ATLANTA — It’s sex trafficking that former foster child Tiffani McLean-Camp testified she was a victim of after running away to escape abuse from her foster home.
“When no one protected me, I tried to protect myself, I tried running away and tried to fight back, anything I could to escape,” McLean-Camp said.
On Monday, a third hearing was held into the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services treatment of foster children where the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children announced their latest findings from an independent audit.
“We know we have an urgent issue when children feel better on the streets or with a trafficker,” Samantha Sahl with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children testified.
Last month Channel 2 Action News reported that 1,790 foster children were reported missing while under state care in the last five years.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said of that number, their independent audit discovered 410 of these children were identified as likely child sex trafficking victims.
Fulton County child exploitation prosecutor Earnelle Winfrey testified about a case involving a teen who’d been sex trafficked.
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“At that time, she wanted to talk about what happened to her body,” Winfrey said.
Winfrey said DFCS workers suggested sending the teen to a detention facility rather them sending the teen to treatment.
Winfrey said state law requires DFCS to refer a child to trauma-informed placement centers when involved in trafficking minors.
“They didn’t send anyone and said, ‘Well she has a history of running away, we’re looking at her history, detain her,’” Winfrey said.
After multiple Channel 2 Action News investigations, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office launched a bi-partisan investigation info DFCS.
Last week, state judges alleged that DFCS leaders recommended foster kids be detained in juvenile facilities because of scarce housing placement.
“The law specifically prohibits detaining a child because of lack of placement,” Paulding County Judge Carolyn Altman said during a hearing.
The state sent a three-page letter to Ossoff, saying recent allegations are not untrue. The state goes on to say comments regarding keeping kids in detention facilities were taken out of context.
The letter notes the number of foster children in Georgia has declined from more than 14,000 to just over 10,000 in August of this year.
Regarding hoteling, the state said the numbers were so high because of provider shortages and insurance denials for residential treatments.
In a previous statement to Channel 2 Action News, DFCS said:
“Together, we have secured millions in state funding to pay higher rates, built technology to match children with safe, loving homes and better communicate with our partners, provided staffing support to agencies, and for every child, asked exactly what the provider – be it a relative, foster home, or group home would need to deliver appropriate care.”
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