There needs to be more public awareness about the gap between human trafficking relief and child welfare—especially when a survivor has already been granted a vacatur order under California Penal Code § 236.14. I’m sharing my experience under the name Monroe to bring attention to a gap between human trafficking relief and child welfare. I was granted a vacatur order under California Penal Code § 236.14, yet my trafficking-related history continues to be used against me as a parent while my children remain removed. What does a **fresh start** mean when one court recognizes the exploitation, but that same history continues to count against a survivor in another? A vacatur order doesn’t automatically resolve a child welfare case, and children’s safety matters. But past victimization should not be confused with evidence of a present safety concern. These orders deserve meaningful consideration, alongside a parent’s healing and current circumstances. I hope sharing my experience encourages journalists, advocates, and lawmakers to examine this gap and create a clearer path toward fair treatment and safe family reunification. —Monroe