TALLAHASSEE - The debate over how Florida should rescue and treat child sex trafficking victims is now sharply focused in the state house, where two competing bills could profoundly change how police and child welfare agencies place and treat victims.
Both bills call for more safe houses and new protocols for police and child welfare agencies, but despite those widely supported changes, both bills are likely to face opposition by the very advocates who have been calling for reform.
The major sticking point for child welfare advocates: The bills would allow the state to place some victims in so-called “secure facilities,” heavily monitored and restrictive placements akin to those that keep many of Florida's juvenile offenders.
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