Columbia, SC… Jennifer Burch has been promoted to state director for the Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program, a division of the Department of Children’s Advocacy.  Her first day in this position is October 17, and she succeeds LaDara Depugh who was appointed to chief of staff for the DCA in September.
 
In this position, Burch will oversee a team of almost 150 staff and 1,000 volunteers who provide best-interest advocacy for children involved in Department of Social Services abuse and neglect cases in family court across 45 South Carolina counties.  For the 2024 fiscal year, the program served more than 11,500 children, averaging 6,600 cases each month. 
 
“Jennifer’s experience with the Guardian ad Litem Program, her formal education in business administration, her innate leadership skills, and her passion for people will serve the children of South Carolina well as she leads the Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program,” says Amanda Whittle, state child advocate and director of the DCA.  “This is an important role for the youth of our state, and I look forward to working with Jennifer to continue growing the program’s impact on children during this critical time in their lives.
 
“We are grateful for the interest we received from well-qualified candidates who applied for this position.”
 
Burch has been with the Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program since June 2014 and has served as the Pee Dee regional director since 2022. She is deeply invested in the GAL program’s mission and vision and is honored to be named the statewide director. She recognizes and values the program’s staff and volunteers’ unrelenting dedication to upholding best-interest advocacy, and she is committed to maintaining the program’s forward trajectory.
 
“I am deeply inspired by our passionate volunteers and staff, whose drive and dedication have a profound impact on the lives of deserving children,” says Burch. “I am committed to maintaining our program’s excellence in advocating for the well-being of each child we serve.”
 
Burch resides in Mt. Croghan, South Carolina, with her husband and two sons.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Coastal Carolina University.

About the Department of Children’s Advocacy
The South Carolina Department of Children’s Advocacy’s mission is to champion advocacy, accountability, and service to improve outcomes for children served by state agencies in South Carolina. The DCA is an independent state agency which administers the Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program, Continuum of Care, Foster Care Review Division, and System Improvement Division.