Pregnancy Help Center Policy

Most pregnancy center policy manuals dictate how volunteers and staff treat clients , guests and each other. They provide helpful ways of supporting women to choose life in unplanned or crisis situations. Some may even have a section about how to communicate with donors. Few address the needs of trafficking victims specifically. Thankfully, pregnancy help center policy is starting to change.

Pregnancy Center Policy

Human trafficking occurs all over the world. The particular category of trafficking in persons varies by location to a small degree. Agricultural areas may see more labor trafficking. Entertainment meccas see more sex trafficking. Wealthy areas might see more domestic trafficking. That is not to say that any form is exclusive or segregated. Trafficking happens by force, fraud, or coercion anywhere. Child sex trafficking happens everywhere as well.

Traffickers may want their victims to continue pregnancy, so they have more control over them, so they  will not escape, so they have a new generation of slaves, or to manipulate them into believing the trafficker cares about their life. Here are some tips for pregnancy resource centers.

Intake must be one-on-one.

If you have a potential for language barriers in your area, recruit a volunteer or staff member who can do the intake or interpret. Allowing a client to bring their comforter seems caring, but it is often very hard to tell if they are actually an advocate or a handler. We always want to care for them. One on one is the safest way to do that. Providing for their confidentiality and safety are equally important.

Be aware.

Pregnancy resource centers can be aware and on the look-out for victims using the OATS format. Many of these things are already what you do. With the mindset that this woman might be a victim, you might put things together that might be missed alone. Red flags mean nothing. If you have enough of them, go to the next step.

• Observe for signs of abuse
• Assess the client for clues of inconsistency
• Talk with them about their situation
• Suspect trafficking if they have any red flags, especially a handler

Have a designated person to handle at-risk clients.

Make sure there is someone available to be responsible for evaluating the risk to the woman who can decide how to proceed. They may casually direct them to brochures about trafficking, leaving it to them to discover whether their situation fits. They might ask the questions directly and be equipped to find a safehouse. The situation will dictate the actions. These are people and must be dealt with as unique individuals with dignity at all times.

Insert the topic as a preventative measure.

Have resources that fit your demographics and expectations of your clients. Posters in Spanish don’t fit in many northern rural areas. You might want French, though. Depending on where you are, the language and culture must meet your client’s needs. Brochures or business size cards are available with help-lines or anonymous tip-lines. A simple statement of, “This happens” is appropriate. In the same way we discuss domestic violence, the topic of trafficking should be presented.

Make sure you’re having a conversation.

Don’t do all the talking. This is obvious but if we see that a person is clearly in trouble, sometimes we forget. We can see the problem and maybe they cannot. It’s not always wise to try to convince them. If they feel they are safe, you won’t be able to. Use open ended questions. Letting them have the bulk of the conversation will let them reveal problems to themselves. Ask if you understand by rephrasing and repeating what they’ve said. Then, hopefully, they will hear it.

Respect the “No.”

If a woman is clearly being manipulated and you have no doubt that she is in a trafficking situation, but she is of age and feels safe, respect her ability to make her own decisions. You might be the only one who will. In this case, let her come to herself. Offer help, but then do not try to force her into anything. Giving her that autonomy may be the seed that will grow into her freedom.

Have a list of local and national resources.

Having national hotlines is good, but if immediate help is needed, you might be stuck. Having local help is great, but if they need to be relocated, you’ll be stuck. Assign a staff person or volunteer that task of updating this annually. A couple of hours of prevention might save lives.

Provide training.

Providing good training tools and making sure your volunteers are aware of mandatory reporting, what to look for, who to call, what not to say, and how best to care for victims of trafficking is super important. Caring for juvenile clients requires special precautions.

Pregnancy resource centers have a unique opportunity to help fight the injustice of human trafficking. Thank you!