A federal congressional investigation has exposed how a lack of protection in foster care leads to catastrophic personal injury and systemic emotional abuse. When institutional failures allow youth to fall victim to physical abuse and sexual abuse, the resulting damage is often irreversible. This 2023 report by Sarah Kallis from GPB News examines a U.S. Senate subcommittee investigation, led by Senator Jon Ossoff, into severe operational failures within Georgia’s child welfare system. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) data revealed that out of 1,790 foster youth who went missing between 2018 and 2022, roughly a quarter were identified as likely sex trafficking victims. The investigation underscores that the traumatic and abusive conditions inside state placements actively drive youth to run away, generating a perfect storm that human traffickers easily and skillfully exploit.
Kallis, S. (2023, November 7). “An urgent issue”: Hundreds of Georgia foster kids may have been sex trafficked, report says. Georgia Public Broadcasting; Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission. https://www.gpb.org/news/2023/11/07/urgent-issue-hundreds-of-georgia-foster-kids-may-have-been-sex-trafficked-report https://www.gpb.org/news/2023/11/07/urgent-issue-hundreds-of-georgia-foster-kids-may-have-been-sex-trafficked-report