How to protect kids from trafficking and exploitation with Erin Williamson

Release date: November 3, 2025

Is it possible to foster in kids the skills and knowledge needed to avoid trafficking and exploitation without needlessly exposing them, even in small way, to the devasting ugliness of those worlds? My guest today, Erin Williamson, believes that it is possible. Erin is the Chief Programs & Strategy Officer at Love146, an organization that has been fighting to end child trafficking and exploitation for over two decades. As you will hear, the approach Love146 takes is evidence-based, trauma-informed, and developmentally appropriate. In short, it is everything we advocate for on Talking About Kids. More information about Erin and Love146 is below.

Biography of Erin Williamson

Erin Williamson is the Chief Programs & Strategy Officer at Love146, an organization

dedicated to combating child trafficking and exploitation. With over two decades of experience working directly with victims of crime, Erin has led the development of comprehensive programs at Love146, including prevention education and survivor care, supporting over 900 youth. Her expertise spans social services and criminal justice, with a focus on human trafficking and child sexual exploitation.

Erin’s journey began in Kenya, where she worked with unhoused children and developed a

commitment to deeply understanding and preventing child sex tourism. She then held a pivotal role at Polaris, managing the National Human Trafficking Hotline, before conducting research on victim services at ICF, which deepened her focus on effective, evidence-based practices.

In 2014, Erin was hired by Love146 to build a Survivor Care program in Connecticut. Starting as a single staff member, the program now has over 20 staff and serves 125-150 youth annually. Erin oversees all US-based programs, including a prevention education initiative implemented in over 30 states. Her leadership has expanded Love146's reach, focusing on trauma-informed care and addressing the complex needs of youth through the healing power of relationships and community support.

Committed to bringing her on-the-ground knowledge to impact systems change, Erin has served on several state and national policy advocacy committees, including the Connecticut Trafficking in Persons Council and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children & Youth. Locally, she contributes as a Board of Education member in Woodbridge, CT. Erin and her husband, a lead pediatric oncologist at Yale and founder of XRPeds, are raising two children together, deepening their shared commitment to social justice, child protection, and the well-being of young people.

Links

Love146

https://love146.org/