Developing foster parents as mentors for commercially sexually exploited youth: A training program

Commercial sexual exploitation affects young people all over the United States. Yet minimal services are available to restore, and reintegrate this population. One of the challenges involves assessing and training parents as mentors to provide round-the-clock care for their unique needs. This curriculum serves as a guide for agencies using the Child Welfare League of America PRIDE Model of Practice curriculum and is an adaptation of the original curriculum, which primarily focuses on neglected children. The purpose of this curriculum is to provide child welfare agencies and prospective mentor parents with the tools to make an informed decision regarding their ability, willingness, and resources to support commercially sexually exploited youth. The curriculum also seeks to equip mentor parents with the skills to provide a safe and nurturing environment for these youth to develop healthy relationships, expand their social skills, increase cognition, and function as positive members of their communities