COVER STORY
Human Trafficking Awareness Month
It’s devastating to imagine the terror of a child or vulnerable adult who is being trafficked, and it’s painful to think that these crimes may be taking place in our communities.
So in January, during National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I think it’s important to remember that there are things we can do to identify vulnerable women and children who are victims of trafficking.
This has been an important issue for me during my time in office, and I have worked to create new protections for victims and survivors. My bill to protect the confidentiality of survivors during court proceedings, SB0593, went into effect in January 2022. In 2019, I was proud to sponsor the Lodging Establishment Human Trafficking Recognition Training Act, which provides training to hotel workers to help them identify likely cases of trafficking and report them quickly and safely to law enforcement.
It’s important that everyone know the warning signs and ways to help. To learn more, please click here. If you suspect someone might be a victim of trafficking please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or the DCFS Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-252-2873.