Child Trafficking & Sexual Exploitation Taken up at State and Federal Levels

Topic of Child Trafficking & Sexual
Exploitation Taken up at State and
Federal Levels
Last week, two informational hearings were held on the
issue of child trafficking and the commercial
exploitation of minors. On Tuesday the 14th, the
California Senate Human Services Committee held a
special hearing to review the issue, which included
testimony from a series of experts, a presentation from
the County Welfare Director’s Association and a well-researched briefing paper, which states that as many as
90 percent of victims are or were part of the child
welfare system. The research also found that as many
as 100,000 children are commercially exploited
nationally and that early adolescence (age 11 to 14) is
the most common time for children to fall prey to
exploitation.

On Thursday, May 16th, the issue was taken up by the
Congressional Caucus on Foster Care and the Senate
Caucus to End Human Trafficking. This informational
hearing featured leaders from the child welfare field,
including testimony from Presiding Judge of Los
Angeles County’s Juvenile Court Michael Nash, who
also serves as the President of the National Council of
Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

The Obama Admininstration's Federal Strategic Action
Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking was
presented at the hearing. Public comments on the plan
are due this Friday, May 24th and can be submitted by
following this LINK.