LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Clark County School District is opening a first-of-its-kind institution in the fall to educate children who are victims of human trafficking.
It will be part of The Healing Center, a sprawling campus St. Jude’s Ranch for Children is building on its property in Boulder City.
“I think about all the girls that at this very moment in this community who are waiting for a place like this,” Chief Executive Officer for St. Jude’s Ranch for Children Christina Vela said on Tuesday.
Vela remembers when all this was just a dream on pen and paper.
“The project is big, the funding gap is still there. But our kids are waiting for this place,” Vela said.
Construction began in January of last year on the $23 million project, which will have several small homes with a total of 60 beds.
Human trafficking is considered a hidden form of violence, according to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, and the Healing Center will take a holistic approach to helping children overcome their trauma.