Policy News and Information for South Carolina's Children
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Senate Continues Debate; House on Furlough
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With the House on furlough this week, the Senate continues debate on the state budget Wednesday following the Tuesday funeral of former U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings.
Last Wednesday, April 10, was the crossover deadline, the day by which a bill needed to be passed out of one or the other chamber to move forward this year. Three Senate bills did cross over, but several child welfare bills in the House failed to make the cut. Those bills can still progress when the Legislature reconvenes in January 2020.
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Child Welfare Bills Making the Crossover Deadline
Child Torture
S.189
, which 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, passed from the Senate and was introduced to the House Judiciary Committee.
Background Checks
Both
S.595
and
S.601
increase the scope and frequency of background checks for individuals working with children. The bills passed favorably from the Senate, were introduced in the House, and were assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. S.595 increases the number and nature of checks for employees at child care facilities, while S.601 enforces those similar requirements for group home employees.
Child Welfare Bills Missing the Crossover Deadline
Sentencing Reform
A far-reaching plan to reform mandatory minimum sentences,
H.3322
, which initially included the lowering of penalties for convicted sex offenders who persistently failed to register before being amended out, was taken up by the full House. However, the bill was not voted on ahead of the crossover deadline.
DSS Legal Standard
H.3915
requires Department of Social Services legal representatives to ensure a child’s welfare and safety are the “predominant” basis of their decisions in the courtroom. The bill went to the full House, which failed to vote on it before the crossover deadline.
Foster Care Review Board
H.3729
seeks to fill the large number of vacancies on local boards by allowing the Division for Review of Foster Care of Children to make appointments. The full House was set to debate the bill the day before crossover, but it was returned to the House Judiciary Committee. As a result, it did not make the crossover deadline.
Be There
Wednesday, April 17: The Senate
Family and Veterans' Services Committee
meets at 9 a.m. in the Gressette Building, Room 308, to consider the nomination of Stephen Morris to serve as director of the Department on Aging.
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Nomination for DSS Director Advanced
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The Senate Family and Veterans' Services Committee advanced the confirmation last week of Michael Leach, Gov. Henry McMaster’s nomination for director of the Department of Social Services (DSS).
In his remarks, Leach emphasized the importance of promoting the protective factors and addressing adverse child experiences (ACEs). He stressed the need to balance metrics and other indicators of compliance with the underlying goal of measuring child well-being. His appointment will be considered by the full Senate this week.
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Connor Shaw Throws Support to Families
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Connor Shaw, the winningest quarterback in the University of South Carolina football history, is teaming up with Children’s Trust to reward kids who successfully complete the organization's Strengthening Families Program (SFP) with scholarships to his Shaw Camps in Greenville, Columbia and Charleston.
Now an account executive with Colonial Life, Shaw, who is based in Greenville, is eager to give back to communities that supported him during his time with the Gamecocks. He's convinced SFP, a 14-session program geared to families with children ages 6 to 11, is the right partner.
"You’ve got program coordinators, you’ve got community leaders, you’ve got teachers and parents involved,” Shaw said. “The more people you can have involved, it just strengthens that bond and it allows more opportunity for those kids to have success as they grow up."
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Subcommittee Considers Reauthorization of CAPTA
Reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) is being considered by the Civil Rights and Human Services subcommittee of the
U.S. House Committee on Education
. CAPTA is the only federal legislation addressing the prevention of child abuse and neglect. It provides modest federal funding and instruction to states in support of prevention, assessment, investigation, prosecution, and treatment activities. Advocates argue that reauthorization and expansion of CAPTA is essential to protecting children nationwide. This story in the
Penn State News
addresses the importance of preventing child maltreatment.
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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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