Policy News and Information for South Carolina's Children


Children's Trust of South Carolina Policy Post

Policy Post
Nov. 10, 2016
U.S. House Committee Holds Briefing on Home Visiting Program
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means hosted a bipartisan briefing for staff last week on the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Education (MIECHV) program.
 
MIECHV is a federal-state partnership that supports voluntary, evidence-based home visiting programs in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories. MIECHV programs, which are up for reauthorization in 2017, connect families with highly-trained and community-based home visitors who partner with low-income families to help lay the foundation for healthy development, school readiness, and economic self-sufficiency. Participation is voluntary and tailored to family, child and community needs.   

Children's Trust oversees the MIECHV grant in South Carolina and currently partners with 16 local implementing agencies in 39 counties. Our organization hosted a Home Visiting Summit in September that brought together 280 attendees to learn more about building a cohesive early childhood system across the state.
New Study Suggests Guidance on Safe Sleep Not Being Followed
Researchers at Penn State University studied parent behaviors about safe sleep practices. They found that current public education and health care provider guidance about safe infant sleep is not being followed.

The report recommends exploring alternate ways of communicating this critical information to parents in a way that make is more likely they will act on it. Just providing the facts about what is safe and unsafe is not sufficient. 

The report also found that infants who changed sleep locations overnight had an increased likelihood of bed-sharing and sleeping in a manner where they are not on their backs.
Justice 360 to Host Director of Equal Justice Initiative at Township Auditorium
Justice 360, a South Carolina nonprofit organization that works to reform policies and practices in capital proceedings, will host a "Let's Talk Justice" forum to advance dialogue around social justice issues. 

Bryan Stevenson, the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, will speak about his work advocating for reform in the justice system.  The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people.

The event will be held Nov. 17 at the Township Auditorium from 6 to 9 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
Study Finds Racial Bias in Preschool Teachers
Based on  new research  from the Yale Child Study Center, many early childhood programs show implicit bias in assessing children's behavioral challenges that impact decisions around suspension and expulsion. 
 
According to the U.S. Department of Education 's 2013-2014 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) , black children account for only 19 percent of those enrolled in public school pre-kindergarten but are 47 percent of preschool children who receive one or more suspensions. Black boys are also more likely to be expelled than their peers. In addition to implicit bias, these children experience higher stress levels and less access to high-quality early education. 
 
Based on these findings, as well as a growing body of research around racial disparities and early education, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) is calling for a review of  federal, state and local policies.
Webinar Hosts Recap of Election Results
Child Care Aware  of America is hosting a webinar that recaps the 2016 election results.  The organization's policy team will provide a preview of the next administration and Congress, including a summary of potential cabinet members, congressional leadership and committee changes, and an overview of state legislatures.

The presenters for the Nov. 16 webinar will be Jay Nichols, the organization's director of federal policy and governmental affairs, and Michelle McCready, chief of public policy. It will begin at 3 p.m.
Child Welfare News From Across the Country
Opioid Addiction Across the Nation Behind Rising Numbers of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

During November, National Adoption Month, the Pew Charitable Trusts place a spotlight on the opioid epidemic and the impact it's having on kinship care across the country.  The number of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren is going up, and increasingly it's because their own kids are addicted to heroin or prescription drugs, or have died from an overdose.

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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.