Minnesota's Safe Harbor Expansion to Improve Outcomes for Trafficked Children and Youth Project

The purpose of this award, funded under the Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking Program, is to improve outcomes for children and youth who are victims of human trafficking by integrating human trafficking policy and programming at the state or tribal level and enhancing coordinated, multidisciplinary, and statewide approaches to serving trafficked youth.

Minnesota’s Safe Harbor Expansion to Improve Outcomes for Trafficked Children and Youth Project aims to confront some of the most significant challenges presented by human trafficking. The project has three key components that will include survivor engagement: 1) Development and implementation of labor trafficking protocols within the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s state Human Trafficking Investigative Task Force; 2) Standardizing screening of potential victims of sex and labor trafficking statewide; and 3) Partnering with tribal nations located in Minnesota on two fronts: (a) Direct funding for dedicated anti-trafficking activities; and (b) Through partnership with Indian child welfare agencies, including creation of a dedicated position in the MN Department of Human Services Child Safety and Permanency Division. MDH has a total of 27 partners in this project, including state agencies, law enforcement, child welfare, nongovernmental organizations, and individual consultants. The goals of this project are increased access to services, improved coordination with law enforcement and child welfare, earlier identification of victims, and cultural responsiveness. These goals, in turn, will support better outcomes for children and youth, bolster investigation and prosecution, and inform evaluation and research. CA/NCF