Policy News and Information for South Carolina's Children
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Lawmakers Begin Push to Ban Child Marriages
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In the Senate, child marriage, prostitution, and trafficking bills began advancing through the committee process. In the House, another mandated reporter bill was introduced.
The push to eliminate, or at least tighten, laws allowing child marriages is gaining traction in both chambers and continues to draw media attention.
Rep. Beth Bernstein noted on social media that she co-authored one of the bills to outlaw child marriages and thanked a media outlet for "highlighting this important issue."
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On the S.C. Legislative Radar
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Mandated Reporters
Last year, Rep. Bruce Bannister, Rep. Neal Collins, and Rep. Micah Caskey led a successful effort to expand and clarify the list of mandated reporters – people such as teachers, doctors and first responders who have a legal responsibility to report suspected child abuse or neglect. The lawmakers also wanted to ensure that telling one’s supervisor does not eliminate the requirement to notify police or social services. Introduced last week,
H.3582
would add parents, stepparents, and guardians to the list.
Data Sharing
Prevention of abuse and neglect requires data to be efficient and effective. Files from substantiated case of abuse and neglect, as well as child fatalities, allow policy makers and practitioners to better target prevention resources. Before files are released, identifying personal details are redacted to ensure privacy.
S.211
would allow the Department of Social Services (DSS) to selectively release files for near fatalities as well, and in some instances, unfounded cases of abuse and neglect. The bill was passed out of the Child Welfare subcommittee and is headed to the Senate’s Family and Veterans' Services Committee (formerly called the General Committee). Passage would also ensure South Carolina’s compliance with provisions of the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA).
Prostitution and Trafficking
Individuals involved in prostitution often come from abusive and neglectful childhood backgrounds. Many first enter the realm of trafficking while minors.
S.188
offers these exploited minors safe harbor and protection from prosecution. A subcommittee amended the bill to further clarify the minor is a victim. It is now headed to the full Senate Judiciary Committee, which will continue to debate whether an affirmative defense, or immunity from prosecution, is the most appropriate way to protect exploited minors.
S.194
, which increase penalties for solicitation and facilitation of prostitution, is headed to the full Senate Judiciary Committee. Increased penalties are hoped to raise the enforcement priority among law enforcement agencies, thereby reducing demand and, as a result, lessening trafficking and exploitation practices that fuel supply.
Child Marriage
For women, underage marriage correlates with higher lifetime rates of partner violence, divorce, poverty, and both physical and mental health challenges.
S.196
eliminates South Carolina’s law authorizing under-18 marriage in cases of pregnancy. A
story in The State
notes the efforts of Sen. Katrina Shealy to get the 1962 law changed through this bill, which passed out of a subcommittee and is headed to the full Senate Judiciary Committee. Similar to S.196 is the companion House bill,
H.3369
, and the narrower
H.3268
. Neither has yet to receive a subcommittee hearing in the House.
Torture
Child torture is distinct from persistent child abuse. A major difference relates to the motivation of the perpetrator, and the high rate of recidivism. Practically, that means a clear and immediate threat to both victims and their siblings. Establishing a state definition of child torture would allow DSS caseworkers a faster route to pursue termination of parental rights as well as raise the penalties for those who’ve been convicted.
S.189
was carried over by the Child Welfare subcommittee of the Senate’s Family and Veterans' Services Committee. The panel is working to find a balance between distinct medical and legal definitions of child torture in addition to the linking between a settled definition and what that will mean in the field for DSS investigators.
Be There
Thursday, Jan. 24: DSS Oversight subcommittee will meet at 9 a.m. in the Gressette Building, Room 207.
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Safe Sleep Education Outreach Continues
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Babies should sleep alone on their back in a crib. These ABCs of safe sleep save lives because babies are at risk of sleep-related deaths until they are a year old. Most deaths occur when babies are between 1 and 4 months of age. South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has expanded the safe sleep resources it provides online, adding a short new video it has distributed to hospitals statewide.
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Paper Released on Power of Home Visiting
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The Association of State and Tribal Home Visiting Initiatives (ASTHVI) recently shared its new white paper, "
Research for Results: The Power of Home Visiting
." The paper includes highlights from 33 recent outcomes evaluations conducted in the field, covering all six Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program benchmarks and a variety of geographic areas and models.
ASTHVI
supports members in the effective implementation and improvement of home visiting programs at the state, territory and Tribal level. Children’s Trust administers the
MIECHV federal grant
in South Carolina in partnership with 17 implementing agencies in 41 counties. Home visiting is an evidence-based, voluntary program that serves at-risk, low-income mothers and children by providing them with important resources and skills.
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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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