Coming Together
The Center welcomed child-serving professionals from across Texas for its second annual CSEY Provider Symposium: Partnership in Practice. The day brought providers and partners together to share knowledge, strengthen connections, and explore how collaboration can lead to better outcomes for children and youth.
Jessica Hess from the Office of the Governor’s Child Sex Trafficking Team kicked off the morning with rallying words that set the tone for a day dedicated to collaboration, connection and action.
“Your partnerships operate like an extended family system, creating pathways and possibilities that youth may not otherwise have,” said Jessica Hess.
Keeping Children Safe Online
Belinda Swan, Senior Program Manager with National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), opened an important conversation about the rapidly evolving threats children face online. From sextortion and online enticement to AI-generated exploitation, participants explored practical resources and strategies for elevating child safety. As Swan emphasized, “The crime is just as real as the images. The victimization is real.”
Building Stronger Partnerships
Chad Frymire from Dallas CASA led participants step-by-step through what it takes to build and sustain effective anti-trafficking partnerships and coalitions. Through discussion and collaboration, attendees considered how organizations can move beyond working alongside one another to create stronger, more coordinated systems of support for the communities they serve.
Listening to Living Experience
Sarah Hall, TACFS Director of Anti-Trafficking Initiatives brought a survivor-informed perspective to the conversation, highlighting the importance of inviting living experts to the table. Throughout the symposium, participants were encouraged to listen, learn and make space for lived experience as an essential part of building more effective responses to CSEY.
