DSS Announces New Pickens County Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
publicinfo@dss.sc.gov
803-898-7602
DSS Announces New Pickens County Director
Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Social Services would like to announce Cynthia Wolthuis as the new Pickens County DSS Director. Ms. Wolthuis will begin her role on Wednesday, April 17th.
Ms. Wolthuis began her career in social services in 1991 with the Pickens County DSS office in Economic Services. She later transitioned to Child Protective Services in Saluda County. Ms. Wolthuis worked for the State Foster Care Review Board in the late 1990’s, covering Pickens, Spartanburg, and Berkeley counties.
In 1999, Ms. Wolthius decided to take a break from her professional career and returned in 2008 in the Anderson County DSS office. Two years later, she became a program coordinator with the Cass Elias Guardian ad Litem Program in Pickens County conducting foster home licensing work with the South Carolina Youth Advocate Program (SCYAP). In 2013, Ms. Wolthuis returned to DSS as the investigations team leader in Oconee County. In 2019, she became the team coordinator in Oconee County.
“Over my career, I have continuously been an advocate for children and families. When I reflect on the most vulnerable in our communities, I am convinced of the need for someone to stand in the gap and answer the call to help,” said Ms. Wolthius. “Children and families need passionate advocates to thrive, and one of the foundational components of a healthy society is healthy families. I am a proponent of the new initiatives DSS has implemented over the past several years to strengthen families and promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and vulnerable adults. I look forward to returning to Pickens County and working with our community partners to achieve these goals.”
Ms. Wolthius graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
She is a certified forensic interviewer. She also served on the board of Calvary Home for Children in Anderson County from 2017 to 2019.
For more information on DSS services available for Pickens County and the state at large, please visit the SCDSS website here.
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