"The aim of this program is to identify and apply effective practices to combat child sex trafficking through constructive collaboration, thoughtful analysis of policies and practices, and tailored skills training and technical assistance to enable sustainable positive change."
– Stephen Warnath, CEO & President
About the Program
The Innovations in Addressing Child Trafficking (IACT) Program was implemented by The Warnath Group from 2020-2025. The Warnath Group designed the IACT Program to address the sex trafficking of children and adolescents in Costa Rica. The program was implemented in the provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas in close collaboration with the Government of Costa Rica and civil society organizations, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.
The IACT Program worked to strengthen anti-trafficking responses in the country and achieve demonstrable change for child and adolescent trafficking victims, their families, and affected communities, as well as prevent the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. Warnath Group designed the components of the program to effectively strengthen the capacity of national and local government and civil society so that the country’s anti-trafficking response will ultimately lead to measurable, substantial, and sustainable reductions in all forms of child sex trafficking in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste and Puntarenas Provinces.
Our Journey of Change
Summary Report
From 2020-2025, the Warnath Group Innovations in Addressing Child Trafficking (IACT) Program strengthened the capacity of national and local government and civil society to address child and adolescent sex trafficking in Guanacaste and Puntarenas through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.
The ambitious scope of Warnath Group’s work was organized around the four fundamental axes: prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership. These interconnected and mutually reinforcing axes were at the heart of a comprehensive and innovative approach to combating child and adolescent sex trafficking in Costa Rica. In seeking transformative change, guided by the 4P framework, Warnath Group utilized five overarching strategies that included:
Strategy #1
Targeting a TIP-enabling environment through strengthened, implemented, and resourced laws, policies, and procedures to combat child and adolescent sex trafficking.
Strategy #2
Equipping practitioners with knowledge, skills, and approaches to respond effectively and appropriately to child and adolescent sex trafficking.
Strategy #3
Enabling and empowering children and adolescents (trafficking victims and survivors and those at risk) to receive protection and assistance and address trafficking risk and vulnerabilities.
Strategy #4
Strengthening and mobilizing family and community environments that protect child and adolescent trafficking victims and reduce vulnerability to child and adolescent sex trafficking.
Strategy #5
Strengthening coordination and collaboration between central and local level institutions, between government institutions, and between institutions and civil society.
The program’s Closing Event featured remarks from the Vice-Minister of Governance and President of CONATT, the Magistrate of the Criminal Cassation Chamber, and the Executive President of the National Child Welfare Agency. These dignitaries joined hundreds of partners and stakeholders from across the country in reflecting on the achievements of the IACT Program and the shared vision to continue to find cases of child and adolescent trafficking, bring accountability to perpetrators, support and protect victims of trafficking, and increase measures that prevent children and adolescents from being trapped in situations of sexual exploitation.
Warnath Group designed a unique model of survivor and beneficiary participation for the IACT Program to ensure that trafficking victim and survivor perspectives and knowledge were incorporated in the development of program activities.
The Warnath Group is sharing IACT Program materials on the IACT Learning Hub, an online platform to support practitioners in their work to respond more effectively and appropriately to cases of human trafficking, especially child and adolescent sex trafficking. The Learning Hub is a repository of information, good practice resources, tools, videos, and on-demand learning to improve all aspects of a meaningful anti-trafficking response.
The problem of child and adolescent child sex trafficking remains prevalent and persistent. While there is still much work to do to address child and adolescent trafficking in Costa Rica, the IACT Program demonstrated how through the application of large-scale, strategic, concentrated, and targeted action, meaningful progress and accomplishing transformative positive change in Costa Rica, and beyond, is possible.
About
The Warnath Group
Founded by CEO Stephen Warnath, one of the negotiators of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, The Warnath Group is an organization specialized in developing and implementing customized, evidence-based programs to address trafficking in persons, including child trafficking. Please contact us: IACT@WarnathGroup.com.
Contact Us
If you are a government official or service provider involved in the anti-trafficking work of your country and are interested in learning more about the training and technical assistance that The Warnath Group can provide, please contact us.