Let’s Make 2026 the Year of ACT Advocacy!

January was Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a time to pause and focus on understanding and responding to the atrocities of trafficking. In case you missed it, here is our blog post from last month talking about Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Resources and Events.

Anti-child trafficking (ACT) advocacy is safety advocacy, and it is a vital part of the CASA mission. Being aware of the risks that could lead a youth to be trafficked is core to prevention. The CSE-IT screener is our single biggest tool for the prevention of human trafficking, and it is considered the only validated human trafficking risk assessment. With universal screening now required under House Bill 451, we have an opportunity to stop exploitation before it begins. Doing so requires everyone to understand what trafficking looks like, how the CSE-IT tool works and what prevention programs and resources are available.

Human trafficking inflicts profound trauma, and at Texas CASA, we share the conviction that no child should have to trade their body for basic needs. In 2026, our ACT Consultant, Torey Tipton, will prioritize expanding the number of programs implementing ACT advocacy and strengthening the education of prevention tools that volunteers and staff can utilize. 

As we expand ACT resources, we encourage you to connect with our team on this critical issue and to educate yourselves, your teams and volunteers about how each of us can help minimize the risk of trafficking. Tailored training is a core part of the ACT resources and we hope you take advantage of these resources. Let’s make 2026 the year of ACT advocacy!

Please see this link for upcoming CSE-IT trainings, and contact our ACT team at casaacts@texascasa.org with any questions.