverse and interdependent, criminal justice system components. For more information visit the CJCC website: https://cjcc.georgia.gov/. 

CONTACT:

Dannielle Lewis – Communications, External Affairs and Training & Content Manager

[email protected]