Child Abuse Prevention Month is our yearly chance to build support for prevention across South Carolina. We come together with partners, highlight prevention successes and remind everyone, as S.C. Department of Social Services Director Tony Catone so aptly shared at our State House news conference, “that an ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure.”
We often say that prevention happens in partnership, which includes everyone from neighbors helping neighbors to Governor McMaster’s declaration of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
State Leaders Join Together
As an appropriate start, state leaders gathered at the State House on April 2 for a news conference. Lt. Governor Pamela Evette shared her experiences with seeing home visiting programs in action, and urged everyone to “Be an advocate. Be the eyes and ears of the little ones who cannot always speak for themselves,” Lt. Gov. Evette read Governor Henry McMaster’s official Child Abuse Prevention Month proclamation.
Committee on Children Chair Senator Mike Reichenbach and Vice Chair Representative Carla Schuessler shared reflections on our shared responsibility to support children and their families.
Sen. Reichenbach highlighted, “There’s a shared responsibility for us all from the public policy perspective, from the private sector, from the faith community, from the nonprofit community, for us all to do everything possible to give a voice to the voiceless and to empower those who feel not powerful.”
Rep. Schuessler reminded us, “It can be easy to focus on statistics, but behind every number is a child, a family and a story behind every child abuse number.”
Director Catone shared S.C. DSS prevention initiatives, including the Community Pathway Preparedness Procedure Program, which leverages federal financial participation to support the state’s upstream prevention efforts to strengthen children and families across the state.
Catone also emphasized the need for a “robust continuum…of conditional protective services, prevention providers and community organizations,” highlighting their support for family resource centers and other innovative approaches to expand the reach of positive parenting programs.
Acting State Child Advocate Margaret Bodman reminded everyone that we can “all do something about child abuse.” She recommended specific ways to help, from creating safe neighborhood spaces for children and families to adopting policies that support families, child care and education. She concluded, “The fight isn’t about ‘they.’ It is about ‘us.’”
Sue Williams thanked those who stood with us, “When you, the people who write our laws, set our budgets and lead our systems, stand here publicly in partnership with us, it sends a clear message that the well-being of South Carolina’s children and their families is a priority.”
She concluded, “I have said many times that children cannot vote. They cannot lobby. They cannot show up at a budget hearing and make the case. That is our job, and I am genuinely proud to do that job alongside the leaders who joined us today.”
Convening CAP Month in South Carolina
Children’s Trust supports more than 65 funded partners delivering evidence-based prevention programming in all 46 counties across South Carolina. These programs include home visiting services, parenting programs and family resource centers designed to strengthen protective factors for families.
As the state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, Children’s Trust organizes the national CAP Month campaign in South Carolina each April. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness about the importance of primary prevention, connect families to resources and connect community organizations and advocates together across the state.
This year, more than 170 organizations and agencies joined this year’s Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign to help build safer, healthier communities for children.
In March, Children’s Trust hosted our annual Kick-off Luncheon for partners. We welcomed organizations from across the state to network, share their CAP Month plans, hear from state leaders and enjoy a meal together. We heard from SCDSS State Director Tony Catone; Haley Grau, executive director of Middle Tyger Community Center; and several Children’s Trust staff.
Throughout April, Children’s Trust joined advocates and supporters across the country for #WearBlueDay on April 10 to raise awareness about preventing child abuse and neglect.
Community Partners Lead Local Efforts
Children’s Trust awarded $1,500 grants to Community Leadership Grantees across the state to support CAP Month activities. These organizations hosted events, planted pinwheel gardens, connected families to local resources and helped raise awareness about child abuse prevention.
Partners included The CARE House of the Pee Dee, Children’s Place, Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, Flourishing Families of South Carolina, Greer Relief, Hopeful Horizons, Kay Phillips Child Advocacy Center, Kindred Hearts of South Carolina, New Foundations Home for Children, Pickens County Advocacy Center and Sea Haven for Youth.
A huge part of what made CAP Month special this year is their creativity, leadership and commitment to strengthening families and creating safer environments for children with other local partners.
Home Visitors Bring Their Message to the State House
One of the month’s key events was Home Visiting Advocacy Day, where more than 70 home visitors from across South Carolina joined Children’s Trust at the State House to advocate for families and early childhood support services.
Representing communities from the coast to the Upstate, home visitors met with legislators and shared firsthand stories about the impact of home visiting programs. Lawmakers and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette voiced support for the profession and emphasized the importance of early intervention and strong family relationships.
Home visiting programs provide one-on-one support for expectant parents and families with young children, helping connect them to resources related to child development, health, education and family stability. In South Carolina, home visiting programs reached thousands of caregivers and children through nearly 19,000 visits in fiscal year 2025.
Recognizing Excellence in Home Visiting
During the advocacy event, South Carolina home visitor Sanquinta Martin of The Parenting Place in Easley was recognized as one of only five National Home Visitors of the Year by the Institute for the Advancement of Family Serving Professionals.
Martin’s recognition highlighted the dedication of home visiting professionals who work directly with families to provide support, guidance and encouragement during critical stages of early childhood development. Her award served as a reminder of the vital role prevention professionals play in helping children and families thrive.
Prevention Is a Year-Round Commitment
As Child Abuse Prevention Month concludes, we are confident we’re stronger together.
Leaders throughout the month stressed that preventing abuse and neglect requires communities, agencies, lawmakers and neighbors to work together year-round to support children and families. Whether through mentoring, home visiting, parenting support or simply helping families access resources before challenges become crises, prevention depends on consistent community involvement.
“Keeping kids safe and helping families thrive is not just a one-month mission,” Williams said. “It’s a year-round commitment — one that requires all of us.”
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors and Supporting Partners
Thank you to our CAP Month sponsors for their generous support of our work: Abacus Planning Group, Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation, AFL Global, PPC Foundation / CarolinaPower, Santee Cooper, Walmart Spark Good grant – Store #2265 – Simpsonville, Walmart Spark Good grant – Store #625 – Georgetown, Berkeley Electric Cooperative, Inc., Walmart Spark Good grant – Store #795 – Barnwell and Walmart Spark Good grant – Store #2214 – Columbia Forest Drive.
We also want to thank our supporting partners, the South Carolina Department of Social Services and the Administration for Children and Families.