Policy News and Information for South Carolina's Children
Policy Post
Feb. 27, 2018
On the South Carolina Legislative Radar
Senate Debate on Department of Children's Advocacy Delayed One Week

Creating a Department of Children’s Advocacy, S. 805 , was carried over by the full Senate and should be debated this week. A child advocate's office would have the mandate to operate across the entire sector of child serving agencies. Currently, state agencies have auditors or inspector generals who oversee administrative conduct within a particular agency.

Committee Highlights ACEs

The Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children released its annual report , which is produced through a review of public data and hearings. Recommendations focused on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Specifically, the Joint Committee highlighted the need to improve screening for exposure, an expanded the role for family courts considering ACEs in cases of delinquency or child abuse, and increases in state agency data collection and collaboration.

Children's Trust leads the statewide initiative to address and prevent ACEs in South Carolina.


Bill to Watch

H.4705 : The bill making “clerical or non-clerical religious counselors” mandated reporters of suspected child abuse or neglect crossed over to the Senate and was assigned to the General Committee. School and college administrators, coaches, firefighters, Scout leaders, and counselors will be required to report as well.

Be There
 
The House Education and Public Works Committee meets Tuesday, Feb. 27, 90 minutes after adjournment in the Blatt Building, Room 433. On the agenda is H. 4701 , dealing with school bullying.

The House Health Subcommittee meets Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 11 a.m. in the Blatt Building, Room 110. Discussion will include proposed Department of Social Services regulations for Wilderness Therapeutic Camps for Children.

The Senate Medical Affairs Committee meets Thursday, March 1 at 9 a.m. in the Gressette Building, Room 308. On the agenda is S. 891 , requiring hospitals to educate parents of newborns about safe sleep practices, the causes of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome, and the dangers associated with shaking infants.
Justice Department Seeks Stories and Tips

The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened an investigation of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to gather information about conditions at the Broad River Road Complex, South Carolina’s long-term juvenile commitment facility. 

DOJ is particularly interested in abuse by youth or staff and experiences with solitary confinement. Potential violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act in DJJ's use of pre-sentencing residential evaluation centers also will be reviewed. If you have relevant information to share, please contact the Civil Rights Division at (202) 307-6913 and jaclyn.Weiner@usdoj.gov .
Federal Roundup
Report on ACEs Details Impacts Into Adulthood

Child Trends, an institution focused on improving the lives and prospects of children through research, published a recent brief on adverse childhood experiences . It details how just under half of children in the United States have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience and one in 10 children nationally has experienced three or more ACEs, placing them in a category of especially high risk. The organization reviewed data collected through the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health .
Child Welfare News Across the Nation
Florida Looks to Kinship Navigation
A federal class-action lawsuit was filed against the Florida Department of Children and Families, focused on its failure to supply enough foster home beds, according to a story in the Chronicle of Social Change . Lawmakers in the state responded by introducing bills setting a 12-month limit on efforts to reunify foster youth with their parents, improve the reunification process for incarcerated parents upon release, and develop a family-finding program to increase the number of potential relative caregivers. Such Kinship Navigator Programs provide information, referral and follow-up to grandparents and other relatives raising children, linking them to the benefits and services that they or the children need.

Virginia Mandates Interagency Reporting of Abusers at Schools

Virginia enacted new laws requiring child protective services agencies to promptly notify school districts and the state department of education when child protective services workers find that teachers have abused children, in a story by NBC Washington . Passage follows reporting that highlighted public school teachers accused of misconduct crossing state lines to find new teaching work in other regions.
Policy Post is published by Children's Trust of South Carolina.
Children's Trust of South Carolina is the only statewide organization focused on the prevention of child abuse, neglect and injury. The organization trains and educates professionals who work directly with families and also funds, supports and monitors proven prevention programs. Children's Trust is the voice for South Carolina's children and advocates for strong, well-founded policies that positively impact child well-being. Children's Trust is home to Prevent Child Abuse South Carolina, KIDS COUNT South Carolina and Safe Kids South Carolina.