Coastal Carolina University video series puts a spotlight on Eric Bellamy of Children’s Trust.
Coastal Carolina University recently featured alumnus Eric Bellamy, the chief partner engagement officer for Children’s Trust, in its “Coastal Now: An Inside Look at CCU” video series.
Bellamy, who graduated from CCU in 2001, credits his time at the university for helping him achieve so much. In this video, he talks about his experiences at Coastal Carolina and his career at Children’s Trust, which has a mission of strengthening South Carolina’s families and communities through the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
“Just about all my success has been from the experience that I had at Coastal Carolina,” Bellamy said. “A lot of the courses and time spent at Coastal Carolina really helped me lay the groundwork for where I am today. It’s rooted me in a lot of the aspects of what I want to do in working with human services.”
At Children’s Trust, Bellamy provides strategic leadership for emerging prevention programs such as Family Resource Centers while continuing to oversee the home visiting program. He joined the team in 2010 and played a key role in building a statewide home visiting infrastructure that is well-respected nationally and across our state.
“We try to better our children and families, catch them at a younger age to keep them out of harm’s way later on in life,” he said. “As we think about making better systems and transformation in the state, we know that we’re making a difference there.”
When the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) federal funding was up for renewal by the U.S. Congress in 2018, Bellamy testified before the House of Representatives Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources to help ensure continued support for home visiting across the nation. He also was instrumental in the expansion of the Strengthening Families Program across the state.
Bellamy currently serves on the board of directors for the Association of State and Tribal Home Visiting Initiatives (ASTHVI), a two-year term that began in 2020. He was also named a 2020 recipient of the One in a Million Award by the New York-based organization Multiplying Good, which offers programs that help individuals discover their potential through service to others.
