Prevent Child Abuse & Neglect in South Carolina

There is a parable about a villager who discovers a baby floating in the river. The villager jumps in and rescues the baby. The next day, the villager finds two more babies in the river. He brings the babies back to the village and finds families to love and care for them. While the villagers figure out how to provide love, food and shelter for the three new babies, they discover even more babies in the river. As they manage their new responsibilities, a wise villager hikes upstream, determined to uncover the source of the issue.

Strong Families Grow Out of Strong Communities

Much like that village, when children come downstream, our partners stabilize precarious situations through protective services, emergency shelters, medical care and counseling.

At Children’s Trust, we go upstream. We change the narrative. We focus on proven protections such as creating strong support systems and promoting positive family bonding skills, connecting families to resources, understanding child development and assisting children in managing their feelings and emotions.

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Prevention is a wise and long-term investment.

South Carolina spends about $1 billion each year on direct and indirect costs related to addressing child abuse and neglect. Investing in prevention resources, which are significantly cheaper, provides a remarkable return. Similar to most investments, prevention demands careful planning and a long-term commitment, and it will produce results for decades.

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Generational cycles of abuse and neglect must be interrupted. 

We focus on two-generation strategies, collaborating with families to break entrenched cycles of abuse. By helping parents connect with resources and find the resilience to navigate challenging times, we create lasting change for children through safety and stability at home. We are supporting our kids today in learning how to be the parents of tomorrow.

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Innovative programs have the power to transform. 

We have invested in new solutions—grounded in research and driven by collaboration—that focus on sustainable programs to reduce child abuse and neglect in our state. We understand what works and need your help to ensure all families and children have access to support and services.

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Prevention is everyone’s responsibility, and it happens in partnership.  

Children thrive when families are strong, and families thrive when communities support them. We invest in community-based organizations to ensure they have the tools they need to assist children and their families.

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One more case of child abuse is one too many. 

The damage from abuse is too significant, lasting far longer than the immediate danger and pain. Adverse childhood experiences create toxic stress, which can hinder normal growth and have severe, long-lasting effects on individuals’ health and well-being throughout their lives. Treating the adverse health and social outcomes can be staggering.