In the United States, human trafficking is not only a crime but a public health concern affecting individuals, families and communities. It comes in many forms, such as labor trafficking and sex trafficking, primarily affecting some of the most vulnerable victims, including children. Several studies have shown a strong connection between human trafficking and child welfare, including a 2022 report by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, where “one in six of the children reported missing to NCMEC who ran away were likely victims of child sex trafficking.” With a growing awareness of this issue, professionals working in various sectors of child welfare must align their efforts when formulating protection, action and prevention plans to better serve child trafficking victims.

Efforts are underway at the international, national and local level to combat human trafficking. The enactment of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000 was a major turning point in the federal government’s effort to combat human trafficking. Indeed, since then, the TVPA has been reauthorized four times, most recently in 2013, which included the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, enhancing support to address human trafficking, with a focus on sex trafficking of minors. The strategy behind the TVPA is often referred to as the “3Ps”: prevention, protection and prosecution. However, a fourth “P,” for partnership, is also crucial.