The Department of Social Services is charged with investigating reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. Therefore, the child fatalities reported on this website are only those cases that the department has indicated for abuse or neglect. Definitions for abuse and neglect are outlined in the Children's Code Title 63, Chapter 7.
Child fatalities reported on this website do not include all child deaths in South Carolina. This child fatality data cannot be directly compared to the data produced by other agencies such as SLED, DHEC, or the South Carolina Child Fatality Advisory Committee (SCFAC). In many cases, each department's reports are dictated by the purpose and goals of the report and the restrictions imposed by state statutes.
Create Local Detail Reports
This data does not include all child fatalities in South Carolina, but only those reported to DSS and for which DSS indicated the report for abuse and/or neglect.
Click here for a more comprehensive look at child fatalities