Investigation Procedures for Children in Care – Upon receipt of a report that a child

Investigation Procedures for Children in Care – Upon receipt of a report that a child in MDCPS custody has been involved in human trafficking, MCIA will indicate the report concerns trafficking of a child in care. The report will go to the Special Investigations Unit, and 1. MCIA must immediately notify local law enforcement in the jurisdiction where the alleged trafficking occurred. 2. MCIA must immediately notify and send copies of the report to the National Human Trafficking Hotline and MDCPS Statewide Human Trafficking Coordinator. MDCPS SIU Investigators will assist law enforcement as needed and continuously assess if the parents or caretakers are able to protect the child from further trafficking. Both SIU Investigators and law enforcement involved in the investigation are required to make additional reports to prosecutors as new information or evidence becomes known. If the SIU Investigator is given permission to enter the residence, the investigator will immediately assess the child’s mental and physical state by conducting a minimal-facts interview with the foster child. The SIU Investigator should do the following: 1. If law enforcement does not object, contact the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi (CAC) and request a human trafficking assessment or forensic interview as soon as possible. 2. Determine if a medical examination is necessary, and if it is, take the child for a medical exam.