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The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 established the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking (“the Council”) as a formal platform for individuals with lived experience to provide advice and recommendations to the Senior Policy Operating Group and the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking (PITF). As a member of these coordinating bodies, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implements the Council’s agency-specific recommendations and those for PITF agencies at large. This Information Memorandum summarizes the Council’s past recommendations and overviews implementation efforts by the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The status of each recommendation relating to ACF is available in the Appendix.

This document was developed by fellows of the Human Trafficking Leadership Academy Class 3 organized through the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center and Coro Northern California. A team of allied professionals and survivor leaders worked together to respond to the following question: Using trauma-informed principles and survivor-informed practices, what strategies could reduce risk factors and increase protective factors within families that prevent the trafficking of minors? How can anti-trafficking efforts incorporate 2-generation and whole family approaches to programs and policies?

The fellowship is funded by the Office on Trafficking in Persons and the Office on Women’s Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The recommendations and content of this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of OTIP, OWH, or HHS.

Human Trafficking Leadership Academy Class 3 Recommendations.pdf  (PDF)

Learn what to do if you or someone you know has received an Interim Assistance or Eligibility Letter from HHS.

Request assistance through the Shepherd Case Management System on behalf of a foreign national minor who may have experienced trafficking.

Once a youth receives a Child Eligibility Letter it can be used to apply for benefits and services to the same extent as a refugee. This resource offers information on benefit-issuing agencies by state.

The National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States (the Committee) has published Best Practices and Recommendations for States (PDF)  (PDF)to combat the sex trafficking of children and youth in the United States.

The Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol Toolkit is a step-by-step guide to help schools (1) identify students that may be experiencing trafficking or may have an increased risk for trafficking, (2) ensure educators and other staff comply with mandatory reporting laws, (3) ensure the safety of students, educators, and other staff when reporting human trafficking and other forms of violence, and (4) help students connect to service providers and/or programs intended to reduce further exposure to violence and victimization. 

This national briefing call discussed new resources available from the Administration for Children and Families to assist child welfare, states, schools, nonprofit organizations, and practitioners in responding to concerns of human trafficking among children and youth, including those connected to the child welfare system.

This Information Memorandum (IM) highlights the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) contributions to human trafficking research, gaps in evidence, and open access policies.

Access information and data about Eligibility for child victims of human trafficking.