Brooke Crowder is the "mind" behind the Refuge. After working with survivors internationally, she came to Austin in 2010 and was amazed to find no organization that was focused on child survivors. "I kept saying, 'why are we not doing this?'" she told CBN News, "and then it became 'why am I not doing this?'"

Crowder says there's many reasons that more places of care don't exist. "It's just an issue we don't really want to talk about," she said, "It's dark. It's hard to hear about."

It's also complicated with survivors having to process trauma that is comparable to PTSD. "It's a pretty complex response that's required," said Crowder, "It's also quite costly and there's really not a model out there that people can say 'ok, we'll build this here.'"

The Refuge model keeps the price down. It builds strategic partnerships with those already helping young people. "We're not bearing the cost of our on-site charter school—the University of Texas is doing that," explains Crowder, "We're not bearing the cost of the medical care. We're partnering with a federally qualified health care clinic."

Each survivor at the Refuge will received a customized care plan provided by a staff that's committed to Christ. Cottage chapels will be offered for survivors to have personal time to reflect and pray but the Refuge says it will not force religious beliefs on anyone and will welcome all survivors, regardless of their faith background.

Providing Safety and Community

Crowder hopes the 50-acre rural setting outside of Austin will provide both a sense of safety and a feeling of community that will take away any desire to run. McKinley wishes she would have had such an option. Her first trafficking experience came in elementary school. Later as a teenager, a retired police officer exploited her. "I completely trusted him," said McKinley, "I also desired a father figure so bad that I didn't question anything even though I was afraid."

McKinley and Crowder hope the Refuge will give those in their care the ability and desire to re-learn the very basics of human relationships. Their biggest goal: helping victims release their shame and understand how to trust again.

"The type of people who buy young adults and children are doctors, police officers, lawyers, teachers," explained McKinley. "Can you can imagine trying to process hundreds of rapes? Hundreds of rapes because these girls are being raped 10, 15 times a day, six to seven days a week. Some of them for years. It's a lot. And that's why it takes so much. That's why so many people don't take this on. They don't build places like this because it's hard."

If the Refuge can get it right in Austin, it would like to replicate its model in other cities in Texas and other states, in an attempt to provide care for the thousands of children who so desperately need it.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Street Preacher's Arrest in Mississippi Sparks Supreme Court Case on Free Speech Rights

Trump Offers Plan for Healthcare Cost Crisis, GOP Senator Vows 'We're Going to Fix Obamacare'

Nigerian Persecution Horror: Expert Dismantles Disturbing Media Narrative

Man Dies on Operating Table, Meets Jesus, Sees Heaven; Stunned Doctor Says: 'God's Not Done with You'

Florida Moves to Redistrict in Congressional Maps Arms Race

Maduro's Ex-Insider Turns Whistleblower, Sends President Trump an Explosive Letter

Experts Warn Parents AI Christmas Toys Put Kids at Risk: 'Trouble in Toyland' [Video]

Pete Hegseth to Bring Christmas Back to the Pentagon: Blaze Exclusive

Iryna's Law Needs to Be Replicated Around the Country

Navy Admiral Set to Testify on Capitol Hill About Drug Boat Strike in Caribbean That Killed Survivors

DOJ: University of Delaware Student Allegedly Plotted Attack on Campus Police; Illegal Weapons Recovered

'Unbelievable Revival': God Is Moving with Power in Transnistria Despite Russia's Heavy Hand [Video]

Putin Calls Witkoff's Ukraine Peace Talks 'Difficult', Consensus 'No Easy Feat'

J6 Pipe Bomber Identified and Arrested

Warning: Pfizer's mRNA Flu Shot Linked to Very Serious Side Effects, Especially in Seniors

Ex-Muslim Leads 100,000 to Jesus: 'There Is Hunger in the Muslim World to Hear About Christ'

UNCOVERED: Hamas' Strategy to Infiltrate, Control NGOs in Gaza

Secretary Hegseth Considers Breaking with Woke Scouts after Longtime Pentagon Partnership

Rep. Harris Introduces Bill to Stop Discrimination against Homeschoolers

Bessent Moves to Completely Cut Off Illegals from US Financial System