South Carolina Department of Children’'s
Advocacy

The South Carolina Department of Children’s Advocacy is an independent state agency that examines on a system-wide basis the care and services that other state agencies provide children. It also recommends ways to improve the quality of those services through the development and promotion of a broad vision for statewide reform.

Our Initiatives

Investigations Unit

Receives, refers, monitors, and/or investigates complaints regarding services provided to children by other state agencies.

Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program

Recruits, trains, and supervises volunteers, known as guardians ad litem (GALs), who advocate for abused/neglected children.

Continuum of Care Program

Serves children with the most severe and complex emotional or behavioral health challenges.

Foster Care Review Division

Supports the Foster Care Review Board, teams of volunteers who review the cases of children in foster care and makes recommendations to family courts regarding their cases.

S.C. Heart Gallery

Uses the power of photography to find homes for children and youth lingering in foster care.

S.C. Child Abuse Response Protocol

Procedures developed and adopted statewide outlining the effective and efficient response to child abuse cases. The DCA maintains and updates this protocol.

Your concerns and input are essential to our success. Please contact us with your suggestions, or file a complaint regarding services being provided to a child by a state agency.

Advocacy. Accountability. Service.