Minnesota’s Safe Harbor Law ensures young people who are sexually exploited are treated as victims and survivors, not criminals. Through the No Wrong Door model, these youth can receive trauma-informed support rather than being treated as juvenile delinquents. The Minnesota Department of Health’s Safe Harbor website provides detailed information and resources about Safe Harbor in Minnesota.
Commercial sexual exploitation of youth occurs when someone age 24 and younger engages in sexual activity in exchange for the promise of something of value: money, drugs, food, shelter or transportation for example. Sex trafficking is one type of sexual exploitation — in which someone other than the “buyer” or “victim” profits from or facilitates commercial sexual exploitation. Sex trafficking can often co-exist with forced labor and debt bondage.
The Department of Human Services co-leads the Safe Harbor response in Minnesota. This website covers Safe Harbor housing, shelter and outreach; the child welfare system response to human trafficking and exploitation; training opportunities; and additional resources on child welfare requirements.
Minnesota uses a No Wrong Door model to respond to sexual exploitation of youth and to provide services to victims. This model includes Safe Harbor regional navigators, specialized service providers, and specialized shelter and housing providers who collaborate to provide a network of services for sexually exploited youth. The No Wrong Door model also involves professionals and community members through training, outreach and protocol development.
For more information regarding Safe Harbor shelter and housing, see the Frequently Asked Questions and the information forms on each Safe Harbor shelter and housing program.
Sex trafficking and sexual exploitation
Mandated reporters must report all known or suspected sex trafficking of children to local child protection agencies, regardless of relationship to alleged offenders. See Resource Guide for Mandated Reporters of Child Maltreatment Concerns for more information. The Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy offers online training for mandated reporters, including guidance on when and how to report sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, as well as other child maltreatment concerns.
All screened-in reports of sex trafficking must be investigated by child protection, regardless of alleged offender relationship. Effective July 1, 2024, reports of non-caregiver sex trafficking will be assessed using a non-caregiver sex trafficking response. Other reports will continue to be investigated. More detailed guidance and updated training will be available prior to implementation.
The focus of the child welfare system response to children and youth who experience human trafficking and sexual exploitation is securing safety and access to services. Service planning for trafficked or exploited youth can be complex and may include coordination with community partners, including advocates or Safe Harbor. Service planning for trafficked or exploited youth provides an overview to guide case workers.
This form can be used by the child welfare and child protection case workers to help access safety and make a safety plan with the youth and their family, caregivers and other supports.
Any local, state, or federal official who identifies a foreign national child who has experienced sex or labor trafficking is required to make a referral to the U.S. Office on Trafficking in Persons. To make a report and access services for a child, visit the OTIP website and access the Request for Assistance Form.
Required training for child welfare staff
In compliance with the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, Minnesota Statutes, section 260E.36, subdivision 1a, requires all staff with child protection duties under Minn. Stat. 260C or 260E, to complete training on sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. This training includes identification, assessment and comprehensive service delivery for children, youth and families.
For more information on the child welfare system response to sex trafficking, sexual exploitation and labor trafficking, contact dhs.safeharbor@state.mn.us.
Child protection social workers must meet with youth within 24 hours after they are found to make sure they are safe, assess needs, and screen for trafficking and exploitation. The Runaway Debriefing Form should be used to guide and document this conversation and uploaded in SSIS. Any possible sex trafficking or exploitation that occurred while the youth was missing from care must also be immediately documented on the SEY/STY/At Risk screen in SSIS.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NEMEC) NCMEC is a national clearinghouse and resource center for missing and exploited children. To report a child missing or be connected to NCMEC’s resources call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Child welfare professionals can also use the web-reporting form https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/missingfromcare. NCMEC provides case management, missing child posters, specialized analytical assistance for law enforcement, resources and support for families, and recovery planning support for professionals. Reports of online exploitation of a child or child sexual abuse material can be made at https://report.cybertip.org/. Visit http://www.missingkids.org for specialized training requests, resource for families and professionals, and to request assistance.
See Additional Resources for more links to helpful resources for reporting, coordination and service referrals when a youth is missing or recovered.
FFPSA requires Minnesota to create specialized residential settings for youth who were, or at risk of becoming, victims of sex trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation. To do this, DHS collaborated with multiple partners, including service providers; county and tribal child welfare staff; individuals with lived experiences; and other government officials to develop requirements and best practice for specialized residential settings. This includes creation of standards and a state definition of what it means for children or youth to be at risk of sex trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation for placement in specialized residential settings.
