PROTECTING AMERICA'S CHILDREN A Demand for Dedicated Funding and Specialized Agency Authority June 2026 • to be Submitted to Members of the U.S. Congress upon the receipt of 500,000 signatures Child exploitation — encompassing sexual abuse, trafficking, forced labor, and online predation — constitutes one of the most severe and underaddressed crises in the United States today. Current federal infrastructure is incapable of the coordinated, survivor-centered response that victims deserve. The FBI's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigated more than 39,000 cases in fiscal year 2022 . Chronic Underfunding: The primary federal vehicle for combating online child exploitation — the ICAC Task Force Program — received approximately $73 million in federal funding in FY2024 . CORE POSITION: The fragmented, underfunded status quo is itself a policy choice — one that places children at continued risk. We call on Congress to treat child exploitation as a stand-alone national emergency requiring dedicated institutional authority and guaranteed funding. OUR LEGISLATIVE DEMANDS We call upon the United States Congress fund a Dedicated Federal Agency — Establish by statute a Child Exploitation Prevention and Response Authority (CEPRA) with unified investigative mandate across all forms of child exploitation, prosecutorial coordination with DOJ and state authorities, survivor services integration, online platform compliance oversight. • Ring-Fenced Funding — Appropriate no less than $1 billion annually in dedicated, nonredirectable funding for child exploitation prevention, investigation, prosecution, and survivor restoration. This funding must be protected • Data Sharing Mandate & Platform Accountability with enforceable penalties for non- compliance Require follow-up services for all youth exiting state care. Establish by federal law a minimum standard of care for exploitation survivors, including trauma-informed housing, mental health services, and long-term case management. THE CASE FOR A DEDICATED AGENCY The creation of a dedicated Child Exploitation Prevention and Response Authority (CEPRA) — or equivalent Cabinet-level interagency structure — is not merely an administrative preference. It reflects a principled judgment that child exploitation is categorically distinct from general crime and requires institutional architecture to match. . PROTECTING CHILDREN IS NOT A POLITICAL POSITION. IT IS A MORAL OBLIGATION. Sign this petition. Demand that Congress act now. To add your organization's endorsement or to join the coalition effort: [contact email daviddeforrest48@gmail.com