Senate Aims to End Charleston DSS Neglect Cases, House Unconcerned

General Assembly adjourned last week and won't reconvene until January again. Before they departed, they proposed how millions of dollars should be spent. Although the State Senate seems in favor of ending DSS neglect cases throughout the state, The House Ways and Means Committee apparently believes other things are more important than protecting some of our most vulnerable citizens. Alternate Budgets Were Proposed Tim Smith at Greenville Online covered several of the decisions and proposals made by the General Assembly, and explained what each resolution means for South Carolina residents. Among the topics was how to spend $300 million dollars. As part of an overall plan, the Senate wants to use $8.5 million to hire more caseworkers for the Department of Social Services. This would provide 262 new employees to help reduce the caseloads of existing overworked staffers. The House Ways and Means Committee wants to spend about half of the available funds on roads and allocate funds for an incentives package for Volvo, among other things, but there's no mention of relief for the Department of Social Services. The Department of Social Services is Failing In January, a class-action lawsuit was brought against the Department of Social Services. Michelle H. vs. Haley is a groundbreaking case involving 11 different children who have all suffered DSS neglect. Their hope is to instigate change in the system, so that no other children have to endure what they have. Their stories involve being shuffled from place to place, swapped between caseworkers, and often left behind in facilities. Some have been through extreme trauma at the hands of the system. Stories of going without food, being forced to eat spoiled food, and not having basic hygiene needs are prevalent. Even worse still, some children have are outright neglected or physically abused by caretakers in approved homes, according to a New York Times article. Sam P. K. Collins of Think Progress has spoken about a baby who died within two weeks of being placed by the Department of Social Services. The baby's foster mother kept him in a shoe box, rather than a crib. A 12-year-old victim of incest and sexual abuse who is now in the system has attempted suicide twice, simply because no counselor and no caseworker was assigned to the child's case. The list goes on. While the government agency cites lack of funding and points the finger, these incidents continue to occur, and children go without their basic needs being met.

Charleston DSS Neglect Attorney

Right now, the organization is deficient and the government knows it. Sadly, there's no telling if or when relief will come for children who are lost in the system. If your child or a child you care about has suffered because the Department of Social Services is not doing its job, we may be able to help. Please contact us for a free consultation. Our attorneys can be reached via our online form or directly by calling 1(800)610-2546.