Human trafficking is an abhorrent reality that has torn apart families and communities and tortured the lives of countless children and young adults. Investigative reporting on this subject has the potential to raise awareness and perhaps even bring about desperately needed change. Which is why it was so disheartening and dangerous to have painted the system of care for child welfare services in such a bad light.
The Sun Sentinel’s recent investigation on human trafficking ignored progress that has been made to reduce the number of children in the foster care system since privatization. Improvements since implementation of community based care are absolutely undeniable. Most notably, the number of Broward children in foster care today is the lowest its ever been, just over 1,600 children versus as many as 4,000 in the past. Additionally, the number of children in group and shelter care decreased dramatically — by at least half in past 10 years.
Children in foster care have been through unimaginable trauma and have grown up with instability in their lives and a history of abuse and neglect. Serving this population is not easy and incredibly complex. While every industry has its bad actors, there are many local nonprofits who hire staff that are youth-focused and provide a home, family, support and opportunity for vulnerable kids and trafficking victims to feel safe and heard, possibly for the first time in their lives. These professionals need support, not finger pointing. The jobs are often low wage and carry the emotional burden of working with youth who have had a multitude of adverse childhood experiences further complicated by rules, laws and regulations at every level of government. In Broward, the challenge is not in finding the money to support such programming but rather finding the proper service providers, locations and professionals to support these youth.
Our foster system is far from perfect, but the Sun Sentinel’s investigation lacked nuance and context. While group home settings might not be ideal, they are a necessary part of the continuum of care, despite significant challenges limiting their effectiveness. These challenges include the willingness of a trafficking victim to enter a treatment program and the inability to restrain youth wanting to leave as they wish.
[ RELATED: Florida’s foster system provides dangerous sex traffickers with easy access to vulnerable children ]
Human trafficking safe houses also have rules to protect residents, sometimes preventing the most vulnerable from being served. These include a willingness to forsake cell phones and social media access and not being a “recruiter,” a sexual offender, an active substance abuser or a person with severe behavioral issues requiring residential treatment. Part of transitioning out of the foster care system and into independent living warrants an increase in autonomy, which is often not an option for foster youth. Unfortunately, that does sometimes result in poor decision making, despite best efforts to be supported by the system of care.
Florida’s attention to human trafficking has vastly improved and includes a formal and structured identification and assessment of victims, creation of a statewide array of safe houses to serve victims, requirement of specialized training of staff and prevention curriculum at all “at-risk” homes. Official notification of law enforcement within four hours of any child who has left placement without authorization/approval is now mandatory, accounting for the elevated missing person reports.
Group care that exists in Broward today is not the large institutions of the past, but instead includes small four- to eight-bed homes that increasingly are being licensed as foster homes with parents that live there and are supported by shift staff. Nonprofits who run group homes do not choose to be in dangerous or low-income neighborhoods, but have limited options due to zoning and pushback from residents opposed to having such a home in their community.
By the time a child lands in foster care, the system has already failed them. Any statistic about the increased likelihood of a child being trafficked once in the system should not be blamed on the group home provider. Villainizing the dedicated organizations and professionals who do this challenging work only exacerbates the crisis. It is already challenging to recruit potential foster parents, caregivers and organizations who will bravely accept the call to provide a home or family for victimized youth. If we want to make a difference, we need continued funding for preventative programs to strengthen families, people to serve as mentors, foster parents and guardians ad litem, and support of family style group homes in neighborhoods across Broward.
Sandra Veszi Einhorn is executive director of the Coordinating Council of Broward, a group of governmental, business and nonprofit leaders that coordinate and advocate for health and human services in Broward County. Nan Rich is vice mayor of Broward County and chair of the Coordinating Council of Broward.