RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One More Child announced today that the North Carolina General Assembly has included $900,000 in state funding to strengthen the organization’s work in combating human trafficking and serving survivors across North Carolina. 

“Human trafficking is not simply a problem in other places. It is happening right here in our state and throughout our communities,” said Parker Barnes, One More Child’s director of Anti-Trafficking in North Carolina. “We work with trafficking survivors throughout Raleigh Durham and The Research Triangle. This investment will help us serve more survivors over a greater area of the state and help prevent more children from being exploited.” 

One More Child’s Anti-Trafficking Mobile Teams currently operate in Chatham, Durham, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Orange and Wake counties. This new state funding will expand those services to include Franklin, Greene, Nash, Pitt, Wayne and Wilson counties. 

Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has identified human trafficking cases involving more than 7,500 victims in North Carolina. “Those numbers represent only situations reported to the Hotline and do not capture the full scope of trafficking occurring across the state,” said Barnes. 

One More Child provides comprehensive and leading-edge services to combat human trafficking on multiple fronts. Mobile Teams work directly with survivors, providing them with resources, clinical services and mentorship throughout a survivor’s journey of emotional, physical and mental recovery. 

The organization’s Anti-Trafficking teams work directly with federal, state and local law enforcement to identify survivors and provide a path away from a life of exploitation. In 2025, One More Child partnered with the United States Marshall’s Service for one of the largest child recovery operations in U.S. history, recovering 122 missing or endangered children.  

One More Child also provides prevention services which include partnering with schools, businesses, civic and community organizations to equip and educate people on how to detect and respond to signs of trafficking.  

The appropriation will allow One More Child to expand its anti-trafficking efforts in North Carolina by: 

  • Serving more survivors of human trafficking, providing them with individualized support and resources that move them toward safety, stability and independence. 
  • Increasing support for those on the front lines, equipping professionals, community partners and others who are identifying and responding to trafficking in North Carolina communities. 
  • Expanding education, awareness and prevention, helping North Carolinians recognize the signs of trafficking, understand vulnerabilities that traffickers exploit and intervene before exploitation occurs. 

“We are deeply grateful to the members of the North Carolina General Assembly for recognizing both the urgency of this issue and the importance of investing in solutions that are making a difference,” said Stephen Robert, president and CEO of One More Child. “This investment shows that North Carolina’s leaders will not tolerate children being groomed and exploited for profit. By working together, public dollars can be leveraged alongside private resources and community partners to protect our children from predators.” 

About One More Child:  

One More Child operates in 29 states and 19 countries around the world, meeting the needs of foster children, hungry children, single moms, struggling families, sex-trafficked children and vulnerable adults. In 2025, One More Child provided direct services to 271,193 children and individuals while impacting an additional 100,692 individuals through advocacy, trainings, awareness and volunteering. One More Child provided more than 18.7 million meals nationally and globally. For more information, visit www.onemorechild.org.  

Attachments 


Joe McLeod
One More Child
joe.mcleod@onemorechild.org

Media gallery

About The Author
One More Child