Update: CSI has adopted our pledge!

Starting on January 24, users who buy a card for a child in their life now have the option to donate a card online to a trafficking group within their state, or to an anonymous low-income family in their community. These families and organizations can sign up for the program with the click of a mouse — and several abolitionist groups already have. There is also a financial incentive for individual families to buy a second card for a family in need: CSI will offer the second card for 50% off, and a free CSI Travel Card (bringing the whole package to $150). On an even more impressive scale, if a large trafficking organization decides to host a “Family Protection Program Against Human Trafficking” drive, CSI members will fly to the group’s headquarters to assist with the campaign at their own expense.

There are 300,000 children in the US each year at risk for commercial sexual exploitation. Runaway and homeless youth are prime targets. One study found that within 48 hours of leaving home, 1/3 of teen runaways will become involved in prostitution. So who is looking for these kids? According to a New York Times report—almost no one. Many trafficked children are not reported missing, or entered into the database too slowly. Although the National Child Search Assistance Act mandates an immediate report if a child goes missing, the law is often not uniformly implemented.  The result is that runaway cases are not pursued as aggressively by law enforcement. Unfortunately, every minute wasted increases the chance that a child will be trafficked. 

A former school principal from Oklahoma is using high-tech technology to combat child trafficking. His company, Child Safety Incorporated (CSI), produces secure identity cards for children. The cards include a USB that parents can use to compile useful information, such as the child’s friends, pictures, blood type and medication. In the event that a child goes missing, over 100,000 law enforcement officials will be notified within ten minutes. This invaluable information is then available to police at the touch of a button. This technology just might be the key to preventing missing children from falling into slavery—but the subscription fee of $100/year makes it out of reach for low-income families. For that reason, I suggest this pledge: if you buy a card for a child in your life, donate a card to a trafficking shelter or advocacy organization (you can send the following pledge to both the organization, and CSI). Additionally, if that’s outside your means, help raise awareness about this program by signing the pledge and sending it to others.

 It is estimated that the average predator in the U.S. will make more than $200,000 a year off of one trafficked girl. For one tenth of a percent of that, you can save her. Thank you in advance for your support.