Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
"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.
Administration for Native Americans
The mission of ANA is to promote the goal of self-sufficiency and cultural preservation for Native Americans by providing social and economic development opportunities through financial assistance, training, and technical assistance to eligible Tribes and Native American communities, including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Native Pacific Islanders organizations. ANA provides funding for community-based projects that are designed to improve the lives of Native children and families and reduce long-term dependency on public assistance.
Administration for Children and Families
This site provides information about resources for children, youth, and families, including child care, Head Start, child support enforcement, domestic violence services, runaway and homeless youth programs, child welfare services, and more.
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.
Child Maltreatment, 2013
”Child Maltreatment, 2013” (PDF, 250 pages) is the 24th edition of the annual report on child abuse and neglect data collected through the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. According to the report, from 2009 to 2013, overall rates of victimization declined from 9.3 to 9.1 per 1,000 children in the population.
Child Abuse Prevention Month Activities
The Administration for Children and Families’ Child Welfare Information Gateway provides these resources on the “Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect” section of its website in order to support preparation for National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.
Children's Bureau
The Children's Bureau (CB) is one of two bureaus within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, of the Department of Health and Human Services. The Children's Bureau seeks to improve the safety, permanency and well-being of children through leadership, support for necessary services, and productive partnerships with states, tribes, and communities. It has the primary responsibility for administering federal programs that support state child welfare services.
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.
FYSB: New Video
Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) provides news and resources related to issues such as homelessness, adolescent pregnancy, and domestic violence. Watch FYSB's new video “The Family and Youth Services Bureau — Join Us” to learn more about FYSB work and programs.
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.
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Tribes
The National Resource Center for Tribes will join the Children's Bureau's Child Welfare Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) Network which is designed to improve child welfare systems and to support States and Tribes in achieving sustainable, systemic change that results in greater safety, permanency, and well-being for children, youth, and families.
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.
New Directions in Child Abuse and Neglect Research
Released by the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, and commissioned by ACYF, “New Directions in Child Abuse and Neglect Research” examines current research on the extent, causes, and consequences of child abuse and neglect. This report provides recommendations for establishment and implementation of a coordinated national infrastructure to support future research on child abuse and neglect.
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.
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.