Expanded services for Ontario young victims of sex trafficking

#Ontario; #VictimsOfSexTrafficking; #AntiHumanTraffickingStrategy

Ottawa, Jun 16 (Canadian-Media): An investment of up to $46 million by the Ontario government over the next five years is being made to increase supports for community-based and Indigenous-specific child and youth victims of sex trafficking, media reports said.

Sex trafficking. Image credit: Twitter handle

Announced in March 2020, Ontario’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy will invest over the next five years $307 million on a comprehensive plan to raise awareness of the issue, protect victims and intervene early, support survivors and punish the offenders. The strategy reflects valuable input from survivors of human trafficking, Indigenous communities and organizations, law enforcement and frontline service providers.

Approximately two-thirds of police-reported human trafficking violations in Canada occur in Ontario and over 70 percent of these are under the age of 25 and 26 per cent are under 18. The average age of recruitment into sex trafficking is 13 years old.

​“Our goal is to build a more comprehensive network of anti-human trafficking services across Ontario, so more victims have access to the supports they need.” said Jill Dunlop, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues.

Funding will be available to partners and agencies and focus on areas such as:

• Trauma-informed programming developed and delivered by survivor-led organizations,
• Dedicated services for victims under age 18, including residential placements and treatment, peer mentoring, as well as education and employment training programs;
• Culturally-appropriate, Indigenous-designed supports for First Nations, Inuit and Métis victims, families and communities;
• Targeted supports for sexually exploited boys, individuals with developmental disabilities, LGBTQ2S individuals, and racialized and newcomer populations;
• Specialized programs for children and youth involved in or transitioning out of child welfare or the youth justice system.

“Human trafficking isn’t just an enforcement issue — it’s a vicious and violent crime that preys on our most vulnerable, robbing them of their health, safety and dignity,” said Sylvia Jones, Solicitor General.  "These programs are vital components of Ontario’s comprehensive plan to combat human trafficking, bring traffickers to justice and end this heinous crime.”
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Acceptance of applications to the Community Supports Fund and Indigenous-led Initiatives  be until 5 p.m. on July 30, 2020.