New state program to assist victims of human trafficking

New director has ideas to upgrade funding, assets

AUSTIN — Texas officials are launching an initiative to help victims of human trafficking after years of pressure for the state to provide better care.

Kim Grabert, who recently was named the state’s first director of human trafficking prevention, is leading the charge for more funding and resources to address the issue that’s a priority for Houston and other cities statewide.

A recent University of Texas study estimated the state has more than 300,000 human trafficking victims.

Grabert, a veteran of the child welfare industry in Florida, said changing the statewide procedure of caring for victims of child sex trafficking is one of many things on his to-do list since arriving at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in June.

“The largest hurdle initially is to have everybody have an understanding of this issue of sex trafficking,” Grabert said. “Texas is at a place where I think we’ve been building up to this conversation, and I think now is the right time to have staff in positions to address it.”

Texas has long tried to address the problem of human trafficking in the state, but Texans have been critical of the government’s efforts at providing rehabilitative care for victims of the crime.

In 2014, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for a statewide effort to help the more than 79,000 minors and youth victims of sex trafficking in the state, but the Legislature has done little to address the problem.

Mixed legislative signals

During the 85th legislative session, the Legislature allocated $1.3 million per year to create a grant program specifically for assisting child sex trafficking victims. But legislators also removed a proposal to create a $3 million grant program aimed at helping all trafficking victims, continuing a decade-long pattern of providing little funding toward the issue.

“When it comes to serving this population, there has to be greater funding, and there has to be funding for more than one avenue,” Grabert said. “Government alone, in whatever capacity, we’re not going to have the resources to treat the complexities of the needs of this population, whether they’re minors or adults, so everyone has to step up and provide a piece.”

To do this, Grabert said she is reviewing the methods for responding to victims of sex trafficking from everyone who deals with the problem in the state.

“When you engage with these children … you have to build a relationship,” Grabert said. “It’s not simple. This is neurologically driven, trauma-driven behavior and punitive action is not effective.”

Grabert said her position was created through a grant from the governor’s office to allow the state to respond to the issue of child sex trafficking on behalf of the child welfare program.

“Gov. Abbott is fully committed to doing everything he can to put an end to the horrific practice of human trafficking, while helping rehabilitate child sex trafficking victims and vigorously prosecuting the criminals involved,” said Ciara Matthews, spokesperson for Abbott. “The governor is pleased with the work Kim Grabert has done already, and he will continue to dedicate the necessary resources to combat this heinous crime.”

In Texas, a Houstonbased shelter is the only privately run safe house that provides long-term housing for girls who are victims of sex trafficking, called Freedom Place. There are multiple drop-in shelters that provide shortterm care in the state.

Houston a hub

Hilary Sherrer, spokesperson for Houston victims’ daytime drop-in shelter The Landing, said she wishes Texas had addressed the problem of victim care sooner.

“I think it’s always frustrating when things aren’t done as quickly or efficiently as we would like them to be done,” Sherrer said. “Yes, it’s frustrating that this hasn’t happened before, but there will always be things to do, and I am happy that something is being done, and I think it is a better step in the right direction.”

Houston is one of the largest hubs for sex trafficking in the United States, but Sherrer said Texas should look to the city as a blueprint for addressing the issue.

“Houston has developed a very strategic plan on how to combat human trafficking as a city,” Sherrer said. “It’s a great first step, strategically getting a plan to put together, and that would be a great thing to see in Texas on how we can address this as a state, all across this huge state.”

Texas is taking a great step by adding the position of director of human trafficking, Grabert said, and coordinating the state’s response is one of the objectives in the early months of her new job.

“I think every state needs this position and this type of response,” Grabert said.