Los Angeles County Five-Year Strategic Plan to Prevent & Address Child Trafficking
Bold plan offers paradigm shift with focus on bolstering supports, prevention and intervention efforts
The Los Angeles County Five-Year Strategic Plan to Prevent and Address Child Trafficking is a bold and ambitious proposal that is meant to serve as a guide-post for the county — the most populous in the U.S. — to confront the commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth (CSEC/Y).
The plan, which will be introduced to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 1, offers a new vision that focuses on bolstering supports and prevention and intervention efforts. It is informed by a decade of deep engagement with local youth, families and community organizations, and people with lived-experience were included in each stage of the plan's development.
NCYL led in drafting the plan, a process that included organizing listening, feedback, and information sessions — all to cultivate deep engagement and understanding of the perspectives of youth, families, and community-based organizations. Our team at NCYL thanks these individuals for their devotion, tenacity and compassion. They drew from their own experiences, the experiences of their children, and the realities they face in their communities, to provide critical guidance for the County as it addresses this issue over the next five years.
The Strategic Plan takes a three-prong approach to addressing child trafficking. First, it moves toward a comprehensive public health, community-based response, charting a path away from relying heavily on juvenile justice and child welfare system-based approaches. Second, the plan is narrative-change driven. And, lastly, it is guided by a set of core principles and best practices, which are woven into all areas of the plan.
Each area of the plan is supported by specific strategies, actionable items, programs and initiatives designed to foster collaboration among youth, families, and communities. Key priority areas include:
- Investment in prevention & early education
- Development of a broad community-based ecosystem
- Elimination of gaps in services
- Promotion of youth leadership
- Empowerment of parents & caregivers
- Review and proper adjustment of existing services
This plan represents a paradigm shift from a system-based to a community-based response and from a crisis response to a preventative one. It celebrates L.A. County’s diversity and is grounded in equity and inclusion. With this new vision, Los Angeles County can continue to drive innovation and set a national standard for community-based, compassionate care for youth and families.