A 16-year-old boy and his 14-year-old sister were found walking alone along a highway. They had walked until they could not go any farther and sat down on the side of the road, exhausted.

When police found them, the children said they had run away from their stepmother. As investigators began asking questions, a much darker story came to light.

Their father was in prison on drug charges. Their mother struggled with drugs and was involved in sex work.

For years, the children had been moved between shelters and different relatives. Their stepmother eventually came for them, promising she was taking them to be reunited with their father.

According to the children’s account, that promise was a lie. Instead, she forced both of them to work and exploited them for criminal activity.

But their story was not over.

What appeared to be two runaway children became a human trafficking investigation involving the exploitation of minors. Authorities reached out to Answer International because these siblings did not simply need somewhere to go. They needed to stay together.

Answer International opened its doors. Today, this brother and sister are safe together in one of our homes, surrounded by people who will protect them, care for them, and fight for their future.

This is Redemption

*For their safety, this is not an actual photo of the children.