There is a documented connection between our nation's child foster care systems and child sex trafficking. From 13 to 16, I was trafficked in California. I also was in the foster system.

My personal experience of being indoctrinated began at the age of 11 as I was walking on my way home when I was lured into the vehicle of my trafficker. My life was never the same. 

Right now there are 100,000 to 300,000 underage girls being sold for sex in America. Every year 50,000 women and children are trafficked into the United States and the average age indoctrination into human trafficking begins between the ages of 12-14 years old. Many of these children have been involved with our nation’s foster care systems which do not have the appropriate training and services to effectively address and resolve these issues.

The Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015 (SCWRTA) will change this by providing child welfare agencies with up-to-date training and guidelines for working with youth who have been, or are currently, victims of trafficking.

The bill would ensure that each state develops a child protection plan with provisions and procedures to identify and assess all reports involving children known or suspected to be victims of trafficking, training plans for child protective service workers to appropriately respond to reports of child trafficking, and policies and procedures to connect child victims to public or private specialized services.

SCWRTA has already passed the House of Representatives but now needs to pass in the Senate. Please sign this petition to send a message to your Senator that you support this bill.

Children in foster care are at an increased risk of being trafficked. A 2007 report from the U.S. Department of Justice found that 85% of identified child sex trafficking victims in New York State had contact with the child welfare system, and the FBI estimates that 70% of child sex trafficking victims in Florida were involved with child welfare. Throughout the country, the majority of trafficked children have had contact with the foster care system.

If passed, there will be more services and programs created to provide aid for the ones in need and also preventative measures to stop trafficking cases from occurring. Pre-existing services and programs will be strengthened to ensure that those within the industry are rescued and those who have already experienced the trauma are provided adequate treatment.   

The importance of changing the laws and supporting our representatives who utilize their platform to protect our children,  is imperative to who WE are as a people and a nation. We must stand and unite together. We must be a part of the change, to save precious lives.

Please sign my petition asking Congress to pass the Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015.