Kelsey Turner

Courts could have collected over $2.5 million in fees in the past decade, which would have gone to programs to alleviate trafficking. Why didn’t they?

Laws on unexcused absences are meant to keep kids safe, but a lack of resources and fear of court have kept districts from completing necessary steps.

No one was looking for Kit Nelson-Mora, despite warning signs, until a friend contacted police over a year after their disappearance in Omak.

Some advocates say that legislation requiring law enforcement endangers survivors at risk of retaliation.

While Washington has some of the toughest trafficking laws in the nation, law enforcement in Seattle and Portland struggle to put policy into practice.

A 2020 law was supposed to create two trauma-informed treatment centers for exploited children. They still haven’t opened.

A 2020 law mandated the support of two new ‘Safe Harbor’ centers where kids could get treatment — but the state hasn’t made this happen.

Two board members have also stepped down after it was revealed the school district didn’t discipline an accused predator.

The district admitted it was negligent in employing paraeducator Bryan Neyers for nearly five years after being told of his behavior.

While the state has expanded its full protection-order policies, advocates say funding for housing, shelters and legal services is still needed.