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Senate and House Stay Busy on Bills Affecting Children
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The Senate continued discussion this session on a number of bills that impact child welfare.
A bill on local child fatality review teams, S. 170, received a favorable report as amended by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The subcommittee added a board certified child abuse pediatrician to the teams.
A bill that addresses reporting on investigation and assessment of allegations of child abuse or neglect, S. 80, was recommitted to subcommittee by the Senate General Committee for further discussion. It was tabled a day later in the Senate General subcommittee meeting to seek additional input from solicitors and public defense attorneys.
In the House
The House Education Committee K-12 subcommittee will be meeting Tuesday one hour after adjournment in the Blatt Building, Room 433, to discuss several bills, including H. 3920 on mandating signs in public schools with phone numbers for reporting child abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
The Supporting and Strengthening Families Act, H. 3947, was introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The bill deals with care giving authority for children as well as community support services and child abuse and neglect cases.
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Bellamy Testifies Before Congressional Members on Merits of Home Visiting Program
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Eric Bellamy, the home visiting manager for Children's Trust of South Carolina, provided testimony last week before the U.S. House Ways and Means Human Resources subcommittee on reauthorization of the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. The
video
and
written testimony
are available.
In his testimony, Bellamy said, "Families receiving home visiting services are documented to show significant improvements across a number of key measures, including birth outcomes, child development screenings and referrals, prevention of abuse and neglect, and school readiness."
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SC Early Childhood Common Agenda Sets National Example for Collaboration
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The Early Childhood Common Agenda, a legislative emphasis of Children's Trust, the Institute for Child Success and the United Way Association of South Carolina to better the lives of families and children in this state, was featured in this month's national LINC UP newsletter. LINC UP is a Michigan-based community development organization involved in a host of projects and services that reach families, houses, businesses and neighborhoods.
This national recognition puts a spotlight on the ECCA, which is a result of work from a coalition of experts that offers specific recommendations to lawmakers on ways to build a smart, comprehensive early childhood system for children 0-5 years old.
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Improving Outcomes for Young Fathers
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A new report entitled
"Changing Systems & Practice to Improve Outcomes for Young Fathers, Their Children & Their Families,"
was released by the Center for the Study of Social Policy in February. The report looks at the barriers to fatherhood engagement and methods to break down those barriers, such as father-focused practice, co-parenting education, and father-focused services.
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Child Welfare Across the Nation
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Georgia Senate Approves
$49 Billion Budget to Cue Up House Talks
According to an
Associated Press story, big-ticket items have been uncontroversial this year, including a 19 percent raise for state employees who oversee child welfare cases and the continuation of 20 percent raises for state law enforcement, including those with the Georgia State Patrol and Bureau of Investigation.
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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.
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