Over 20 Years of Working on Behalf of the World’s Most Vulnerable Young People

The International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA) is an independent, non-partisan, international organization with 501(c)(3) status in the United States.  IOFA was founded in 1999 by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Students in response to a gap in programs and services for adolescents worldwide.

IOFA was the first organization dedicated to addressing the trafficking of children and youth in the United States and perhaps the world.  Since its inception, IOFA has worked to end the trafficking and exploitation of young people across 5 continents and in more than 23 countries.

IOFA carries out its mission through building effective community-level partnerships to impact vulnerable children and youth including those who are parentless, in foster care, orphaned, LGBTQ, juvenile justice involved, have disabilities, born to immigrant parents, living in poverty, or otherwise marginalized.   IOFA works with partners to 1) build institutional capacity, 2) provide high quality, evidenced based training and technical assistance services, and 3) carry out research, education, and outreach to the public.

IOFA has played a historic role in the anti-trafficking movement developing several innovative program models that have been replicated both internationally and across the United States.  IOFA is a founding member of the Freedom Network USA, the largest national network of service providers for victims of trafficking in the U.S.   IOFA has received numerous recognitions for its leadership and contributions to the anti-trafficking field.