Florida Department of Children and Families announces expanded resources and funding to strengthen efforts against human trafficking

Tallahassee, Florida – The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) has announced a series of new measures aimed at strengthening the state’s response to human trafficking. In a recent event, DCF Secretary Shevaun Harris highlighted the agency’s commitment to prevention and survivor support, including the allocation of more than $900,000 in grant funding for law enforcement agencies.

Strengthening Prevention and Detection Efforts

During the announcement, Secretary Harris emphasized the importance of increasing awareness to help combat human trafficking. “We know that elevating awareness of human trafficking is key to combating and hopefully eliminating human trafficking from our state,” she stated. “Our Department has created toolkits, assessments, and screening tools to give Floridians the knowledge and resources necessary to identify human trafficking risks and indicators for our most vulnerable children and adults.”

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As part of its initiatives, the Department has developed several new resources designed to improve early detection of human trafficking victims, particularly among children. These include an enhanced Child Welfare Human Trafficking Identification Assessment, which will help child protective investigators recognize at-risk children more effectively. Additionally, a Community Human Trafficking Identification Guide, created in partnership with the University of South Florida, will assist professionals such as teachers and healthcare workers in identifying potential trafficking cases.

To further enhance accessibility to these resources, the Department has launched a new streamlined website where individuals can access human trafficking toolkits, reporting information, and additional educational materials.

New Grant Funding for Law Enforcement

In addition to expanding prevention efforts, Florida has committed more financial resources to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to combat trafficking. Secretary Harris announced that $900,000 in grant funding will be distributed to several state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Bonifay Police Department, Miramar Police Department, City of Daytona Beach Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

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FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass reaffirmed Florida’s dedication to holding traffickers accountable, stating, “Human traffickers are some of society’s most heinous criminals, trafficking and preying on the lives of others for sex and money. FDLE and our partners work tirelessly to track down and arrest these monsters who mistakenly think Florida won’t bring the full force of the law down on them.”

Expanding Resources for Survivors

Alongside law enforcement efforts, Florida is also increasing resources for human trafficking survivors. The Department currently oversees and licenses 47 beds specifically designated for child survivors and 97 beds for adult survivors across the state. Governor Ron DeSantis has approved an additional $4.9 million to expand emergency housing, which will create 48 new emergency beds for trafficking survivors.

Experts in human trafficking prevention and recovery applauded Florida’s continued efforts. Dr. Joan Reed, Director of the USF Human Trafficking Risk to Resilience Research Lab, underscored the importance of the new identification guide, stating, “The screening items included in the Community Human Trafficking Identification Guide describe the most common trafficking conditions and experiences to enable a community of bystanders to identify victims more efficiently.”

Dr. Marianne Thomas, Founder and President of My Name My Voice, stressed the need for accurate screening to ensure vulnerable children are identified and helped. “Florida is doing a great job raising appropriate awareness about what trafficking looks like within the United States,” she said. “Appropriate screening is the next step in eradicating child trafficking. This tool is necessary because without accurate screening kids fall through the cracks and are further harmed. Our goal is always to make sure that no one else gets hurt.”

A Continued Commitment to Ending Human Trafficking

Florida has consistently led the nation in combating human trafficking, implementing stronger protections for victims and increasing penalties for offenders. Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, the state has intensified its focus on prevention, enforcement, and victim recovery.

The public is encouraged to stay vigilant and report any suspected trafficking cases. If you believe someone may be a victim of human trafficking, call the Florida Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-FLA-SAFE (1-855-352-7233). Reports can be made anonymously.

For more information on human trafficking prevention and available resources, visit myflfamilies.com/HT.