THE LINK BETWEEN FOSTER CARE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

What are some of the challenges that you think youth in foster care face? Unstable home life, trouble keeping up in school, or aging out of the system may be some thoughts that come to mind. Becoming involved in the sex industry probably wasn’t even on your list. But the staggering truth is that an estimated 60 percent of Human Trafficking victims have been in the foster care system and most likely that number is higher. But why? Traffickers prey on vulnerabilities, and youth in foster care have many vulnerabilities because of the hardships of the system and their past home life.  

People often have a picture of Human Trafficking in their heads. It may look something like kids being abducted and taken across state lines in the back of a white van. Though that scenario does happen, it often can look much different. Traffickers are extremely skilled at spotting victims who are missing something in their lives; validation, love, protection, money. They can spend months of time building a false relationship with a victim and slowly isolating them, preparing them to be trafficked, we refer to this as grooming. It can happen in person, over the internet, or long distance. The truth is that it could happen to anyone, but our foster youth are particularly at risk.

So, what can you do? Consider attending a Rising Hope parenting workshop to educate yourself more on the dangers of Human Trafficking and how you can help keep your kids safe. Then consider enrolling your youth in the Rising Hope #NotANumber course. Youth ages 12-18 will spend several sessions discussing and participating in learning geared towards addressing their own vulnerabilities, how to keep themselves safe, how to build a support network, and what healthy and unhealthy relationships look like.

If you would like to learn more visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/risinghopesheridan or email us at RisingHopeSheridan@gmail.com.