More than 300,000 U.S. children were trafficked last year! and that is just what has been reported.

Decades of data suggested that the majority of children trafficked in the United States are child welfare involved:

• In 2013, 60% of the child sex trafficking victims recovered as part of a FBI nationwide raid

from over 70 cities were children from foster care or group homes.iv

• In 2012, Connecticut reported 88 child victims of sex trafficking. Eighty-six were child welfare

involved, and most reported abuse while in foster care or residential placement.v

• In 2012, Los Angeles County, California reported that of the 72 commercially sexually

exploited girls in their Succeed Through Achievement and Resilience (STAR) Court Program,

56 were child-welfare involved.vi

• In 2007, New York City identified 2,250 child victims of trafficking. Seventy-five percent of

those experienced some contact with the child welfare system, mostly in the context of abuse

and neglect proceedings.vii

• In Alameda County, California, a one-year review of local CSEC victim populations found that

55% were from foster youth group homes, and 82% had previously run away from home

multiple times.viii

• In Florida, FBI agent Gregory Christopher (head of Florida interagency rescue and restore law

enforcement task force) estimated that 70% of victims identified in Florida were foster youth.

Sources: Human rights project, and Human Rights and Protection Organization

Resources: This is a work in progress so if you know of any resources that should be listed please comment on this website or join the state group and list the resources and information that people need to know about. Thank you.

Minding Hearts is building advocacy and peer support groups in each state.  The groups are created to raise awareness, educate, and advocate for those that might not otherwise be heard. We are here for encouragement, education, and support. We cannot give legal advice, but we can try and direct you in the right direction with your case. Links to legal services are listed with their states. Please share and let’s grow our groups. We are here to support families and develop resources that maintain family integrity. We look forward to your support. If you would rather become active by donating, then visit the donation page.