Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
Testifying in Court about Trauma: The Court Hearing
This tip sheet helps clinicians prepare to testify in court regarding trauma (PDF, 7 pages) and its impact on children. It provides insight into the different types of cases and tips on how to testify effectively.
"Safe Harbor" Laws: A Systemic Approach to Addressing Child Sex Trafficking
This module was created by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center to help service providers understand the intent of “Safe Harbor” legislation and learn about states that have enacted it.
'Margins of the Margins': FYSB Grantee Coordinates Response to Trafficking in New York
Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families, a New York City-based program, is one of three programs chosen to participate in a two-year demonstration project aimed at helping victims of severe trafficking. In this article, a representative from the organization discusses the project’s goals and wider efforts to combat trafficking in New York.
ACF Recovering from Disasters and Other Disruptions
After disasters and other breaks in continuity of services, child welfare agencies' tasks are continuing to manage, capturing lessons learned, and rebuilding better systems. In this section you will find federal and state resources for longer term recovery and rebuilding from natural disasters or other major unexpected events, including resources on mental health services and research.
Bought and Sold: Helping Young People Escape from Commercial Sexual Exploitation
This booklet provides youth workers with an overview of the issue of human trafficking as well as concrete information about how to help survivors. Information about populations of youth that may be more at risk for trafficking, signs of sexual exploitation, tips for providing appropriate supports and services to survivors, and suggestions for when to involve the victim’s family and the police are included.
Bright Idea: Emergency Shelters Look for Human Trafficking When Youth Walk in the Door
This article provides tips for youth workers on recognizing youth who may be survivors of sexual exploitation. The article notes that many youth will seek services for other issues and, if made to feel comfortable, will divulge their experience with trafficking. The article recommends that youth workers have the knowledge to recognize the signs of trafficking, go appropriately off-script in their interactions with youth if they suspect trafficking is taking place, and maintain a non-judgmental stance when speaking with youth to build trust.
Coping with Disasters and Strengthening Systems: A Framework for Child Welfare Agencies
This resource was developed by the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI) a service of the Children's Bureau and provides information for before a disaster occurs, during a disaster, and after a disaster.
Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB)
FYSB supports the organizations and communities that work every day to reduce the risk of youth homelessness, adolescent pregnancy and domestic violence. Learn more about FYSB programs.
Getting Staff Buy-in for a “Low-Barrier” Approach at a Youth Shelter
The Department of Health and Human Services’ National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth is featuring information on its website for individuals who work in youth shelters who want to help other staff get used to a “low-barrier” approach, meaning young people are not turned away because they have been drinking or using drugs.
Guidance to States and Services on Addressing Human Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States
The Administration on Children, Youth, and Families released, “Guidance to States and Services on Addressing Human Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States,” which advises runaway and homeless youth programs and child welfare workers on identifying, engaging, and serving victims of human trafficking. Recommendations include using reliable assessment tools that focus on areas affected by trafficking, adapting evidenced-based interventions for this population, keeping facilitaties safe and educating young people on what to do if they are approached, and familiarizing yourself with resources and programs available to trafficking survivors.
Human Trafficking and Runaway and Homeless Youth
This module was created by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center to help service providers understand how human trafficking affects runaway and homeless youth, identify signs that indicate a youth is a potential victim of human trafficking, and identify resources for your agency.
Look Beneath the Surface
Developed as part of the Rescue & Restore Victims of Human Trafficking public awareness campaign, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Look Beneath the Surface is an informational video that prepares viewers to identify and help victims of human trafficking.
Most At Risk: Population-Based Approaches for Helping Trafficking Victims
This set of articles explores youth populations who are most prone to trafficking and what youth and family workers can do to help them recover from that trauma.
Mental Health: The First Step to Well Being
This collection of articles from the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth analyzes some of the most prominent mental health issues facing at-risk youth in order to provide youth workers with insight into the prevention and treatment of mental health challenges. Post-traumatic stress disorder, the risks and uses of psychotropic medications, and postpartum depression in teen mothers are discussed.
National Human Trafficking Resource Center Student Toolkit
The NHTRC Student Toolkit (PDF, 15 pages) can help student leaders identify and raise awareness of human trafficking in their campus community. The toolkit includes resources to help students start an anti-trafficking student group, host events and disseminate materials to raise awareness about human trafficking, and promote awareness through social media.
National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY)
NCFY is a free information service for Community, organizations, and individuals interested in developing new and effective strategies for supporting young people and their families. Their website includes youth development resources, funding announcements for FYSB's programs, free publications, and a calendar of conferences and trainings.
Podcast: Victims of Sex Trafficking
The Department of Health and Human Services’ National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth produced a podcast featuring a Miami street outreach worker, who specializes in helping victims of sex trafficking, discussing how to approach and help sexually exploited youth.
Preparing for Disasters and Disruptions to Service Continuity
Preparing for disasters involves creating plans, preparing to manage during a disaster, and enhancing critical infrastructure prior to a disaster. In this section of the Child Welfare Information Gateway, you will find federal and state resources for professionals and families to prepare for disasters—both natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, fires) and human created (e.g., terrorism) —including examples of state disaster plans.
Preparing Staff to Work with Trafficked Youth
Highlighted by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth, these resources from the Polaris Project, an organization that works to combat sex trafficking and labor trafficking, can help youth-serving professionals learn how to work with youth who are survivors of human trafficking. A slideshow developed for service professionals provides an overview of the issue of human trafficking, associated myths, and challenges to victim identification and offers suggestions for raising awareness of human trafficking in local communities, reaching out to potential victims, and assessing and working with survivors. A downloadable assessment form is also available for youth-serving professionals to use to assess potential victims of human trafficking.
Q&A: Helping Families Protect Themselves From Recurring Trauma
Produced by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth, this interview with Laurel Kiser, of the University of Maryland’s Family-Informed Trauma Treatment Center, discusses the potential negative effects of anticipatory stress and highlights Strengthening Family Coping Resources, a multi-week program that Kiser and her colleagues facilitate that helps families deal with recurring stressors.
Rescue & Restore Victims of Human Trafficking campaign
The intent of the Rescue & Restore campaign is to increase the identification of trafficking victims in the United States and to help those victims receive the benefits and services they need to restore their lives. You can help spread the word about the campaign by using their toolkit and promoting the campaign with posters and brochures available on the site.
Ready for Anything: A Disaster Planning Manual for Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs
This manual from the Administration for Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, guides youth-serving organizations in creating an emergency preparedness plan and explains the three areas of disaster planning: prevention and preparedness, response, and recovery. It includes worksheets and checklists that can help organizations prepare for disasters before they happen.
Read the Key Lessons of the RPG Program
“The Final Synthesis and Summary Report: Grantee Interviews” (PDF, 35 pages) captures lessons learned and stories from the Regional Partnership Grant (RPG) Program. The RPG is the broadest federal program ever launched to assist states, tribes, and communities across the nation to improve the well-being, permanency, and safety outcomes of children who are in, or at-risk of, out-of-home placement as a result of a parent's or caregiver's methamphetamine or other substance abuse.
Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers
This resource provides technical assistance to runaway and homeless youth programs.
Services Available to Victims of Human Trafficking: A Resource Guide for Social Service Providers
This publication from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement can help professionals learn how to connect victims of human trafficking to resources including food, shelter, clothing, medical care, legal assistance, and job training.