OTIP was established to combat human trafficking by supporting and leading systems that prevent trafficking through public awareness and to protect victims through identification and assistance, helping them re-build their lives and become self-sufficient. OTIP recognizes the essential role of two‑generation and whole family approaches in combating human trafficking. OTIP has expanded the two-generation knowledge base by investing in projects that promote the use of two-generation and whole family approaches while providing services to families impacted by human trafficking.
The National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking on Children and Youth in the United States (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 (PDF)of 2014. In January 2019, the Committee released its Preliminary Recommendations to Strengthen the Nation’s Response to the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States. The preliminary recommendations included a plan to create policies and procedures that “incorporate two-generation/whole family principles in service provision (PDF)” (p. 7) and a section that asks for Committee members to “Establish, implement, and evaluate services and supports for caregivers of children and youth who are at risk of trafficking and/or who have experienced trafficking. Caregivers include relatives, foster parents, residential treatment providers, and other individuals who formally or informally care for children and youth” (p. 6).
OTIP’s National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (NHTTAC) published Two-Generation/Whole Family Approaches in Anti-Trafficking in 2019. This webinar discusses emerging trends, case studies, and best practices for providing supportive and comprehensive services for individuals who have experienced trafficking as well as their families. Discussion topics include:
- Key components of a two-generation/whole family approach to service provision;
- Connections between two-generation/whole family approaches and adverse childhood experiences; and
- How a two-generation/whole family approach supports anti-trafficking strategies.
Partnership Opportunities
The Human Trafficking Leadership Academy (HTLA), also administered by NHTTAC, aims to expand survivor-informed services while providing leadership development opportunities to survivor leaders and anti-trafficking professionals. In January 2019, the third HTLA cohort provided recommendations based on how anti-trafficking efforts incorporate two-generation and whole family approaches into programs and policies (HTLA Class Recommendations regarding two-generation and whole family approaches (PDF) includes the whole list).
OTIP also leads work on the ACF National Prevention Action Plan, which includes the strategies and approaches that ACF and other non-federal partners will use to prevent human trafficking. The strategies and approaches relate to all domains of the social ecological model and include two-generation and whole family approaches and provide opportunities to prioritize early childhood development.
The Human Trafficking Prevention Resource Page will provide information on different types of human trafficking prevention education curricula. Curricula are available for children as young as 4 years of age and range from community education and awareness to individual skills building with a focus on increasing healthy behavioral outcomes.