Foster Care and Child Trafficking: Increased Training, Reports and Data Collection (S. 1823)

What is S. 1823?

(Updated December 14, 2017)

According to the Alliance to End Slavery & Trafficking, this bill

amends the Social Security Act to require state foster care programs, which receive federal funds under the Social Security Act, to report on current and future efforts to address the human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children in their care. It also mandates data collection on the issue of human trafficking.

Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop and publish: (1) best practices for training child welfare employees and court employees on identifying all forms of child trafficking; (2) recommendations for how state welfare agencies can prevent human trafficking; and (3) licensing guidelines for residential facilities with regard to child trafficking victims.

Argument in favor

Giving state child welfare employees trafficking training will help curb trafficking.

Argument opposed

The reports and data collection are bureaucratic, not preventative, measures.

Impact

The bill affects state foster care programs' role in preventing child trafficking.

Cost of S. 1823

A CBO cost is currently unavailable.

Additional Info

Media: