Policy News and Information for South Carolina's Children


Children's Trust of South Carolina Policy Post

Policy Post
Feb. 14, 2017
Bills Introduced in Support of Working Families
Sen. Marlon Kimpson released a series of bills last week  aimed at supporting working families, including tax credits, housing credits and paid sick leave. 
 
These bills are S. 360, S. 358, S. 361, S. 362, S. 363 and S. 364.
 
According to KIDS COUNT data, 33 percent of children in South Carolina have parents that lack secure employment. More than 289,000 children live in poverty.
 
First Steps Bill Moves to Floor
 
The bill that would reauthorize First Steps to School Readiness, H. 3591, received support from the House Education and Public Works Committee. It will move on to the House for floor discussion and possible vote sometime this week. 
 
Senate Judiciary Subcommittees to Meet This Week

The Senate Judiciary subcommittee will meet Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Room 209 of the Gressette Building to review several alcohol-related bills, including S. 114, which pertains to donation of alcohol at special nonprofit events.
 
Another Senate Judiciary subcommittee meet will take place Wednesday at 3 p.m. to consider several bills including S. 131, which redefines disturbing schools offenses.
How Communities Are Preventing Trauma
The new Adverse Community Experiences and Resilience report outlines specific framework and strategies for building resilience in areas highly affected by trauma in an effort to improve community health and safety. 

The report from the Prevention Institute outlines specific examples from cities across the country, such as reducing violence and promoting community resilience in  Milwaukee, creating prevention training materials in Oakland, and  reducing post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and suicide in communities of color in Tacoma and San Diego.

Children's Trust also has developed a South Carolina prevention framework around its Adverse Childhood Experiences Initiative, which seeks a shared understanding of how the impact of traumatic events in the lives of children could lead to the prevention of poor health and social outcomes as adults. 

The statewide ACE Initiative involves training, collecting and disseminating data, promoting sound legislative policy and building a prevention planning framework. Dr. Deborah Daro,  a child abuse prevention expert based at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, has guided South Carolina's prevention planning framework, which will inform the implementation of the initiative. She presented at the recent ACE Summit in Columbia.
Child Trends Releases Data Report
Updated data on state-level child welfare financing was released last week. The report, entitled  Child Welfare Financing SFY 2014: A Survey of Federal, State and Local Expenditures , is a resource to help state advocates more effectively engage in policy discussions regarding the availability, accessibility and level of child welfare funding needed to support a continuum of resources and services.
 
For more information from Child Trends, a leading national nonprofit doing research to improve the lives of children and their families, view the federal and state funding breakdowns.
Resources to Better Understand the Difference Between Lobbying and Advocacy
The Alliance for Justice (AFJ), a national association of over 100 organizations, represents a broad array of groups committed to an equitable and free society.
 
Bolder Advocacy, an initiative of AFJ,  promotes active engagement in democratic processes and institutions by providing nonprofits and foundations the knowledge, resources, and tools to navigate complex rules and regulations and influence public policy by becoming more confident advocates.
 
For instance, a recent blog post offers seven key tips to help organizations get their advocacy efforts started the right way in 2017.
Child Welfare Across the Nation
Forum Addresses Racial Disparities in Minnesota Juvenile Justice

A local forum led by the Minneapolis NAACP looks for ways to address racial disparities in Minnesota's juvenile justice system, according to minnpost.com

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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.