Increased Clarity Surrounding Child and Youth Sex Trafficking in Ontario
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Effective October 1, 2021, the Province of Ontario has amended the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (CYFSA) in relation to child and youth sex trafficking.
The amendments will:
- Establish grounds for protection that explicitly include child/youth sex trafficking in a manner that is not tied to “the person having charge of the child”;
- Provide authority for child protection workers and peace officers to temporarily remove 16-and-17-year-old victims of sexual exploitation resulting from child/youth sex trafficking to another location, in order to provide them with an opportunity to access voluntary support services; and,
- Strengthen offence provisions and corresponding penalties to be utilized in situations where an individual interferes with, or harbours, a child in society care, including for the purposes of child sex trafficking.
An updated brochure, Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect: It’s Your Duty, which reflects these amendments is available on the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services website and can be found in both English and French.