The U.S. Department of Labor has seen a 69% increase in illegal child employment by U.S. companies since 2018.
In the last fiscal year, the department discovered 835 investigated firms employed more than 3,800 children illegally, according to a Feb. 27 news release. The U.S. has also experienced an increase in migrant children from Latin America fleeing violence and poverty, who don't have parents in the U.S.
“Every child in this country, regardless of their circumstance, deserves protection and care as we would expect for our own child,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said in the release.
The maximum civil monetary penalty of $15,138 per child is not seen as a deterrent to major companies, but the department takes violations very seriously and acts to hold employers accountable, the release reported.
As the exploitation of child labor, particularly among migrant children, is a growing problem, the Department of Labor and Health and Human Services are taking various steps to combat it, according to the release. They launched a task force to combat child labor exploitation.
HHS will require a follow-up call to any child who calls the Office of Refugee Resettlement National Call Center with a safety concern, the release reported. They will also continue to work with Congress to provide sufficient resources for post-release services to all children and sponsors by 2025.
The Labor Department launched a national strategic enforcement initiative on child labor as the number of cases continues to rise, particularly among migrant children, according to the release. The department has found penalties aren’t a sufficient deterrent, so it will hold all employers accountable to ensure child labor is removed from supply chains.
HHS is launching several initiatives to protect unaccompanied migrant children by improving vetting procedures for sponsors, ensuring follow-up calls are made to children reporting safety concerns and expanding post-release services. The agencies are calling on Congress to provide more funding to investigate child labor cases, according to the release.
