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You
thought slavery was over in America? Think
again. Human trafficking -- the illegal movement
of people, typically for the purposes of forced
labor or commercial sexual exploitation -- is a
$32 billion worldwide industry, and it is
happening to thousands of people across the U.S.
right now.
Many
people think this is a third world issue, but
that is not true: the U.S. Department of Justice
reports that between 2008 and 2010, 83% of sex
trafficking victims found within the U.S. were
U.S. citizens, and 40% of those victims were
children. Furthermore, the majority --
upwards of 85% in some states -- of trafficked
children have had contact with the foster care
system.
Our
nation’s foster care systems do not have the
appropriate resources to address this epidemic.
The Strengthening Child Welfare Response
to Trafficking Act (H.R.469) will change this by
providing child welfare agencies with training
and guidelines for working with youth who have
been, or are currently, victims of trafficking.
Please sign our petition urging the Senate to
pass this crucial legislation.
H.R.
469 would ensure that child welfare agencies
have systems in place to properly identify,
assess, and document child victims of
trafficking. It would provide training for all
child protective services workers to
appropriately respond to reports of child
trafficking, and connect child victims to
specialized rehabilitation services.
The
bill passed the House unanimously, and it has
now been sitting in the Senate for months. We
must urge our senators to act now and pass H.R.
469. This issue has been in the shadows
for far too long, and the list of victims just
grows longer. How can our representatives
justify delaying action on it?
It
is a matter of protecting our children. Please
join us in calling on the U.S. Senate to pass
H.R. 469, the Strengthening Child Welfare
Response to Trafficking
Act. | 
