Childrens Trust Fund Of South Carolina

CHILDREN'S TRUST IS THE ONLY STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON PREVENTING CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN SOUTH CAROLINA. IT LEADS AND SUPPORTS A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH SHARE THE BELIEF THAT ALL CHILDREN SHOULD THRIVE, LIVE IN SECURE FAMILIES AND BE SURROUNDED BY SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES. AS AN INTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON PREVENTION, CHILDREN'S TRUST SERVES AS THE STATEWIDE ADVOCATE FOR ISSUES CRITICAL TO SOUTH CAROLINA'S CHILDREN, PROVIDES RESOURCES AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO OUR PREVENTION PARTNERS, AND CREATES AND SHARES MESSAGES ABOUT PREVENTION. IT ALSO SUPPORTS AND FUNDS PROVEN PREVENTION PROGRAMS, CONDUCTS HIGH-QUALITY DATA AND TREND ANALYSIS, AND OFFERS TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS SO THEY HAVE THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO HELP CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE.

PREVENTION SERVICES: WE PROVIDE FUNDING AND PROGRAM SUPPORT TO LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. WE USE ESTABLISHED EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM MODELS THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED WITH FIDELITY SO THAT WE CAN MEASURE OUR EFFECTIVENESS AND BETTER ENSURE RESULTS. WE FOCUS ON TWO-GENERATION STRATEGIES THAT WORK TO BUILD STRONGER FAMILIES AND KEEP CHILDREN SAFE. MATERNAL, INFANT EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING PROGRAM CONTINUED SERVICES FOLLOWING THE ONSET OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. FUNDED SITES CONTINUE DELIVERING HOME VISITING MODELS EITHER FULLY VIRTUALLY OR HYBRID OPTION THAT INCLUDED IN-PERSON VISITS FOR HIGH-NEED OR TECHNOLOGY-CHALLENGED FAMILIES. THE HOME VISITING PROGRAM SERVED 1,420 FAMILIES/CAREGIVERS WITH 1,194 CHILDREN AND THROUGH 17,456 HOME VISITS. WE IMPROVED OR MAINTAINED (WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE) IN 17 OF 19 PERFORMANCE MEASURES. WE PARTNERED WITH 15 LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO SERVE PARENTS AND THEIR INFANTS IN 42 COUNTIES.THE STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROGRAM (SFP) SERVED 796 FAMILIES AND 1,507 CHILDREN. WE FUNDED 25 ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEY COMPLETED 95 CYCLES IN 33 COUNTIES IN A COMBINATION OF RURAL, URBAN AND SUBURBAN AREAS. A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE S.C. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND THE DUKE ENDOWMENT FUNDS A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF SFP PROGRAMMING. ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMES FROM S.C. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, S.C. DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG ABUSE SERVICES, AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. TRIPLE P SERVED 1,502 CAREGIVERS IMPACTING 2,900 CHILDREN. OVER THE PAST YEAR, CHILDREN'S TRUST HAS FOCUSED ON BUILDING A NETWORK OF TRIPLE P PRACTITIONERS ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA TO ENGAGE IN RESOURCE AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING. IN JANUARY, WE LAUNCHED A SURVEY TO COLLECT INFORMATION FROM TRIPLE P PRACTITIONERS ABOUT THE PROGRAMS THEY PROVIDE. TO KEEP PRACTITIONERS INFORMED ON THE NETWORK AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND TO KEEP CONNECTED TO ITS GROWING LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS, A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER WAS LAUNCHED. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOCUSED ON PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION.

RESEARCH AND EVALUATION: WE COLLECT AND STUDY CHILD, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY DATA SO THAT WE KNOW HOW AND WHERE TO TARGET PREVENTION EFFORTS. UNDERSTANDING CHILD WELL-BEING TRENDS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE INSIGHTS GAINED ENABLE US TO FOCUS ON PARTNERSHIPS, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS THAT WILL LEAD TO THE GREATEST IMPROVEMENTS. WE ALSO COLLECT AND STUDY PREVENTION PROGRAM DATA SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT'S EFFECTIVE AND WHAT'S NOT. UNDERSTANDING PROGRAM DATA, INCLUDING FINANCIAL AND PROCESS AND OUTCOME DATA, ALLOWS US TO EVALUATE OUR PREVENTION EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE OUR MISSION.CHILDREN'S TRUST COMPLETED A PARTNERSHIPS ASSESSMENT WITH ITS FUNDED PARTNERS IN HOME VISITING, STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROGRAM AND TRIPLE P. A SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY (82 PERCENT) OF RESPONDENTS REPORTED THAT CHILDREN'S TRUST MEETS THEIR NEEDS FOR PARTNER SUPPORT. SOUTH CAROLINA RANKS NO. 39 NATIONALLY IN CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING, ACCORDING TO THE 2022 KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK, A 50-STATE REPORT OF RECENT HOUSEHOLD DATA DEVELOPED BY THE ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION ANALYZING THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORTS GAINED INTERVIEWS AND NEWS STORIES THAT REACHED A STATEWIDE AUDIENCE.

COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT: WE USE VARIOUS STRATEGIES AND COMMUNICATION CHANNELS IN A FOCUSED AND MEASURED APPROACH TO GROW SUPPORT IN OUR EFFORTS TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. WE WORK TO EDUCATE, ADVOCATE AND SOLICIT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE WORK DELIVERING ON OUR MISSION, VISION AND 10-YEAR TARGET FROM CURRENT AND POTENTIAL DONORS, THOUGHT LEADERS, POLICYMAKERS, CHILD ADVOCATES, CHILD-SERVING PROFESSIONALS, AND FAMILIES. CHILDREN'S TRUST RECEIVED $277,423 IN RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED DONATIONS. THERE WERE 31 VOLUNTEERS UTILIZED DURING THE FISCAL YEAR PROVIDING 56 VOLUNTEERS HOURS TO THE ORGANIZATION.FOR CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH, 140 PARTNERS RECEIVED MESSAGING MATERIALS AND PARTICIPATED IN CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH AWARENESS ACTIVITIES. THERE WERE 328 DOWNLOADS OF THE MESSAGING TOOLKITS AND GRAPHIC FILES. COMMUNITY EVENTS AND PRESS CONFERENCES WERE HELD AROUND THE STATE TO RAISE AWARENESS. GOV. HENRY MCMASTER HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION TO DECLARE APRIL AS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE S.C. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN'S TRUST LAUNCHED COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS, A FREE 24/7 ONLINE DATABASE OF RESOURCES THAT CONNECTS SOUTH CAROLINIANS IN NEED WITH AVAILABLE SOCIAL AND HEALTHCARE SERVICES ACROSS THE STATE.