Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act Has Passed

Thanks to the team at Child Focus, we have an update on the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 4980) that passed the Senate in September. This legislation, now headed to the President's desk, has several provisions of interest to our work, including:

• New procedures for identifying, protecting, and tracking children and youth at risk of sex trafficking, and for locating children missing from foster care; 
• Requirements for states to support normalcy for children in foster care, including the implementation of a "reasonable and prudent parent standard" for foster parents and child care institutions; 
• Elimination of Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) as an allowable permanency goal for children under the age of 16 – and additional case plan and review requirements for older youth with an APPLA goal; 
• Empowering youth in foster care 14 and older to participate in their case and transition planning; 
• Ensuring that foster children aging out of care have their birth certificate, Social Security card, health insurance information, medical records and driver's license or state-issued ID; 
• Establishing a national Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States; 
• Reauthorization of the Adoption Incentive Program for FY 2013-2015 and improving award structure; 
• Extension of the Family Connection Grant program through FY 2014 at the current authorization of $15 million.

For additional information, here are two detailed summaries for your review from the Children's Defense Fund and from the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means.

Congrats to all the advocates who worked so diligently to get this legislation passed!