One of the world's first labor monitoring programs, RUGMARK is at the forefront of the movement to end child slavery in South Asia's handmade rug industry. RUGMARK's innovative system includes certifying and labeling rugs as CHILD LABOR FREE; OFFERING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO CHILDREN AT RISK OF AND RESCUED FROM EXPLOITATION; and building a market for child labor free products in the U.S. In the last century, thousands of government and nonprofit agencies have attempted to make change through policy reform. While these efforts help, RUGMARK has learned that laws don't work without a marketplace that respects them. In the end, it's money that talks. After years of rescuing children from factories only to see them replaced by others, Indian activist Kailash Satyarthi concluded that the consumers who dictate the terms of the market must ultimately lead a systemic change. Thus, the plan to create a label for handmade rugs produced without illegal child labor was born: the RUGMARK. As host to the largest market for handmade rugs, RUGMARK USA works to expand consumer awareness to stimulate demand and create financial incentive for manufacturers to stop exploiting children. The revenue from the sale of child labor free rugs has already had a huge social impact; every year, thousands of former "carpet children" attend schools and receive vocational training while countless more have been protected from exploitation through preventative measures. RUGMARK USA is a nonprofit organization that operates as a partner with six RUGMARK offices under a franchise-type structure. RUGMARK is a voluntary program in which carpet exporters are licensed through affiliates in India, Nepal or Pakistan. They must agree to random inspections of all production sites to ensure no child is exploited during the manufacturing process. Importers become licensees by signing with RUGMARK in the market country and agreeing to work only with Rugmark-approved manufacturers.