As the State of New Jersey prepares to host one of the world’s largest sporting events, partnerships like the one between Our Rescue and the New Jersey Children’s Alliance offer a best practice in proactive prevention and preparedness.
New Jersey is about to welcome one of the world’s most preeminent events: the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Global sporting events like the Olympics and FIFA attract millions of visitors, tourists, and ticket holders and require a vast workforce to support. Among the teams involved in ensuring the event is a success are hundreds of thousands if not millions of workers, volunteers, hospitality professionals, transportation providers, law enforcement officers, medical teams, educators, advocates, and community organizations. The spike in activity provides an important opportunity to help ensure people know how to recognize and respond to any potential signs of human trafficking.
Preparing this many people in advance of a sporting event that draws worldwide attention requires the coordination of multiple agencies, organizations, and specialists who have decades of experience producing successful training and strong results.
In advance of the FIFA World Cup in New Jersey, the New Jersey Children’s Alliance (NJCA) hosted Safeguarding Communities During Global Events: Human Trafficking Risks, Prevention, and Response Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Our Rescue presented this three-hour, in-depth training on May 13, 2026. This virtual event reached 320 registered participants with more than 200 professionals who attended live from the legal, healthcare, education, advocacy, child welfare, and law enforcement sectors.
One of the objectives of this comprehensive training was to advance attendees beyond general awareness by providing practical, role-specific guidance for professionals who may encounter vulnerable individuals before, during, and after a FIFA event.
“International, large-scale events like FIFA can shift local dynamics in ways that create temporary blind spots and increase opportunities for exploitation,” said Adrienne Hillman, PhD, of Our Rescue’s Training and Prevention team. “We pivot the focus from fear to preparedness. Our training emphasizes preparation and helps communities learn how coordinated prevention, clear communication, and informed frontline professionals can significantly reduce risk and strengthen the response when concerns arise.”
The session opened with a keynote presentation from Dr. Hillman, who explored the unique trafficking risks associated with global events and emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in protecting vulnerable populations.
Participants then divided into specialized breakout sessions led by members of Our Rescue’s Training and Prevention team. Sessions were tailored to address the unique responsibilities and realities of different professions.
- Our Rescue’s Vice President of Community Impact, Amy Bruins, Esq., MA, and Community Engagement and Task Force Facilitator, Rick Disney, MBA, and a retired law enforcement officer, led the Legal and Law Enforcement breakout, examining jurisdictional and investigative complexities while helping justice system professionals better recognize indicators of trafficking, understand response pathways, and collaborate effectively across agencies.
- Baleigh Cruz, BA, Community Prevention and Social Work Facilitator with Our Rescue, facilitated a Social Work and Advocacy session, that reviewed trauma-informed approaches for community organizations and victim advocates who may be among the first to identify individuals in crisis.
- Community Prevention and Healthcare Facilitator with Our Rescue, Tara Stowbunenko, MPH, MSBH, led Medical and Forensic Nursing professionals through discussions on recognizing subtle indicators of exploitation in healthcare settings and how best to strengthen clinical responses to potential victims.
- Our Rescue Senior Human Trafficking Educator Allison Smith, MA, guided Education and Administration leaders through preventative strategies that empower schools and administrators to recognize vulnerabilities, establish safeguards, and respond appropriately when concerns arise.
Throughout the training, participants explored a wide range of critical focus areas specific to preparing for the FIFA World Cup. Industry-specific sessions examined how large-scale sporting events can alter community dynamics and increase trafficking and child exploitation risks. Training reviewed the importance of inter-agency communication protocols between local law enforcement, regional task forces, advocacy organizations, child protection teams, and Child Advocacy Centers as a means to reduce delays and accelerate response times.
The curriculum also focused on recognizing red flags associated with the commercial sexual exploitation of children and offered guidance on how to distinguish indicators from routine transient populations that accompany major events. For healthcare professionals and Child Advocacy Centers, discussions centered on trauma-informed crisis intake procedures to ensure systems are prepared to support potential out-of-state or international victims with dignity and specialized care.
Human trafficking intersects with many systems, including legal services, law enforcement, healthcare, education, child welfare, social services, and community-based organizations. Different professionals encounter different warning signs and play different roles in identifying concerns and how to connect individuals to appropriate support. This is one of the reasons multidisciplinary trainings remain such a critical component of prevention.
Our Rescue’s collaborative approach to training and preparedness resonated with participants.
“I am impressed with the high level of expertise brought by the facilitators,” said Jada Baker, NJCA Training and Outreach Coordinator and event coordinator. “This multidisciplinary approach truly reflects the core model of the NJCA. Thank you for your continued partnership and unwavering commitment to supporting children, survivors, and vulnerable communities throughout New Jersey.”
The New Jersey Children’s Alliance serves as the statewide chapter of the National Children’s Alliance, supporting Child Advocacy Centers and multidisciplinary teams across all 21 counties. Through professional training, advocacy, and resource development, NJCA works to ensure child abuse victims receive coordinated, compassionate, and effective responses while equipping the professionals who protect them with the tools they need to succeed.
At Our Rescue, education and prevention remain essential components of the fight against human trafficking and child exploitation. While rescue and recovery efforts are vital, prevention begins long before exploitation occurs—when communities are equipped to recognize warning signs, understand reporting pathways, and work together to intervene before harm is overlooked or misunderstood.
“No single organization, agency, or profession can end human trafficking alone,” Amy added. “But when multi-disciplinary frontline responders prepare together, communities become stronger. Events like this training demonstrate the power of collaboration and the importance of equipping people across sectors to play their part.”
As New Jersey prepares to host one of the world’s largest sporting events and the largest event in state history, partnerships like the one between Our Rescue and the New Jersey Children’s Alliance offer a best practice in proactive prevention and preparedness. By investing in training, strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration, and preparing frontline professionals before challenges arise, communities become better equipped to protect those most at risk and respond with confidence when it matters most.
“Our goal at Our Rescue is to equip communities with what they need for sustainable impact and lasting change. The World Cup is providing an opportunity to do just that – create, develop, and perfect systems that will continue long after the games have concluded”, Renata Parras, SVP at Our Rescue.
