About Us

The O’Connell House is a specialized residential program of The Home for Little Wanderers that provides a safe, supportive home for young women who are survivors of human trafficking, including those who are pregnant or parenting young children. Through trauma-informed care and comprehensive services, the program helps mothers and their children remain together while building stability, independence, and a path toward a brighter future.

Our Story

Global Strategic Operatives, GSO, was initiated after a high-level meeting of leaders and stakeholders at the UN in 2018. It was decided to focus on training healthcare professionals across the globe on how to identify a victim who is being trafficked and to take appropriate action. The rationale for choosing to focus on healthcare is studies and data show that 88-92% of all survivors sought out medical care while being trafficked. If not trained, the victims fall through the cracks of the healthcare system and do not receive the help that is critically needed and remain in the ‘life” until help is offered.

Now that we have had success in training over 850,000 healthcare providers, we are moving forward with an additional mission: providing safe homes for survivors. We realize the more the healthcare systems identify victims, the greater the need for accurate placement for healing to help them on their journey to becoming survivors.

The O’Connell House’s mission is to serve women who have been sex trafficked who may be pregnant and/or have a small child. The building itself has 15 very large bedrooms—enough to fit an extra crib or twin bed in addition to a double bed. Each bedroom also has its own private bathroom. There are currently two rooms not utilized by residents for overnight caregivers and a therapy room, leaving 13 rooms for residents. The house has an industrial size kitchen and laundry, as well as office space, meeting rooms, large dining area, an exercise area, storage room with clinician office area, and a beautiful Chapel for a place for prayer, meditation, etc.

The O’Connell House partners with the local healthcare system, for primary, emergency and OBGyn care, along with mental health services. Other partners include local law enforcement, Homeland Security, FBI and other healthcare entities, working together to fill the house with residents.

Longer term, we hope to identify more properties to re- purpose them into safe houses for victims of trafficking, replicated by the O’Connell House Model.

About The Home for Little Wanderers

In 2026, The O’Connell House proudly joined The Home for Little Wanderers, bringing together two organizations with a shared commitment to helping young people and families thrive.

For over 225 years, The Home for Little Wanderers has helped build stable lives and hopeful tomorrows for children and their families. Our 35+ community-based and residential programs serve thousands of youth, from birth to age 26, who are in at-risk circumstances. Many of these children have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma or a disrupted family life. As the oldest child welfare agency in America, we provide them with safe surroundings, permanent loving relationships and a secure path toward a better, brighter future.