More than 20% of children who went missing while in custody of the Georgia Division of Family and Children between 2018 and 2022 were likely victims of child sex trafficking, according to Samantha Sahl, supervisor of the child sex trafficking recovery services Team for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Speaking at a U.S. Senate Human Rights Subcommittee hearing in Atlanta Monday, Sahl said children in foster care have often already experienced significant trauma.
“When children are then placed in foster homes or group homes that don’t have the resources, training, or support necessary to meet their needs for love, belonging, and self-exploration, running away from these placements often becomes their effort to problem solve to meet these needs,” Sahl said.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
