Children's Trust News
Oct. 9, 2014
Sue Williams head shot
Sue Williams, CEO
Home Visiting Summit Focused on the Future
Professionals Connect, Collaborate and Change to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

Last week Children's Trust gathered close to 300 home-visiting professionals for a summit meeting that focused on building a stronger system for South Carolina families.  The summit emphasized the positive change home visiting programs have had for South Carolina's children and families over the last four years.

 

Today we find ourselves at a tipping point for South Carolina's children and families.  It is time for all of us to seek lasting and transformative programs to break generational cycles of dysfunction, poverty and abuse. We must widen the view and focus even more broadly on building and sustaining child-serving networks to make children and families our priority. We have made important strides, and it is imperative that we sustain and expand upon that progress.

 

Home visiting has the potential to bring about real change for South Carolina's families, protecting vulnerable children from abuse and neglect and their life-long impacts.

 

Read more about our home visiting work. Join us in this important effort.  

 

Sincerely,     

 
Home Visiting Summit attendees learn from the "Leading to Change" presenters about generational differences to better connect and collaborate in their work prevent abuse and neglect.  
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Children's Trust Challenges Citizens to #StepUpForKids
Children's Trust Partners with Every Child Matters
Every Child Matters Education Fund is a non-profit, non-partisan organization working to make public investments in children, youth and families a national political priority. Each year Every Child Matters supports Step Up for Kids across the country, bringing together thousands of people to show widespread support for investments in children and families.

Children's Trust is proud to be a Step Up For Kids partnering organization to raise awareness among voters and political candidates on issues of importance to America's  children, such as access to early care and learning, after-school programs, poverty, health care and child abuse and neglect. 

At the Home Visiting Summit 2014 attendees were encouraged to share how important their work and their programs are to the future of South Carolina and why home visiting makes the difference. As November elections approach, everyone is encouraged to show support for child-based decision making from our elected officials.  Please use the hashtags #StepUpForKidsSC and #VoteForSCKids.

The team from The Parenting Place participates in the Step Up For Kids photo booth. 
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Prevention Workshops Scheduled
Regional Training Sessions Will Build Skills to Prevent Child Abuse and Injury

Children's Trust will host full-day training sessions focusing on building strong families through protective factors, child passenger safety, safe sleep practices and shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma awareness.  There is no cost to attend the workshops, and lunch will be provided.  Please register to ensure your seat and lunch availability.   

Birley Wright, Prevention Training Coordinator, will lead Community Prevention Workshops throughout South Carolina.

  

Social workers, program supervisors, child care providers, youth-serving professionals and guidance counselors are encouraged to attend.  Five contact hours will be offered for those who desire continuing education credits.     

 

The workshop content will be the same for each session, so participants only need to sign up for one. 
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S.C. Counties Ranked According to Child Well-Being
County Data Pages Now Available
Children's Trust has released child well-being fact sheets for every South Carolina county. Fact sheets rank counties by indicator, domain and an overall rank. 

The top counties in South Carolina for child well-being in rank order are York, Lexington, Dorchester, Pickens and Greenville.  The lowest ranked counties in South Carolina are Allendale, Williamsburg, Lee, Marion, Marlboro and Colleton. 

County-level and statewide KIDS COUNT data is available. 

 
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Programs for Parenting and Pregnant Teens Launched in Four Communities
As part of the Community Support for Young Parents Initiative, four launch events recently showcased plans to help pregnant and parenting teens through educational attainment, family planning, parenting skills and access to services. 

Partnering with the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Children's Trust is the lead agency for the program. Other state-wide partners include the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families, South Carolina Rural Health Research Center and South Carolina Thrive/The Benefit Bank. Funding for this effort comes through the Pregnancy Assistance Fund at the Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"If young parents connect to an array of support services, their children have a greater chance of being raised in a safe and nurturing environment," said Lee Porter, chief program officer of Children's Trust. "These collaborations and partnerships at the statewide and local levels work to give young parents the supports and tools they need to be successful - both in the short- and long-term of raising their family."

 

For more information on individual programs, please contact the following: 
  • Darlington County: Parents Are First through Darlington County First Steps, Ashley Homan, 843-639-0282, [email protected]
  • Oconee County:  CU Succeed Program through Clemson University's Joseph F. Sullivan Center, 864-656-3076 (Joseph F. Sullivan Center) or 864-898-5583 (The Parenting Place), ask about "CU Succeed."
  • Spartanburg County:  Adolescent Family Life Program through Mary Black Foundation, Tina Gaudiano, Middle Tyger Community Center, 864-439-7760
  • Richland County:  Parenting Teen Partnership through United Way of the Midlands, Karen Oliver, [email protected]
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Branham Selected for National Institute for State-Based Advocates
Megan Branham, Policy and Government Liaison
Megan Branham, policy and government liaison for Children's Trust of South Carolina, has been selected to participate in the second class of the Leadership Institute for State-based Advocates, a national program of the Annie E. Casey Foundation designed to build the skills of accomplished leaders within its KIDS COUNT network of state-based child advocacy organizations.

During the next 18 months, participants in the Leadership Institute will broaden their vision, increase their knowledge, strengthen their existing networks and expand and refine the adaptive leadership skills critical to advancing policy reform and advocacy agendas for children.

 

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Annual Safety Campaign Begins
12 Award-Winning Student Artists Acknowledged 
Student art winner Kassandra Hernandez-Zuniga from Taylor's Elementary is featured on the child passenger safety posters. Click on the photo for a complete list of student art winners. 
With the new school year in full swing, Children's Trust of South Carolina has launched its annual safety education campaign - On the Safe Side.

As part of its Safe Kids program, On the Safe Side targets elementary school-age children, their families and teachers and is organized around 12 specific injury-risk areas. Materials include safety tips, lesson plans, an online quiz, web resources and take-home activity posters with children's artwork.

Complete materials, including Spanish versions of the posters and tips sheets, are available on our website. 


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Annual Gala Enjoys Another Successful Year
Children's Trust celebrated 30 years of keeping kids safe at its annual gala. The fun-filled evening benefited the important work of preventing child abuse, neglect and injury for South Carolina's children. 

Children's Trust is fortunate to enjoy the support of so many generous partners, from dedicated volunteer gala committee members to event hosts to corporate sponsors.  Thanks to everyone who helped make this evening a success.  

Gala photo galleries are now available. 
Gala committee members from the Columbia area enjoy their hard work. Photo by Karen Jonhson, LLC. 
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Children's Trust News is published by Children's Trust of South Carolina.

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