Our Children

Having suffered overwhelming circumstances of abuse, abandonment, sex trafficking and other extreme family dysfunction, the girls are placed in juvenile justice or foster care residential programs to receive intense therapy, life skills, and educational services for up to a year or more.  

Research shows these girls experience extremely high rates of sexual abuse (80 - 90% - some estimates are closer to 100%) as well as being sex trafficking victims. Traffickers purposely troll foster care and juvenile justice residential programs because they know the vulnerability of these girls.

Girls in foster care and juvenile justice programs are disproportionately victims of the most horrendous acts - often by the adults who should have been protecting and caring for them.  

Broken in the course of relationships, they can only be healed through relationships.  Steadfast connects these precious children to a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ through caring.

Our Calling

Our calling at Steadfast is to share Jesus’ love through caring relationships.

During our time with them we do arts and crafts, play games or just talk - very simple!

Our guiding verse is John 1:5 - “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.” 

We know the investment made, has permanent, eternal impact.

We recognize the incomparable power of Christ’s love to heal broken hearts.

The overriding theme throughout scripture is God’s love for His people.  The girls we serve have experienced the worst of humanity and do not feel loved, valued or worthy.  We work against these lies by not only telling them, but showing them their value by spending time, being non-judgmental, and simply showing them they are loved.

Research has evidence of the consequences of multiple, chronic trauma to brain structure and chemistry as well as other physical implications. Amazingly, research has also found the direct healing power of caring relationships on these physical manifestations. 

Childhood Trauma: Changing Minds Now (www.changingmindsnow.org) is a campaign to communicate the importance of relationships to actually heal the physical impact of trauma!

Their specific framework that Steadfast employs is based on The Five Healing Gestures - very simple:

Five everyday gestures can make a world of difference by helping them overcome the effects of trauma

1. Celebrate – celebrate their achievements

2. Comfort – stay calm and patient

3. Collaborate – ask for their opinions

4. Listen - show an interest in them

5. Inspire - encouragement

Steadfast Ministries operates as a ministry of Bay Hope Church and is passionate about partnering with local Christian churches to bring the love of Christ to these children in real ways.

Steadfast Ministries Staff

Mary Krause, Steadfast Director: mary@steadfastministries.org

Cheryl Jackson, Senior Director Of At Risk Kids: cjackson@bayhope.com