ACT Advocacy is Safety Advocacy

Children and youth with strong, engaged support networks are far less vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking. Traffickers target isolation — so our advocacy must intentionally rebuild and strengthen connections when they have been broken. Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE) is a practical strategy that helps do exactly that when screening tools like CSE-IT indicate risk.

That’s why CFE and ACT advocacy go hand-in-hand when implemented together. Powered by the information gathered through the CSE-IT tool, ACT advocacy trains us to identify indicators of exploitation risk, flag vulnerability, and guides our advocacy planning. When you pair this with your family engagement advocacy, you can mobilize natural supports, build protective capacity, and reduce youth risk for trafficking. 

How CASA programs can respond using CFE after a CSE‑IT concern:

1. Use CFE tools to identify supports
2. Identify safe, consistent adults (kin, fictive kin, mentors, coaches, faith leaders).
3. Assess frequency and quality of contact and gaps in supervision or connection.
4. Convene a CFE meeting when appropriate
5. Share concerns in a non‑blaming, trauma‑informed way.
6. Focus on safety and support, not labels.
7. Engage natural supports in collaborative safety planning and shared accountability.
8. Build concrete safety supports
9. Designate who will check with the youth and network regularly and clarify supervision plans.
10. Strengthen caregiver awareness of exploitation tactics that traffickers use. 
11. Connect youth to pro‑social activities and protective relationships
12. Intentionally reduce isolation 
13. Increase consistent adult presence.
14. Reinforce belonging and identity.
15. Strengthen mentorship and healthy peer engagement.

When the CSE‑IT raises concern, referral alone isn’t enough. Pairing CSE-IT screening results with family engagement advocacy allows us to turn information into protective action — reducing isolation and increasing long‑term safety for youth. 

Learn more about ACT Advocacy in the ACT Program Portal.