March 2011

Ask NCFY: Domestic Human Trafficking of Youth Is a Big Problem That’s Hard to Pin Down

heart-shaped pin cushion with brightly colored pinsQ. "I've been hearing a lot about the commercial sexual exploitation of runaway and homeless youth in my state. How many youth are trafficked in the United States each year?"

Ask NCFY: Helping Victims of Trafficking

Q: What can I do if I believe a young person is being trafficked?

A: To report suspected trafficking, call the Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888.

We’d also encourage you to look at NCFY's “Bought and Sold," which provides helpful information about who is most at risk, what victims need, and when to involve the police. It also includes contact information for a number of national resource groups.

NCFY Recommends: Preparing Staff to Work With Trafficked Youth

Thousands of youth in the United States are trafficked for sex every year. The issue affects every community, and youth-serving agencies can prepare their staff members to serve exploited youth well. The Polaris Project, a Washington, DC, organization that fights both sex trafficking and labor trafficking, offers resources that can help:

Nominate a Program for Inclusion in FindYouthInfo's Directory

Know a program that aims to help adolescent victims of sex trafficking and that has been evaluated and shown to work? Nominate it for inclusion in the FindYouthInfo program directory, a database of evidence-based, federally funded programs targeting a host of youth issues, from drugs to gangs to teen pregnancy to exposure to abuse and trauma.

FindYouthInfo is the website of the federal Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, which is made up of representatives from 12 federal agencies that support programs and services for youth.

'Opening Doors' Near You: Recommendations for Community Strategic Plans to End Homelessness

Community-based organizations are vital to the federal government's strategic plan to end homelessness in the United States. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has recommendations for how communities can come together to create their own strategic plans as part of the Opening Doors initiative. Among the guidance:

  • Align the plan with the federal timelines for ending chronic homelessness and homelessness among veterans by 2015 and homelessness among families, children and youth by 2020.

Right on the Money: When Corporations Are Partners, Donations Come Naturally

man and woman meeting over lunchAt a time when many corporations have cut back on charitable donations, a youth-serving organization in Fayetteville, AR, has beat the odds. Youth Bridge, which serves runaway and homeless youth and teens with substance abuse and mental health problems, has more than tripled corporate donations as a percentage of its annual budget over the past three years, says Nancy Hairston, the organization’s chief fundraiser.

FYSB Expert Talks About Youth Homelessness

Curtis O. Porter, director of the Family and Youth Services Bureau's Division of Youth Services, answers questions about the recession's effect on youth homelessness, the challenges of serving runaway and homeless young people, and how to address substance abuse within this population.

New From NCFY: 'Please Leave a Message'

In a new issue of the Exchange, our quarterly e-magazine for youth workers, NCFY takes a look at marketing and communications for youth-serving nonprofits.

No matter what you are communicating, or how, anything that goes into print, the airwaves, or the Internet about your organization is marketing. When done effectively, marketing enables potential clients, donors, volunteers, and the community to immediately recognize, value, and trust your organization and the work you do.

National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth | 5515 Security Lane, Suite 800 | North Bethesda, MD 20852 | (301) 608-8098 | ncfy@acf.hhs.gov