The National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children & Youth in the United States

The National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the U.S. advises the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the nation’s response to trafficking.

The Committee was created in consultation with the Department of Justice and the National Governor’s Association per the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act.

In September 2020, the Committee published its interim report, Best Practices and Recommendations for States.

The Committee has the following responsibilities:

• Advise on the development and implementation of successful interventions with children and youth who are exposed to conditions that make them vulnerable to, or victims of, sex trafficking
• Make recommendations for administrative or legislative changes necessary to use programs, properties, or other resources owned, operated, or funded by the federal government to provide safe housing for children and youth who are sex trafficking victims
• Develop two tiers of recommended best practices for states to follow in combating the sex trafficking of children and youth based on:
  • Multidisciplinary research and promising, evidence-based models and programs, including sample training materials, protocols, and screening tools to identify victims of trafficking and those at risk for trafficking
  • Multidisciplinary strategies to identify victims, manage cases, and improve services
  • Sample protocols and recommendations for cross-system collaborations
  • Criteria and guidelines for safe residential placement for foster children who have been sex trafficked
  • Training guidelines for caregivers serving children and youth outside the home
• Share best practices and recommendations with state governors and child welfare agencies