Protect foster children from sex trafficking

Recent sting operations revealed that more than half of the children being traded for sex come from foster care. The same children identified by our courts as most in need of protection from abuse and neglect are being bought and sold everywhere from truck stops and cheap motels to wealthy suburbs. They are being used, reused, and then discarded like trash.

When the U.S. House Subcommittee on Human Resources holds a hearing Wednesday on what can be done to prevent sex trafficking of youth in foster care it will be taking up an issue that is, tragically, more widespread -- and deeply entrenched -- than most anyone can imagine.

What makes it all the more appalling is that, in the vast majority of cases, no one even looks for these children when they go missing from the system.

"Research shows that most victims of child sex trafficking come straight from the foster care system. This is totally unacceptable," said Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash. -- who called the hearing. "We owe it to them to ensure our nation's foster care system does all it can to protect them from predators so they can live safe, happy, and successful lives. For too many kids in foster care, we are not living up to that promise."  (more...)

Protect foster children from sex trafficking