Children Services Council's Mission: Protecting Kids

Agencies serving children are teaming up to help protect them from abuse.

The Children's Services Council of Pickens County held a training yesterday in Easley about what to do if you suspect a child is being abused.

Agencies represented at the training included Department of Social Services, Guardian Ad Litem, Helping Hands, Pickens County Board of Disabilities, Pickens County YMCA, Miracle Hill Ministries, the Pickens County Library System, United Way, Nurse Family Partnership, Safe Harbor, Family Connections, Behavioral Health Services of Pickens County, the Thirteen Circuit Solicitor's Office, Julie Valentine Center and more.

“Why are we here?” asked Gloria Morris, the Executive Director of The Parenting Place, home of Prevent Child Abuse Pickens County. “We're here for children. How many people are really upset in this room right now about what's going on with our children?”

Looking at the raised hands, Morris continued.

“I am. I am over the edge about a four-year-old that was beaten and raped,” she said. “That just happened.”

Pickens County is number one in the state for reports of child abuse and neglect and fifth and ninth in the state for sexual abuse and physical abuse, respectively.

“There's a lot we can do to improve,” Morris said. “And we need to get better. We're making reports, but if they keep coming back to us again, are we doing a good job? And are we so so quick to reduce the numbers now of children in foster homes, etc., are we trying to reunite people too quickly? Are those parents ready?”

The Children's Services Council is “any agency and every agency in Pickens County that is serving children and families age 0-5,” Morris said.

“If you're not part of it, you need to be part of it,” she told training attendees. “We don't want to duplicate services. We want to be united in what we do. We want to create a system of care in Pickens County.”

These agencies often deal with complicated cases.

“Wouldn't it great if we could sit at the table with DSS and DHEC and law enforcement and school district and we could staff that case within half an hour to an hour - and we're all on board- and we create a treatment plan for that family. Then we come back in two weeks and say, 'How is that family doing?'”

“That's what the Children's Services Council is all about,” Morris continued. “None of us can do this alone, can we? Not any more – it's so complicated.”

The council can help prevented wasted time and dollars by getting people the help they need the most first.

“If a parent comes to us, and they have some addiction problems first, they're not ready to receive my parenting and home visitation services” Morris said. “They have to be in that frame of mind ready to receive. So, wouldn't it be better if Behavioral Health had them or Compass of the Carolinas or someone else had them first? Then, when they are ready, we're talking to these agencies, and they come to us. We would have better outcomes, wouldn't we?”

These problems are long-term, she said.

“And we need to be with them long-term,” Morris said. “We put band-aids on a lot of things, and we move on. But if we're really concerned about child well-being, we have to work together.”

Morris said she cares about every child.

“They're God's children, they're our children,” she said. “And if we want to improve our academic outcomes, if we want to improve our economy, if we want to really improve our county, it's starts here, doesn't it? Children and families.

She spoke of the Newtown school shooting last month.

“What happened there?” Morris asked. “Where was the breakdown with this young man. What happened systemically with this young man, that he needed so much mental health care and he never got it. And the end result is how many children are dead?

“We need to know what's going on out there,” Morris said. “We need to be vigilant.”

For more information on the Children's Service Council of Pickens County, visit its facebook page or call CSC Coordinator Whitney Moore at 952-9630.