Becca Brune

Child Welfare and Sex Trafficking in Nebraska

A newly released Appleseed policy brief, “Child Welfare and Sex Trafficking in Nebraska,” outlines the issue of the commercial sexual exploitation of children (“CSEC”) and the risk factors that make children in foster care more vulnerable to the coercion of traffickers. Human trafficking is a growing worldwide crime that exists even in our Nebraska communities.

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New federal law addresses trafficking for youth in foster care

In September, Congress passed the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 4980), one of the most significant pieces of domestic legislation passed by this Congress and a great child welfare victory. Nebraska’s U.S. Senators and Representatives all voted in support of this legislation (Rep. Adrian Smith was also a co-sponsor of H.R. 4980).

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Medicaid to 26: Ensuring a Healthy Start to Adulthood After Foster Care

On October 24th, as a part of Legislative Resolution 533 (LR 533), introduced by Senator Sue Crawford, Nebraska Appleseed, young adults and partners gathered at the Capitol to discuss Nebraska’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s new provision for Medicaid coverage to age 26 for young adults who age out of foster care. The day

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(Finally) Starting Soon: The Bridge to Independence Program!

With notice of the approval from the federal Department of Health and Human Services on August 19th, Nebraska’s Bridge to Independence program must begin within 60 days of this notice of approval.  However, we are excited to share that the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has announced that the Bridge to Independence program

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Children fleeing violence in Central America may also be fleeing human trafficking

Our last blog on human trafficking discussed the vulnerabilities of minors, many of whom are part of the child welfare system, who are at risk of becoming a victim to one of the fastest-growing criminal industries in the world. Although human trafficking is a global issue, a common misconception is that the problem is only

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Human trafficking disproportionately affects youth in foster care

Our Child Welfare Team at Appleseed is beginning to dig deeper into the issue of human trafficking because of its prevalence in Nebraska and the connection to youth in foster care. While limitations on data collection on human trafficking make the estimated number of victims uncertain, there is no doubt of the realities of human

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