First Star Institute, Inc.

07/15/2026

FSI happy to support HR 8997 The Right to Representation Act which would guarantee access to legal counsel for children in foster care and their parents. We urge the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Subcommittee on Work and Welfare to schedule hearings.

05/04/2026

Jordan Anderson reports on FSI's National Attorney Survey Highlights S*x Trafficking of Foster Youth. “The findings are jarring: exploitation is not limited to an occasional foster child,’’ write the authors of the report. “It is embedded within the everyday work of child welfare and juvenile justice systems across the country.’’

In a new national survey of attorneys working in child welfare and juvenile justice, only 19% said they "never or rarely" represent kids who have been commercially s*xually exploited.

04/16/2026

New Report Released Today
"Commercial S*xual Exploitation of Children: Attorney Insights and Identified Training Needs"
Key Findings:
- Nearly 9 in 10 attorneys report serving children impacted by trafficking
- 57% of attorneys say trafficking appears in their caseloads
- 43% report that trafficking cases are increasing
- 80% of attorneys say criminalization of victims is a major challenge
- 78% report that the vast majority of their clients have experienced significant trauma
- 66% say child s*x
trafficking is a serious national issue
- Nearly half say they lack adequate knowledge of available services