We’ve researched some of the leading and most trustworthy reports to present to you more than 37 foster care and human trafficking statistics.
You can trace the foster care system in the United States all the way back to 1636 in Jamestown, Virginia. In other words, the system of becoming the guardian for a child that’s separated from his/her family has practically existed since the inception of the US.
That’s an impressive feat and foster care as a whole has improved tremendously in modern times.
Unfortunately, there is historical evidence of human trafficking taking advantage of the system to groom and exploit the children within it.
One of the best ways to combat human trafficking in the foster care system is through learning what to look out for. Thus, it all starts with getting a glimpse into the current situations that exist between foster care and human trafficking.
We’ve researched some of the leading and most trustworthy reports to present to you more than 37 foster care and human trafficking statistics.
The Code of Federal Regulations defines foster care as a 24-hour substitute care for children away from their parents or guardians. The people in charge of this substitute care become responsible for the children in this system.
A dwelling is a foster home regardless of whether the facility has a license. A child is in foster care regardless if there are payments from the state, tribal, or local agency to help provide care for the child. The same is true regardless if there are adoption subsidy payments made before the finalization of an adoption or if there is a federal matching of any payments made.
The government acknowledges that foster care can include nonrelative foster homes, relative foster homes, group homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities, pre-adoptive homes, and more.
You should now understand the scope of the foster care system. But what does the foster care environment look like? Below are some statistics that show a brief overview of the foster care environment.
Unfortunately, the foster care system is a pipeline to trafficking. The proportion of trafficking victims recruited from foster care compared to other recruitment sites has gone down due to the pandemic in recent years. However, traffickers still actively target foster children.
Why target foster children?
Many kids see themselves as just a paycheck for foster and adoptive parents. It’s not uncommon for foster kids to report that their foster parents gave them the mindset that they’re only a paycheck.
In turn, this teaches the children that their worth and value isn’t intrinsic and that they’re only worth the money they bring in. The development of this mindset sets foster children up as easy prey for traffickers.
If a child feels like no one cares about them while moving from one placement to another, his/her craving for attention and stability can be dangerous. They can easily find themselves seduced by traffickers who pretend to care for the child, only to later exploit the child for financial gain.
So, children without their families are easy targets for traffickers. How bad is the situation?
Below are some foster care and human trafficking statistics to help provide insight…
Foster care produces many victims of human trafficking. But, it also produces many traffickers.
The idea that state custodians produce such vile people is appalling. How could someone exploit children with a similar upbringing?
Although there isn’t a good answer, the OLP Foundation found a few statistics about traffickers and how they grew up in the foster care system.
The abuse these convicted traffickers endured doesn’t excuse the abuse they inflicted. There’s no excuse for trafficking another human. The statistics above simply illustrate how the foster system affects both ends of human trafficking.
Over the last 20 years, the federal government passed several major pieces of legislation to address the ever-changing landscape of human trafficking. The White House, federal departments, and federal agencies collaborated and took individual efforts to support victims of human trafficking.
Why would there be two decades of new legislation?
There’s a strong connection between human trafficking and foster care. But this is nothing new. Traffickers have sought out children in this system since the foster care system was first established.
Below are some statistics about foster care trafficking since 2010 to give you a better understanding of how the situation changed over time.
As you’ve learned after reading, the situation between foster care and human trafficking doesn’t look great.
Luckily, it isn’t all bad. There are several hundred organizations that exist to combat human trafficking across the US that do fantastic work.
Not to mention the fact that by reading this blog post, you’re already on your way toward aiding in the fight against human trafficking as a whole. The first step to any solution is becoming aware of the problem. So, if you think human trafficking is something that only happens “over there” or to “other people,” then this post has hopefully given you a different perspective.
It’s important for us all to stay informed and behave responsibly when it comes to the welfare of minors both in our communities and around the world.
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