PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY: The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking will Join California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, and UNICEF Ambassador Alyssa Milano to Discuss the Importance of Budget Funding for Human Trafficking Victim Service Providers 

Los Angeles, California – Kay Buck, CEO for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (Cast) and Angela Guanzon, Survivor Advocate  will be  joining California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-L.A.) and UNICEF Ambassador and Actor Alyssa Milano for a press conference to announce the inclusion of new funding for human trafficking victim service providers in the California Budget Act of 2021-22, which was passed by the California Legislature this week. This new $30 million funding, spread over the next three years, will provide emergency funding for survivors of human trafficking now and the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath.

This budget request is a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic that exposed the heightened risk of trafficking exploitation. Victims of human trafficking are facing extreme barriers to safety, health services, housing, and employment. Because of the pandemic, they are in grave danger. Service providers are now facing an unprecedented shortfall when the demand for direct support for human trafficking victims is higher than ever before.

“This budget request has come at a time when human trafficking victims are in crisis. Since the pandemic, Cast has seen a 455% increase in costs for providing basic necessities and housing during the pandemic compared to 2019. We desperately need this emergency budget funding to meet the increasing demand for services and support for human trafficking victims. Together we must ensure human trafficking survivors are not left behind.”  – Cast CEO, Kay Buck

The press conference will begin at 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET and will be streamed live on the homepage of the California Department of Justice’s website at www.oag.ca.gov.

The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (Cast) is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization that is working to put an end to human trafficking through providing comprehensive and life-transforming services to survivors and a platform to advocate for groundbreaking policies and legislative change. Cast is dedicated to enacting and implementing creative approaches to preventing human trafficking and best supporting those impacted at the local, state, and federal levels. To find out more visit: www.castla.org/human-trafficking/policy/