To learn more about the statutory requirements for license certification or to apply to become a certified program specialized in serving sex trafficked, commercially sexually exploited or at risk youth, see DHS Licensing. Use Licensing Information Lookup to find up-to-date information on certified settings. For more information pertaining to QRTP or specialized settings certifications, contact FFPSA.Setting.Certification.DHS@state.mn.us
Human trafficking prevention education for youth at risk of trafficking is critical in providing effective services in residential settings approved to serve this population. A wide array of curricula is available across the United States. Residential programs seeking certification to serve trafficked, exploited or at-risk youth may utilize the prevention curriculum most appropriate for the youth they serve. The Minnesota Department of Human Services partnered with Love 146, Inc. to provide access to scholarships for residential program staff to be trained as facilitators of Not a Number Human Trafficking prevention education groups for youth. Find more information at Not a #Number.
For information or questions related to specialized settings for commercially sexually exploited, sex trafficked or at-risk youth, contact dhs.safeharbor.dhs@state.mn.us
All direct contact staff working in certified residential settings for ST/CSE/At Risk youth are required to take a commissioner-approved training, which is available here. The training consists of five modules and takes less than four hours to complete. See the training website for more information about timelines and details for completion.
Required child welfare trainings
All staff with child protection duties under Minnesota law are required to complete training on human trafficking and sexual exploitation. [Minn. Stat. section 260E.36] This training is offered through the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy and focuses on identification of trafficking and exploitation, investigation of reports sex trafficking, and coordinated service delivery. For more information and to register, visit https://mnchildwelfaretraining.com/
Safe Harbor and StreetWorks Trainings
The department provided Safe Harbor grant funds to train outreach workers on identifying and working with homeless youth who may have been sexually exploited. More information about the StreetWorks Toolkit Training can be found on the StreetWorks website. Additionally, in 2016/2017 StreetWorks developed a series of online training videos that can be located in their Archives.
Online webinars and trainings are available through the department, the Minnesota Department of Health, and Safe Harbor regional navigators. For training offered through the Minnesota Department of Health, see https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/safeharbor/, or contact the Safe Harbor training coordinator at health.safeharbor@state.mn.us.
Learn more about how the child welfare responses were created and how they are implemented in Minnesota:
The DHS Child Trafficking and Exploitation Work Group met from October 2017- October 2019 to develop a more effective child welfare system response to trafficking and exploitation. More than 150 collaborative partners and survivor subject matter experts from around the state participated. The Work Group now meets bi-annually to monitor implementation and co-create solutions to upcoming needs related to training, resources and policy changes. There is broad stakeholder involvement in implementation and on-going development of policy, practice and training. Information can be found in this flyer about the work group DHS-7641B (PDF). To learn more contact dhs.safeharbor@state.mn.us.
Minnesota Safe Harbor resources
Minnesota Department of Health Safe Harbor web page.
To connect with Safe Harbor Regional Navigators, Supportive Services, Shelter and Housing, Labor Trafficking direct services and tribal partners, visit the Safe Harbor services map (Updated October 2020).
Visit the Minnesota Department of Health website for access to the department's Youth Outreach Materials.
Every two years, an evaluation report about the impact of Safe Harbor is published by the Minnesota Department of Health. Read the most recent evaluation report about Safe Harbor.
A Safe Harbor for All strategic planning process occurred in 2018 across Minnesota, and in January 2019 a report was released to the Minnesota Legislature. Learn more here.
Human trafficking information and collaboration in Minnesota
Resources for communities to use in developing their responses to labor trafficking and exploitation are available through The Advocates for Human Rights.
Responses for American Indian Children and Families
Families, caregivers and advocates working with American Indian youth can learn about the protections for youth under the Indian Child Welfare Act and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act by reviewing this brochure DHS-8014A (PDF).
In January 2021, the Minnesota Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force published a report with findings and recommendations for response.
National reports and resources about responses to child trafficking and exploitation
The National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children has published an interim report with 127 recommendations for states to improve their responses to child trafficking. The report and information about the recommendations across 12 response fields is on the Office of Trafficking in Persons website.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway provides high level information and tools for child welfare agencies responding to human trafficking.
The National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (NHTTAC) offers information, consultation and support for agencies and governments seeking to improve their response to trafficking and exploitation. You can contact NHTTAC to request help through their website.
The Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center provides customized technical assistance, training and professional development scholarships related to human trafficking response. They can be contact and you can learn more through the OVC website.
The Trafficking in Persons Report is issued every June, and the 2020 release was the 20th report. The report reviews the anti-trafficking efforts of every country in the world and provides guidance on current anti-trafficking issues.
