More funds are promised to help victims of sex trafficking.

The Ontario government is promising to invest up to $46 million over the next five

years to increase community-based and Indigenous-specific supports for child and

youth victims of sex trafficking.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Community Supports Fund and Indigenous-led Initiatives Fund will prioritize early intervention and increased protection for victims of sexual exploitation and dedicated survivor supports.

“Every day, human traffickers are preying on children and youth across Ontario,” says

Christine Hogarth, MPP Etobicoke Lakeshore “We are focusing on increasing supports to help and protect these young victims.”

Funding will be available to partners and agencies and focus on areas such as:

trauma-informed programming developed and delivered by survivor-led

organizations, dedicated services for victims under age 18, including residential placements

and treatment, peer mentoring, as well as education and employment training

programs.

Help is also available to culturally-appropriate, Indigenous-designed supports for First Nations, Inuit and

Métis victims, families and communities, targeted supports for sexually exploited boys, individuals with developmental disabilities, LGBTQ2S individuals, and racialized and newcomer populations.

“Over the last year, we heard from our frontline agencies, survivors, and Indigenous

communities and organizations that there is a critical need to increase available

supports for children and youth affected by sex trafficking,” said Jill Dunlop, Associate

Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. “Our goal is to build a more comprehensive

network of anti-human trafficking services across Ontario, so more victims have access

to the supports they need.”

Announced in March 2020, the strategy will invest $307 million over the next five years

on a comprehensive plan to raise awareness of human trafficking, protect victims,

intervene early, support survivors and hold offenders accountable.