South Carolina CACs See a 4% Increase in Service Numbers
In 2023, Children’s Advocacy Centers in South Carolina provided services to 13,143 children. This represents a 4% increase over children served in 2022. To better understand these numbers, it helps to look back several years to when reliable statewide service numbers for Children’s Advocacy Centers became available.
In 2009, South Carolina Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) provided services for 6,386 children and the 13,143 children served in 2023 represent a 106% increase since 2009. Children’s Advocacy Centers are an integral part of the statewide response to child abuse in South Carolina and the SCNCAC Development Plan has helped to ensure that the statewide network of CACs has the capacity to respond to children and families in need with trauma informed and child centered services throughout the state.
Of the 13,143 children helped by South Carolina CACs in 2023, 72% were under 13 years old. Sexual abuse was the most frequent type of abuse reported with 40% of children reporting some form of sexual abuse. Children reporting physical abuse accounted for 27% of children served by CACs.
Statistics continue to indicate that a large percentage of the offenders involved in crimes against children are known to the child or family. Of the cases where children were provided with services at CACs in 2023, only 8% of the offenders were unknown to the child or the child’s family.
CACs in South Carolina also provided 51,202 case management, prevention, and other services to children and adults during 2023.
There are 17 primary CACs in South Carolina, and many are regional CACs that cover multiple counties. There are also 12 satellite CACs operated by regional CACs in the state. Together, these 29 CACs provide an array of child-focused services to children. The South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers remains committed to empowering South Carolina communities and Children’s Advocacy Centers to deliver a best practice response to child abuse.