We envision a world where no child is bought, sold, or abused. We provide cutting edge services, education, and advocacy to combat youth trafficking, exploitation, and abuse.
youthSpark was founded in 2000 as the Juvenile Justice Fund, an independent nonprofit organization with a focus on providing real solutions for vulnerable children and families affected by courts.
Over time, we've expanded our work to include policy advocacy and research, to lead change in the community. We also provide comprehensive wrap-around services to address trauma and vulnerabilities for girls, boys, and LGBTQ youth in our Center.
Today, we serve 150+ youth annually, ages 12 and over, with complex cases and needs each year with one mission in mind: to spark a bright future.
Jennifer Swain is one of the driving forces of youthSpark. She oversees the organization and leads strategic development, administration, and services implementation at youthSpark. For almost 13 years, she has served in several executive capacities, including youthSpark’s Deputy Director, where she led the design and vision of the agency's early intervention model and the Youth Services Center.
She offers training and technical assistance to various groups to address proactive responses to youth sexual exploitation, including presentations to local and national conferences on best practices and advocacy initiatives.
Jennifer is a founding member of the Georgia Statewide Trafficking Task Force—formerly serving as the Chair for the Keeping At-Risk Youth Safe work group. She routinely provides expert witness testimony in trafficking cases. In 2018, she was named the City of Atlanta's first "Amazing Atlantan" under Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms highlighting nonprofit leaders in Atlanta working to make a difference in the community.
