Recent news reports have exposed the use of migrant children in dangerous and illegal work situations.   In many cases these children are sent to sponsors who view them as a money making opportunity, since the sponsors demand part of the child’s income. This is a form of modern day slavery happening in some of our biggest industries and in towns across the country.

Besides ignoring the humanity of these children, their health, education, and emotional well being are endangered.  Many of these kids work 8, 10, or 12 hour days and have little energy or time to attend school. In some cases they are living in less that acceptable living quarters.  This is not a partisan issue and now is the time to act before once again we get overloaded with everyday life and forget our moral responsibility for everyone's children. Demand answers, children's lives depend on it.  Some questions for consideration follow.

1.      Preventing Child Labor, Investigations, Penalties 

•  Who investigates businesses for illegal child labor? 
•  Do these investigators conduct unannounced inspections?  
•  Are there enough investigators to keep children safe?  
•  Are the penalties strict enough?

2.      Sponsors and Monitoring

• Where are these children going after they have been released from a detention center? 
• Who keeps track of these kids, who checks out the sponsors? 
• Who takes a portion of the child’s income? 
• Are there places where many migrant children are sent and where certain businesses have factories, such as meat packing plants? Collect that data if it isn't being done and let local authorities know.
• Who is monitoring the possibility of child trafficking?

3.     How can local churches, charities, and school districts help?

At a minimum we can write our representatives in congress, write our senators and we can tackle what is happening in our own states.  We can do something for these children.  Show our elected officials that this is an important issue to their constituents.

https://www.house.gov/representatives

https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40-45)