RFC Healing Sanctuary

A primary role of Realities For Children is to identify changing needs to keep these legs of service stable and strong.  Over the past several years, it has become clear that the healing process needs significant support. During the pandemic, we saw an unprecedented need for emergency services as requests skyrocketed from 9 to 15 children a day on average. The impact is undeniable, and the needs for mental health and specialized wraparound therapeutic support has become evident.  That, coupled with the dramatic increase in sexual assault among minors, lack of support for
ongoing care and poor mental health support for survivors, has led to the perfect storm of self-harm, depression, anxiety, and suicide.

The facts speak for themselves.
Fort Collins Police Department – Criminal Investigations Division:

• Cases of sexual assault on a child were up 26% in the past two years.
• Since 2019 cases of child exploitation are up nearly 900%.
• 17% of all criminal investigations in Fort Collins involve children.

State of Colorado Annual report:

• In Colorado, 24% of all violent victimizations involve sexual assault.
• The rate of sexual assault is four times higher for juveniles than for adults.
• Only 16% of sexual assaults resulted in an arrest

Mental Health Impact
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network reports:

• 33% of rape and sexual assault survivors contemplate suicide
  o 13% attempt suicide, with rates higher in juvenile victims.
• Sexual assault survivors are 10x more likely to become drug dependent.
• 30% of people with eating disorders experienced childhood sexual abuse.
• 38% of sexual assault survivors struggle to function at work or school

To address this increase in cases of child exploitation and the resulting mental health and the life-threatening impact, we require next-level resources and facilities accessible to youth who are recovering from the trauma of abuse and sexual assault.

The vision of the Realities For Children Healing Sanctuary is to provide a multifunctional resource that connects trauma survivors with the healing power of nature and offers numerous
programs in the safe and welcoming setting needed to fortify the Healing Process.  Providing specialized facilities, programs and wraparound support to counteract the financial
and real-world reasons, so many children do not receive or are able to maintain this needed healing support through the recovery process.

Please visit www.realitiesforchildren.com for more information.

Special thanks to Michael McBride with MMLA for all your help with the site and the campus renderings below.