DeWine announces initiatives to combat human trafficking

COLUMBUS – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Andy Wilson, and Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) Director Kara Wente have announced two new initiatives aimed at helping children in the state who may be at risk of human trafficking.

The first initiative is a pilot program that will embed caseworkers with anti-human trafficking expertise in three public children services agencies in Cuyahoga, Hamilton, and Montgomery counties. These dedicated caseworkers will focus solely on human trafficking cases and serve as the agency’s subject matter experts, strengthening identification, screening, and service coordination to improve outcomes for vulnerable youth. Embedding these workers in children services agencies in communities with active anti-trafficking networks will enhance collaboration and ensure survivors are connected to the supports they need.

The second initiative, in Montgomery County, will focus on addressing the root causes of numerous runaway reports of missing children. A local nonprofit will lead non-police response efforts for youth who repeatedly run away or go missing from care, using a human trafficking screening tool and other trauma-informed services.

The Montgomery County project is a result of Governor DeWine’s Missing Persons Working Group, which recommended that communities assign trained advocates with social work backgrounds to provide family support, facilitate service connections upon a youth’s return, and help streamline law enforcement efforts.

Today’s announcement was made in conjunction with today's meeting of the Governor's Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.

“Unfortunately, we know that human trafficking is underreported,” said Governor DeWine. “By implementing these efforts, we will identify more children who are being trafficked and help them recover from their trauma.”

“Intervening early starts with understanding why young people go missing,” said Kara Wente, DCY Director. “When we better identify the why, we can connect youth with the right services. By responding with compassion and coordinated support, we can prevent exploitation, reduce long-term harm, and help young people find safety, stability, and hope.”

“The best way to stop human trafficking is to intervene early and support at-risk children before they can be victimized,” said Andy Wilson, DPS Director. “Enforcement is one big piece of the puzzle, but stopping this crime before it starts is the most critical piece.”

The missing youth initiative is modeled after Denver’s Runaway, Outreach, Notification and Intervention (RONI) Project to support at-risk youth and reduce repeated departures from home or congregate care. DCY, the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS), the Dayton Police Department, and Daybreak will partner to implement the program.

OCJS is funding the $400,000 caseworker pilot program, while OCJS and DCY will jointly fund the $550,000, two-year RONI project.

By investing in early identification, coordinated response, and trauma-informed care, Ohio is taking meaningful action to prevent human trafficking and help vulnerable youth find safety and stability.

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