Letter: Put prevention to work to protect S.C. children from abuse and neglect

There is a proverb that rings true in our work to fight child abuse and neglect: It is easier to stop something from happening in the first place than to repair the damage after it has happened.

Prevention spares the crippling consequences and significant expenses that come from child-protective services, medical treatment, the criminal justice system, special education and productivity loss.

It is almost unfathomable to think that child abuse costs the state of South Carolina more than $1 billion per year, in direct and indirect expenses. More upsetting is the human cost. There were 16,317 children in South Carolina in 2014 who were involved in founded cases of abuse and neglect. Too many children are exposed to toxic stress and its devastating affects; too many children are hindered from learning, growing and living healthy, productive lives.

What if we, the citizens of South Carolina, said that is enough? What if South Carolina really made the commitment to do what it takes to keep our most vulnerable children safe?

The Senate’s Department of Social Services Oversight Committee has been asking those questions. Its recent report recommended, among many improvements, prevention strategies that focus on early childhood development, parenting skills and supporting at-risk families. We applaud these recommendations.

We also know that preventing child abuse is the work of more than a single state agency. It will take all of us working together to ensure that all children have the opportunity to grow happy, healthy and safe.

Children’s Trust, in public-private partnership with the Duke Endowment and DSS, is funding the Strengthening Families Program in 10 S.C. communities. This 14-week program is evidence-based and works closely with families to grow skills to significantly improve problem behaviors and school performance and decrease delinquency and alcohol and drug abuse.

We hear over and over again from parents who were at their wits’ end, at a loss on how to regain control of their families and their lives. They felt isolated, alone and overwhelmed with parenting. Some have even been on the doorstop of DSS with their children in tow, ready to surrender. This program has pulled families back from the brink of dissolution, giving them solid skills and a strong foundation, breaking generational cycles of dysfunction.

Here is a program with everyone at the table, all saying, “enough”: parents, program leaders, community partners, statewide organizations and agencies. It takes this commitment, coordination and collective effort to make children and families the priority, bringing the resources we have to the table, working together to keep children safe and families strong.

Chief Executive Officer

Children’s Trust of South Carolina

Columbia

This story was originally published May 7, 2015 at 6:46 PM with the headline "Letter: Put prevention to work to protect S.C. children from abuse and neglect."