Lexington County, SC 04/16/2024 - April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Stand with us as we build hopeful futures, together, by advocating for all families to receive the resources and support they need. Citizen Review Panels (CRPs) are federally mandated mechanisms for citizen participation in child protection, through evaluation and public outreach.
Each state is required to have at least one CRP and in South Carolina, our CRP is housed at the Joseph F. Rice School of Law at USC. Volunteer panel members assess their state and local child protective services (CPS) agencies and collect public opinion on CPS policies and services. In South Carolina, there are three panels located in different geographic areas of the state. The Upstate Panel alternates meeting in Greenwood and Greenville counties; the Midlands Panel meets in Richland County; and the Lowcountry Panel meets in Charleston County.
Panels review policies, procedures, and practices of the CPS system and make recommendations annually to the South Carolina Department of Social Services. These recommendations intend to help improve the CPS system and make a difference in the lives of children who are abused or neglected. Citizen Review Panels offer volunteers an effective way to share in the community’s responsibility to protect the children of South Carolina.
The primary purpose of the Citizen Review Panels is to assist state and local child protection systems to be more responsive to community needs and opportunities in providing child protection services through evaluation, public outreach, and advocacy.
The South Carolina Panel:
Evaluates the extent to which the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) is effectively discharging its child protection responsibilities.
Conducts public outreach and gathers public comment on current DSS procedures and practices involving child protection services.
Advocates for relevant actions that would help improve the child protection services system in South Carolina.
To learn more about the panel, please email Nina.Spinelli@outlook.com in the Midlands Region!
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