Policy News and Information for South Carolina's Children
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Committee on Children Issues Annual Report
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Challenges faced by children in South Carolina are highlighted in a new study issued by a group of lawmakers, agency heads, and citizens. The Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children identifies and studies issues facing children in South Carolina and makes recommendations to the governor and General Assembly.
Its annual report draws attention to the incarceration of children sentenced to life without parole (see
S.471
and
H.3919
), access to quality child care (see
S.595
and
S.601
), child hunger (continued support of state programs), and teacher salaries (currently being addressed in the proposed state budget).
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On the S.C. Legislative Radar
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State Budget
The House deliberated and passed the budget last week. The proposed spending bill
H.4000
approved by the House will not include extra money requested by the Department of Social Services (DSS). This funding was sought for more caseworkers to lessen staff turnover. The budget now will move over to the Senate for further consideration.
Child Torture
S.189
was discussed at the Senate Family and Veterans’ Services Committee last week. This bill defines child torture as a pattern of assaults, psychological mistreatment or ignoring care that causes severe physical, mental or emotional pain to a child over a period of time. The legal terms “malice” and “craven” were amended out in order to increase the likelihood of prosecutors obtaining convictions at trial. The amended bill received a favorable report and next heads to the Senate floor for debate.
Be There
- Tuesday, March 19: The House Judiciary Committee meets at 2:30 p.m., or 90 minutes after the House adjourns, in the Blatt Building, Room 516, to discuss H.3322 (abuse and neglect punishments).
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Children's Advocacy Center Day Set
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In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, the South Carolina Network of Children's Advocacy Centers is partnering with the attorney general's office, Silent Tears, and Children's Trust for a
Children's Advocacy Center Day
media event Tuesday, April 2, at the State House. It will take place at 10:30 a.m. on the second-floor lobby.
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Standards for Juvenile Justice in Spotlight
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Last year's reauthorized
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA)
set national standards for treating youth in ways appropriate for their age, reduce discrimination and disparate outcomes, and provide a continuum of services, support and opportunities. It also requires data collection to better understand youth in the system as well as state level advisory groups for informed local input.
In South Carolina, the challenges of child welfare and juvenile justice overlap has drawn the attention of lawmakers, agency heads, and citizens on the Joint Citizens Legislative Committee on Children (JCLCC). Two weeks ago, the JCLCC was briefed by a statewide advisory group comprised of agency representatives and other key stakeholders on abused and neglected delinquent youth. The advisory group is developing shared multidisciplinary recommendations to better address the needs of this group of young people in our state.
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White House Proposes New Spending on Child Care
The White House unveiled its 2020 executive budget. Highlights include funding for the border wall and tackling the opioid crisis, but the proposal also calls for increased spending on child care along with an initiative to address shortages, as reported in an
NPR story
.
Bill Seeks to Aid Working Families on Child Care
Pending legislation in Congress offers aid to families providing for their children. The
Child Care for Working Families Act
has received broad support in the House of Representatives. This bill would provide that any family under 150 percent of state median income would pay no more than seven percent of its income on childcare. This legislation would more than double the number of children eligible for child care assistance.
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Policy Post is published by Children's Trust of South Carolina.
Children’s Trust of South Carolina is the statewide organization focused on the prevention of child abuse and neglect. We provide funding, resources and training to help local program partners build strong families and positive childhoods. Children’s Trust leads the state’s coordinated efforts for the Strengthening Families Program; Triple P (Positive Parenting Program); S.C. Adverse Childhood Experiences Initiative; Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting; Child Abuse Prevention Month; Child Well-Being Coalition; and KIDS COUNT.
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