Two new pilot programs announced by Governor Mike DeWine’s office aim to help children most at risk of human trafficking, including runaways.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Two new pilot programs announced by Governor Mike DeWine’s office aim to help children most at risk of human trafficking , including runaways. Cuyahoga County will be one of three counties taking part in the initiatives.
“So we know that kids who end up in the system, kids who come from broken homes, kids who are habitually runaways, that those kids are more at risk to being trafficked,” Wilson said. “And it’s real. The issue is real. They end up with somebody who grooms them, somebody who takes advantage of them, and somebody who sells them.”The first pilot program will send caseworkers with anti-human trafficking expertise into three public children services agencies in Cuyahoga County, Hamilton County and Montgomery County.“That person will be a resource that can handle potential human trafficking cases, that can screen children for the potential of human trafficking and will be again a go-to kind of consultant for all of the other social workers and all of the other partner entities that are working with kids who may be subject or at risk for trafficking,” Wilson said. “So it really is it is a great asset or great resource.”The second initiative focuses on runaways with the goal of intervening early before missing children can become victims of human trafficking. Social workers will work with police, responding first in cases where children repeatedly run away, often from foster care or group homes. They will screen children and teens for human trafficking and offer other services for trauma. “They look at getting at the root cause of why that kid is running away, and they’re really trying to intervene and prevent that kid from continually leaving a placement,” Wilson said. “So in doing that, it also takes the pressure off the law enforcement, who are typically your first responders there.”,” which stands for “Runaway, Outreach, Notification and Intervention.” Wilson said it has saved more than 6,000 hours of police response time in Colorado, giving officers more time to investigate missing persons cases where foul play is expected. In Ohio, the program will start in Montgomery County, home to Dayton, which has the highest number of kids per capita placed in group homes. “And we want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can as a state to protect kids against becoming victims of human trafficking,” Wilson said. The pilot program in Montgomery County came out of a recommendation from the governor’s Missing Persons Working Group to use advocates with social work backgrounds to provide support for repeat runaways and missing children.Gov. DeWine said human trafficking is under-reported and he hopes these pilot programs will identify more child victims and help them recover from trauma. The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services is funding the $400,000 caseworker pilot program and OCJS and the Department of Children and Youth will fund the two-year “RONI” project together at a cost of $500,000.Ohio drivers warned about ‘puffing’ law ahead of winter stormOff the Leash, Episode 28: Still waiting
19 Investigates News Investigation Cleveland Investigation Cleveland Investigations Ohio News Ohio Human Trafficking Ohio Child Trafficking Cleveland Human Trafficking Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force Ohio Human Trafficking Pilot Programs Denver Roni Project Human Trafficking Solutions Ohio Department Of Public Safety Director Andy Wil Ohio Department Of Public Safety Director Human Trafficking
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