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January 2020 Featured Resources

National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Every January, the nation commemorates National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. In his proclamation, the President states that "we remain relentless in our resolve to bring perpetrators to justice, to protect survivors and help them heal, and to prevent further victimization and destruction of innocent lives."

This year, OVC celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which established the importance of holding traffickers criminally accountable, protecting victims, and preventing victimization from occurring in the first place.

Learn more about some of OVC's remarkable work in supporting anti-trafficking professionals over the past 20 years. Since the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was passed, OVC has become the largest federal funder for direct services to victims of human trafficking in the United States.

OVC’s human trafficking team currently manages more than 243 awards representing over $167 million in 45 states, 1 territory, and the District of Columbia. In fiscal year (FY) 2019 alone, OVC made 120 awards totaling approximately $80 million to improve the quantity and quality of services for victims of all forms of human trafficking.

See our Human Trafficking Services and Task Forces Map for more information about OVC grantees currently providing services to victims of human trafficking.

This fiscal year, OVC released one human trafficking funding opportunity, the FY 2020 Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking solicitation. Subscribe to receive News From OVC for updates on additional funding opportunities.

OVC supports anti-trafficking professionals through training and technical assistance and other resources, such as:

OVC Human Trafficking Weblet
Recently updated, this site contains information about OVC-funded training and technical assistance and other federally-funded technical assistance providers.

OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center: Human Trafficking
Find training and technical assistance to help build the capacity of your organization to respond to victims of human trafficking.

Faces of Human Trafficking Resource Guide
Use this resource to raise awareness of the seriousness of human trafficking, the many forms it can take, and the important role that everyone can play in identifying and serving victims.

Human Trafficking Task Force e-Guide
This guide is a resource to support the day-to-day operations of human trafficking task forces. It can be used to help create a new task force or enhance the operations of an existing task force.

Visit the OVC calendar for events commemorating this month, including two OVC-supported webinars:

Increasing Community Awareness of Labor Trafficking
January 15, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. eastern time

Survivor Strategies to Generate Income While Looking for Sustainable Employment: Opportunities through Independent Contracting
January 21, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. eastern time

In commemoration of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, join OVC and spread awareness to ensure all trafficking victims receive the necessary support and services needed to heal.

National Stalking Awareness Month

January is National Stalking Awareness Month. In his proclamation, President Trump states that "National Stalking Awareness Month provides us with an opportunity to firmly rebuke the violating crime of stalking and to raise awareness about its warning signs."

View the following resources to find tools to help you build awareness and serve victims of crime—

  • OVC's Stalking Topic Page, contains publications, answers to frequently asked questions, and additional resources.
  • Stalking Awareness Special Feature, a compilation of research and resources from the Office of Justice Programs.
  • Stalking Awareness Month Page, from the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center. This web page provides ready-to-use resources to help your organization promote awareness through social media, newsletter, and other campaigns.

Serving Victims of Tax Identity Theft

Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to claim your tax refund. To help raise awareness, the Federal Trade Commission leads the nation in commemorating Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, which will be held February 3–7, 2020.

Visit the Federal Trade Commission's Tax Identity Theft Awareness page for information and resources on helping victims of tax identity theft.

We encourage service providers to take OVC's free online training, Identity Theft Victim Assistance Online Training: Supporting Victims' Financial and Emotional Recovery. This training provides the knowledge to more effectively serve victims of identity theft and assist with their financial and emotional recovery.

For additional information about identity theft, review our Fraud and Identity Theft page.

Date Published: January 2, 2020