Earlier this month, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families January Contreras visited the National Human Trafficking Hotline (Hotline) in recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Assistant Secretary Contreras observed operations firsthand to better understand the Hotline’s operational scope, successes and challenges, and local and national partnerships with ACF programs and other services and crisis intervention hotlines.
Funded by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) and operated by Polaris, the Hotline is a 24/7 resource that provides information and service referrals to people at risk for, currently experiencing, or who have experienced human trafficking using a trauma-informed, person-centered, culturally responsive, and linguistically appropriate approach. The Hotline partners with organizations and programs offering emergency, transitional, or long-term services to people affected by human trafficking. By contacting the Hotline, people in crisis can connect with services that include but are not limited to case management, legal advocacy, health and mental health care, and assistance locating and securing safe and affordable emergency or permanent housing.
People can contact the Hotline via phone calls, texts, webchat, online tip reports, or emails. In 2021, the Hotline received 51,073 substantive signals , of which 13,277 were from individuals who had experienced human trafficking. Since its inception, the Hotline has identified 82,301 cases of human trafficking and 164,839 people through these cases, using data and statistics from signals to analyze types of trafficking, recruiter types, and risk factors. The Hotline has increasingly received more signals as public awareness of human trafficking increases. While the Hotline is helping more people, the high number of signals, including those unrelated to human trafficking, has led to challenges like increased wait times and missed calls.
During the visit, Assistant Secretary Contreras explored how these challenges can provide pathways for additional partnerships among ACF programs and Polaris to improve Hotline functions. One example of this collaboration is the National Human Trafficking Hotline Optimization Project. Supported by technical assistance from the ACF Chief Technology Officer, the project will strengthen Hotline operations by conducting experiments and sprints to update technology, workflows, and protocols. Another ongoing effort is the Hotline Evaluation Project, led by the ACF Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. By examining immediate outcomes and user experience associated with the Hotline, the project will provide crucial data to help ACF and Polaris better support those in crisis and connect them with the help they need. With total funding increasing to $5 million in 2023, the Hotline is exploring further areas of improvement and opportunities for growth.
This National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, learn more about how you can help partner to prevent human trafficking.