The Covering House

03/03/2026

During the Underground Railroad, it is said that slaves fleeing for their freedom would know which homes were a safe refuge by the types of quilts hanging on their porches. This is why The Covering House logo is a quilt square.

The Covering House is a safe refuge for youth fleeing s*x trafficking, modern day slavery. Each youth receives their own quilt when they arrive at our residential home, which is both symbolic and provides them with comfort and security.

02/26/2026

On February 2, two staff members of The Covering House sat on a Q&A panel for legislators in Jefferson City. The legislators asked questions to inform their votes and guide them on writing two important bills that are currently being discussed in congress. The first is a set of reform bills ((HJR130 / SJR93 / HB1664 / SB1140) that would eliminate the civil statute of limitations for child s*xual abuse and trafficking cases and enable retroactive claims by survivors. The second issue was SB893 which would criminalize grooming behavior targeting minors and strengthen penalties for publishing s*xual images without consent.

It is very exciting that legislators are joining us in the fight against human trafficking! We are grateful that we were given the opportunity to be represented in the capital.

02/24/2026

Let's Celebrate! The Covering House will be hosting our annual Dine for Dignity Gala on April 18th from 6 pm - 10 pm at the Four Seasons of St. Louis. Help make a difference in the lives of trafficked youth, while also having the time of your life! Get your tickets at WWW.DINEFORDIGNITY.ORG.

02/19/2026

Have a passion for helping provide safety, dignity and freedom to youth who have survived s*x trafficking? Us too! Join our team! We are hiring evening and overnight Youth Development Specialists. For more information and to apply, visit our website: https://www.thecoveringhouse.org/careers

02/16/2026

Part of what The Covering House does to ensure the safety, dignity, and freedom of s*xually exploited youth is raise awareness and understanding of the issue in our community. A member of our team, as well as a former client and graduate of our program, went to the state capital of Missouri recently. There, they spoke with legislators, lobbyists, and state representatives about the importance of awareness and stronger laws being passed. It is important for survivors to have their voices heard, not only in their personal lives, but also in legislative chambers, so we are grateful that we had the opportunity to advocate for them at the capital!

Some of the photos are with legislatures and representative from other anti-trafficking organizations like MOCATE and MO NACA - MO Network Against Child Abuse.

02/13/2026

Several of the clients have gotten really excited about junk journaling, which is a creative process that uses everyday items to express feelings and emotions. See examples! It has been so fun to see how their creativity and inspiration unfolds!

02/11/2026

Our panel in January shared some very important insights related to trafficking and how to keep your kids safe. If you missed it, do not worry! You can watch the recording here.

A few important takeaways from the panel:

1. Protection starts with connection. Children who feel safe coming to their trusted adults with questions or concerns are far less vulnerable to exploitation. Open, judgment-free communication is one of the strongest protective factors.

2. No chat-enabled website or app is completely risk-free. Staying engaged—by disabling, limiting, or monitoring chat features—can be an essential part of keeping children safe online.

3. If a child discloses harm, your response matters. Stay calm, avoid overpromising, and focus on listening. Reacting with intense emotion or making commitments you can’t keep may unintentionally discourage them from opening up again.

Three Key Takeaways from the Discussion:1. Protection starts with connection. Children who feel safe coming to their trusted adults with questions or concer...

02/09/2026

Thank you to our incredibly generous donors who are making it possible for us to open a new residential home! The new campus will provide a safe place for double the number of young girls to live and heal. That means we need double the supplies and a variety of items for our new home! If you would like to help, please consider purchasing items from our Amazon gift list here: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/I4AR6WX9GB68?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ggr-subnav-share_5KEB65JPYS1YP32D4GFV

02/05/2026

Save the date! Our annual Dine for Dignity Gala is April 18th from 6pm - 10 pm at the Four Seasons of St. Louis. We rolled the dice and said a prayer. We went ALL IN to help youth survivors of s*x trafficking and exploitation. We're betting on their bright futures, how about you? Purchase your tickets at WWW.DINEFORDIGNITY.ORG.

02/02/2026

According to a National Survivor Study done by Polaris 90% of human trafficking survivors reported that all, or some crimes on their record were directly related to their trafficking. The same study shows that most of them faced barriers to secure housing, employment, and education because of their criminal or arrest records. To give victims a better chance at rebuilding their life, Representative Fry introduced a House Bill last year called the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on 1/23/2026. This act allows gives victims the ability to vacate their convictions and expunge arrest records for class A or B, non-violent offenses if they can prove that the crime(s) they committed were directly related to their trafficking.

This is a big step in helping survivors get their life back!

01/30/2026

Often times when we think of trafficking, we think of a violent kidnapping like in the movie Taken. However, it is not always like that. Often times trafficking starts with traffickers luring victims in by building trust with them. They may do this by manipulating them, being in romantic relationships with them, or making false promises. After traffickers build the victim's trust, they may then blackmail them and/or threaten them with or use violence against them to force them to do something they don't want to do.

Some common ways that traffickers build victims' trust are through kind words, buying them gifts, or promising something of value. Kind words might be something as seemingly innocent as "you are so sweet" or something as serious as a declaration of love. Gifts come in many forms. We are now commonly seeing gift cards being used as a luring tactic. False promises may involve traffickers promising victims things like jobs, fame, or money.

01/29/2026

We are incredibly grateful to all of our panelists and attendees for contributing to such a powerful and meaningful discussion. A special thank-you to Maritz for partnering with us and generously hosting the event.

Our panel featured remarkable experts, listed below, who are doing critical work every day to prevent and respond to child s*x trafficking.

-Stacy Fowler, BSW, MSW, LMSW, The Covering House Program Manager and Therapist
-Michelle Stille, The Child Advocacy Center of Northeast MO Director of Forensic Services
-Jessica Seitz, MPA, Missouri Network Against Child Abuse Executive Director
-Lauren Peffley, MSW, Crisis Aid International Community Education Coordinator & Advocate

Their insights left us with several important takeaways:

1. Protection starts with connection. Children who feel safe coming to their trusted adults with questions or concerns are far less vulnerable to exploitation. Open, judgment-free communication is one of the strongest protective factors.

2. No chat-enabled website or app is completely risk-free. Staying engaged—by disabling, limiting, or monitoring chat features—can be an essential part of keeping children safe online.

3. If a child discloses harm, your response matters. Stay calm, avoid overpromising, and focus on listening. Reacting with intense emotion or making commitments you can’t keep may unintentionally discourage them from opening up again.