Teen Prostitutes Find Help at LA Shelter

"I'm their mother," says the founder of a Los Angeles shelter for teen prostitutes. For almost three decades, Children of the Night has focused on helping girls recover from their past rather than treating them like criminals, Good Magazine reports. Shelter founder Lois Lois "isn’t like other social-service types," said one LAPD officer. "Lois sees the big picture."

Despite the success stories—former prostitutes turned doctor or lawyer—many inexorably find their way back to the streets. Children of the Night, however, offers a lifeline that never disappears "A girl might go back," said Lee. "But will she call me from the hospital if she is dying with AIDS? Yes. And I will go to her and sit by her bed and hold her hand." (More child prostitution stories.)