CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- January 11 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is reminding the public that human trafficking is not something that only happens to people in other countries, but occurs every day across Illinois to children whose average age is 14.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is launching a new training program to help welfare professionals recognize the signs of human trafficking.
DCFS said its new, mandatory online human trafficking training will show employees and private agency workers how to recognize when a youth might be a victim to human trafficking or at risk of being trafficked; experiences of trafficked youth in foster care; and techniques child welfare professionals can use to support youth who have been trafficked. It will also encompass key concepts and terminology.
“Illinois’ children are not immune to the reality of human trafficking, and it’s up to all of us to recognize the signs and call 911 and the DCFS hotline if you think a child may be in danger,” said Illinois DCFS Acting Director Marc D. Smith. “By working in coordination, DCFS and our partners provide a safety net to rescue child human trafficking victims and help them heal.”
In 2010, Illinois became one of the first states to pass comprehensive legislation to address the human trafficking of children under the age of 18.
Under the Illinois Safe Children Act, children who are coerced into human trafficking and/or prostitution are innocent and immune from criminal prosecution and are diverted to the child welfare system with DCFS instead of the criminal justice system. Illinois DCFS established a strong partnership with federal, local and private agencies to prevent the human trafficking of children and support the children who have been trafficked and their families.
Related
In Fiscal Year 2020, Illinois DCFS investigated 239 allegations of human trafficking of children – though experts believe the number of incidents that occurred during that time is higher.
DCFS partners with the FBI, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, the Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center to help locate missing or runaway youth who are at risk of falling victim to human trafficking and ensure appropriate services and housing are in place when a child victim is rescued.
KNOW THE SIGNS
A trafficked child might:
• Have an adult control them by speaking for them
• Seem out of place given the time of day or night
• Look disheveled or dressed in clothes that they could not afford to buy
• Show signs of physical abuse such as bruising or red marks
• Not possess any form of identification
• Perform inappropriate work for their age and not be compensated
Anyone who believes a child might be trafficked, or in danger of being trafficked, should immediately call 911 and the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-25-ABUSE (800-252-2873).