New Tools Launched to Report Abuse and Neglect Cases in South Carolina
For Immediate Release
Contact: Will Batchelor
Director of Media Relations
(803) 767-1488
New Tools Launched to Report Abuse and Neglect Cases in South Carolina
December 11, 2020- The South Carolina Department of Social Services recently launched two new ways to report suspected cases involving the abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult via the 1-888-CARE-4-US phone number and a new online submission portal on the agency’s website.
The new centralized phone number for reporting, rolled out this month, provides callers in all 46 South Carolina counties with one centralized phone number to make reports 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The online submission option on the agency’s website also operates 24 hours a day and can be found here.
“Previously, all individual counties were responsible for manning their own individual intake phone lines. Now, these resources take a more uniform approach to what we were previously doing and increases accessibility for callers or online users to make sure their concerns are heard in an efficient manner,” said Carissa Gainey, Director of Safety Management for DSS. “This is just another way DSS is making changes to improve how children and families are served in South Carolina.”
Making a report via either method is simple, and reporters can remain anonymous. To make a report by phone, call the 24-hour Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-888-CARE4US (1-888-227-3487). From there, callers will be connected with a trained intake specialist to collect information for the report. Staff will assist the person making the report and assess the information provided to determine next steps. For online submissions of non-emergency referrals via the DSS website, a similar process will occur and the submission will be assessed in real time by a trained intake specialist. The phone line and website submission portal will be staffed and operational on state and national holidays.
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