SCDSS Joins National Partnership to Reduce and Prevent Child Maltreatment Fatalities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Danielle Jones
Danielle.Jones@dss.sc.gov
Contact: Will Batchelor
Will.Batchelor@dss.sc.gov
SCDSS Joins National Partnership to Reduce and Prevent Child Maltreatment Fatalities
Child welfare leaders are shifting the field to be more proactive, aiming to prevent tragedies
October 1, 2021 – The South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS) is teaming up with child welfare leaders from across the nation to improve child safety and realign child welfare toward a more preventative, child and family well-being system. This partnership has led to the National Partnership for Child Safety (NPCS). Supported by Casey Family Programs, NPCS members share key data with the goal of improving case outcomes.
Enhancing the ability of child welfare agencies to share data and use data to identify and protect children at risk of maltreatment or fatality will help save children’s lives. To strengthen accountability, promote collaboration, and improve child safety outcomes, members of this partnership will share data and apply a set of strategies. Those strategies include implementing a standardized platform for critical incident review and reporting of data, comparing critical incident and team culture data, sharing cross-jurisdictional safety notices and more.
By adopting a public health approach that links CPS agencies with community partners, members aim to build support for and resilience within families before crises occur. Through implementation of these recommendations, we will be creating a learning laboratory, building from pilot sites, testing ideas, and learning from one another. By implementing more proactive rather than reactive strategies, we hope to enhance quality improvement, reduce the current rate of workforce instability, and address the cycle of blame that occurs in response to critical incidents. Learn more about the collaborative through recommendations and findings of the federal Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities.
To request an interview with a spokesperson for the National Partnership for Child Safety, please contact Jennifer Devlin at 703-966-3241 or jenniferdevlin7@gmail.com.
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