Journey to Empowerment

With funding through the OVC 2024 Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Human Trafficking, WICHITA CHILDRENS HOME located in Wichita, Kansas proposes a project titled “Journey to Empowerment”. The primary purpose is to provide critical services to both male and female minors from the state of Kansas who have recently exited trafficking situations, have been considered at high risk for trafficking involvement, or do not self-identify as trafficking victims though they have experienced exploitation. The primary activities are to increase the number of minor victims of sex and labor trafficking served with a victim-centered, trauma-informed and developmentally appropriate curriculum of care and to expand human trafficking programming to serve male minor victims by utilizing the multi-stage screening strategy to identify youth who are victims of sex and labor trafficking, training staff, and educating referral networks to recognize the nature and characteristics of labor trafficking and trafficking among boys. The expected outcomes are to (1) Increase the number of minor victims of sex and labor trafficking served with a victim-centered, trauma-informed and developmentally appropriate curriculum of care; (2) Collaborate with local and statewide service providers to accept referrals of victims; (3) Collaborate with local and statewide partners to conduct outreach and training focused on identifying and referring victims: (4) Provide other essential services that will include victim-centered, survivor-led, and culturally responsive emergency and long-term interventions; and (5) Update data tool(s) and screening protocol(s) to support enhanced identification and referral process. The geographic service area will serve the entire state (population 2,937,880) of Kansas with a target audience of minor victims of human trafficking ages. There are no subrecipients for this award.