DCFS Has Received 78 Reports Of Child Trafficking Since Jan. 1

By Greg LaRose, Louisiana Illuminator

- March 17, 2023

11:23
Brief

• Govt + Politics
• Legislative
• Social Services

In A Flash
DCFS has received 78 reports of child trafficking since Jan. 1

By: Greg LaRose - March 17, 2023 11:23 am

Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Terri Ricks. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)

A new law requires Louisiana authorities to direct all reports of suspected child trafficking to the state Department of Children and Family Services. Its director told lawmakers Thursday the DCFS mandated reporting hotline has handled 78 juvenile trafficking calls this year, the large majority of them involving sex trafficking.

Of the cases authorities have been required to report to DFCS since Jan. 1, there were 69 that involved child sex trafficking and nine for child labor trafficking, DCFS Secretary Terri Ricks told the Senate Select Committee on Women and Children. A total of 89 victims were reported through the hotline.

Ricks cited numbers DCFS had compiled as of Monday, March 13.

The DFCS staff has launched investigations into 39 cases that involved parents or caretakers. Victims and their families are also connected to support services in coordination with the Governor’s Office of Human Trafficking, Ricks said.

In addition to the 78 cases reported since Jan. 1, Ricks said DCFS has also received additional information on nine previous child trafficking cases through its hotline.

Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, authored a law last year that directed DCFS to expand its trafficking hotline to field all calls involving the trafficking of minors. Previously, the department only handled cases in which a parent or caregiver was believed to be involved in trafficking of a child.

Reporting authorities are also required to contact police in trafficking cases, and Ricks said her office shares appropriate findings with law enforcement. Mizell’s proposal was brought forward when it was discovered the state’s child welfare agency wasn’t looped in on all trafficking cases involving children.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

SUBSCRIBE

Republish

Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.

Greg LaRose

Greg LaRose has covered news for more than 30 years in Louisiana. Before coming to the Louisiana Illuminator, he was the chief investigative reporter for WDSU-TV in New Orleans. He previously led the government and politics team for The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com, and was editor in chief at New Orleans CityBusiness. Greg's other career stops include Tiger Rag, South Baton Rouge Journal, the Covington News Banner, Louisiana Radio Network and multiple radio stations.

MORE FROM AUTHOR

Related News
Misogyny is fueling the country’s gun violence epidemic,… by Anna Gustafson July 19, 2022 New U.S. House Natural Resources chair opposes limits on… by Jacob Fischler January 31, 2023 Regulating Louisiana utilities: Q&A with new PSC member… by Charles Maldonado, Verite December 26, 2022

The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization driven by its mission to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized.