Policy News and Information Impacting South Carolina's Children

October 2015

Committee on Children Schedules November Hearings

Children and Family Issues Will Be Discussed In Advance of 2016 Session

The Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children will hold its annual fall hearings in November. The public gets the opportunity to communicate important issues regarding children and pass along recommendations to state leaders.

Testimony at these hearings historically has offered significant contributions to the development of the committee's legislative agenda. Comments also can be offered by email to comments@law.sc.edu or by mail to the Committee on Children, 1600 Hampton Street, Suite 502, Columbia S.C. 29208.

If you plan to testify in person, you may sign up at the hearing. Comments will be heard on a first-come, first-serve basis. The time allotted for each speaker is five minutes.

Wednesday, November 4

5 to 7 p.m.

Charleston County Public Library

68 Calhoun St., Charleston

Tuesday, November 10

5 to 7:30 p.m.

Florence-Darlington Tech Main Campus

Fred C. Fore Auditorium

2715 West Lucas St., Florence

Tuesday, November 17th

4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

105 Gressette Building, State House Grounds

Columbia

Additional Hearing Scheduled at the State House

The First Steps Study Committee is scheduled to meet from 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Blatt Building, Room 433, to discuss agency recommendations that are due to the General Assembly by the start of the Jan. 2016. The meeting will be broadcast live.

Matthews Wins Special Election To Fill Senate Seat of Late Clementa Pinckney

Democrat Margie Bright Matthews won the special election in October to fill the late Senator Clementa Pinckney's seat in District 45. Mathews, an attorney, focused her campaign on education, economic, and civil rights issues. She will represent the six-county district until November 2016, when she must run again to keep the seat.

Public Hearings Continue for Federal Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities

The Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF), a federal advisory committee established by the Protect Our Kids Act of 2012, will hold a series of open meetings by teleconference on the following dates:

Thursday, Nov. 12, 1 to 3 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 3, 1 to 3 p.m.

The committee will convene these meetings to discuss testimony received, review the work of the subcommittees and develop recommendations for its final report. To attend via webinar/teleconference, dial (800) 870-9004 and enter the passcode: 3676137#. Members of the public will not have the opportunity to ask questions or otherwise participate in the meeting.

Comments may be submitted via the website. Agendas, supporting documents and meeting minutes will be posted to the CECANF website as they come available.

Congress Passes Continuing Resolution As Budget Debate Continues

Important Programs Designed to Help Families and Children Remain at Risk

The U.S. Congress congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown Sept. 30 by passing a continuing resolution (H.R. 719) to temporarily extend government funding at 2015 levels through December 11.

The temporary measure forces the debate over long-term spending to continue. Federal spending will reach the debt ceiling by Nov. 5, which requires a vote to raise the ceiling.

Several programs designed to help children and families are at risk during these continued negotiations. While extended current funding levels are extended until December, several crucial programs are due for reauthorization.

Results Indicate Pay For Success Works In Funding Early Childhood Education

Utah United Way Teams With Investment Bankers to Fund Preschool Expansion

According to a new report released by the United Way of Salt Lake, the initial results of America's first Social Impact Bonds (SIB) or Pay for Success (PFS) transaction for early childhood education shows that both the preschool intervention, and the financing mechanism itself, have achieved a successful results as reported by an independent evaluator.

The United Way of Salt Lake cut a check for $267,000 to investment bankers who funded public preschool expansion in Utah. The early payment came because initial results showed the program is working already at reducing the number of kids who need special education in grade school.

Goldman Sachs and J.B. Pritzker committed $7 million to the PFS program, which will fund expanded preschool services for five years. Researchers will continue to monitor the students through sixth grade.

Read More

NCSL Magazine Highlights Top-Notch Benefits of Pre K

Support Continues to Grow For Funding and Supporting Preschool Programs

The National Conference of State Legislatures featured a story in its October/November 2015 magazine on the benefits and growth of support for high-quality preschool. The article highlights state efforts to fund voluntary preschool and innovative legislation passed to increase quality and monitoring throughout the country.

Child Welfare News from Around the Country

Abuse Prevention Bill Becomes Law in California to Prevent Child Abuse on School Grounds by School Personnel

PleasantonWeekly.com reports that Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law a bipartisan bill that requires California's State Department of Education to create best practices for school personnel to prevent abuse, including sexual abuse, of children on school grounds, by school personnel, or in school-sponsored programs.

The department would also need to post links to existing training resources on its website.

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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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