Foster care is a pipeline for commercial sexual exploitation of children

Three training programs taking place at Lake Tahoe Community College Tuesday are giving the community an opportunity to become more aware about both local and national exploitation of children.

National speaker Deanna Graves, founder of Traffick911, is in South Lake Tahoe to educate attendees on how they can combat the trafficking of our most vulnerable population, the foster child.

Though designed for foster parent, relative caregivers and group home staff, the public is invited to attend the 3.5 hour training being given in the college's Aspen Room adjacent to the library. The three training sessions are being given from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Human trafficking is a $32 billion global industry which involves over 100,000 victims in the United States. Nearby Sacramento is the third largest gateway for the trafficking of young people, both girls and boys, due to the easy to access transportation systems of I-5, I-80, Highways 99 and 50.

South Tahoe Now will be covering the problem of human trafficking all week, with attention to both local situations as well and state-wide and national issues.

Tuesday's training sessions are created to leave participants with an understanding why children in foster care are so vulnerable and how they can be influenced by a trafficker. They will also learn how to identify the warning signs and spot the red flags that indicate a child is being sexually exploited and victimized.

Call Dana at 916-801-9848 to reserve a spot or email McKnight@ltcc.edu.