The most effective response to fight human trafficking will require a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach through partnerships and collaborations at the local, State, and national level.
The Office of Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center's Human Trafficking Task Force e-Guide provides a chapter on Forming a Task Force.
Examples of how States have approached the work of combat human trafficking are highlighted below:
State Reports
2014 State Ratings on Human Trafficking Laws
Polaris Project (2014)
Lists the Polaris Project's ratings for all 50 States. Ratings are based on 10 categories of laws combating human trafficking, punishing traffickers, and supporting survivors.
2017 State Report Cards – Protected Innocence Challenge
Shared Hope International (2018)
Provides report cards for all 50 States using 41 key legislative components addressed in State's laws aimed at responding to child sex trafficking crimes. The grades are part of the Protected Innocence Challenge (PDF - 4,915 KB) - a study of existing laws designed to inform legislative efforts and address the implementation of enacted laws.
Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking: State and Territorial Profiles
Office on Trafficking in Persons (2018)
Provides information about each State's anti-human trafficking activities based on statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Arizona
Trafficking Help
College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University, The Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research (STIR)
Provides a list of services in Arizona for victims of human trafficking, as well as a list of State and national organizations and government agencies that address sex trafficking. The website includes research and materials for parents and professionals on the topics of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Connecticut
Anti-Human Trafficking Response Team (HART)
Connecticut Department of Children and Families (2018)
Focuses on reducing commercial sexual exploitation of children and domestic minor sex trafficking in the State of Connecticut. Find newsletters, trainings, services, and publications on human trafficking and learn about the Governor's Task Force on Justice for Abused Children Committees.
Practice Guide for Intake and Investigative Response To Human Trafficking of Children (PDF - 103 KB)
Connecticut Department of Children and Families (2014)
Discusses the necessary guidance to comply with the expectations of DCF Policy 31-10-6.1. This practice guide includes common definitions and terms, intake process, a decision map for determining the risk of child for human trafficking, and provides a brief outline of HART duties and risk assessment and monitoring tools.
Illinois
Legal Services Assessment for Trafficked Children: Cook County, Illinois Case Study (PDF - 506 KB)
Walts, Reichmann, & Lee (2013)
Center for the Human Rights of Children, Loyola University Chicago
Discusses a legal needs assessment project for child trafficking victims in Cook County, IL, that identified existing service providers working with child trafficking survivors, legal needs of trafficked children, current legal services available to trafficked children, and gaps in services.
Minnesota
No Wrong Door: A Comprehensive Approach to Safe Harbor for Minnesota's Sexually Exploited Youth (PDF - 1,565 KB)
Minnesota Office of Justice Programs, Department of Public Safety (2013)
Offers background information on anti-human trafficking work in Minnesota; a description of the No Wrong Door model and its underlying values and philosophy; and recommendations for coordination and training, the justice system, housing and supportive services, prevention, and evaluation. Appendices include a summary of recommendations, an explanation of required legislative actions, and the 2013 and 2014 budget for the No Wrong Door program.
New York
Human Trafficking
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
Reviews information to help child welfare staff in New York identify potential child trafficking victims. Resources include a child trafficking public service announcement, a description of human trafficking types and elements, red flags, information about New York State laws as they relate to human trafficking, and palm cards professionals can use in the field.
Tennessee
Human Trafficking Services Coordination and Service Delivery Plan (PDF - 2,143 KB)
Tennessee Department of Human Services (2013)
Provides a comprehensive plan to assist in the identification of victims, the provision of services, and the dissemination of educational materials. Recommendations are made for addressing service gaps.
Utah
Child Protective Services Practice Guidelines (PDF - 1,280 KB)
Utah Division of Child and Family Services (2018)
Provides practice guidelines for providing child protective services for children in Utah, including human trafficking protocol.
Washington
Washington Trafficking Help
Directs human trafficking survivors in the State of Washington to services and resources by the type and location of the service needed. The website includes downloadable resources on human trafficking and information on human trafficking task forces throughout Washington.
Find more examples of State responses to human trafficking through Child Welfare Information Gateway's Library by choosing a topic below. Search results are updated continually and include documents from 2012 to the present.