St. Jude’s Ranch opens campus for victims of child sex trafficking

BOULDER CITY (KTNV) – St. Jude’s Ranch for Children held a grand opening Wednesday for its new $25 million Healing Center in Boulder City.

The 10 hectare residential campus is the first in southern Nevada community to care for child victims of sex trafficking.

There are six residential homes for children and teens on campus, as well as a healing garden and Southern Nevada’s first trauma-informed school.

Opened in partnership with the Clark County School District, the school is specifically designed to meet students where they are, with faculty and staff who have undergone trauma-informed training.

“This is a place where we really want them to learn to read, we want them to learn math and science so that they can graduate from high school but have a life where they can thrive,” St. Jude’s said. Ranch CEO Christina Vela.

Vela said they hope to have their first residents on campus in the next 30 to 45 days and will begin opening one home at a time. At full capacity, they can house and support up to 62 residents.

Each child receives an individualized treatment program, which is expected to last approximately one year.

“We will really focus on the stages of change and really helping young people understand their victimization,” Vela said. “We hope that through their time here they have had the experience of meeting people who care about them and that they have learned things about themselves and their resilience and the superpowers they have to live the life of their dreams.”

You can find more information about the Healing Center and St. Jude’s Ranch for Children here.