15th Annual Children’s Advocacy Center Day Press Conference
Columbia, S.C. — April 1, 2026
In a powerful demonstration of statewide commitment to child protection, South Carolina officials, advocates, and lawmakers convened at the Statehouse today to commemorate the 15th Annual Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) Day. Governor Henry McMaster and the General Assembly once again recognized the critical mission of Children’s Advocacy Centers through an official proclamation and joint legislative resolution, formally declaring April 1, 2026, as CAC Day across South Carolina.
Tom Knapp, CEO of the South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, opened the event by thanking the Attorney General’s office, Children’s Trust, the Department of Children’s Advocacy, the Department of Social Services, and the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children, along with all General Assembly members in attendance.
“This 15th annual CAC day is an opportunity to acknowledge the vital work of CACs across our state,” Knapp said. “Today we want to focus on the 14,184 children served by South Carolina Children’s Advocacy Centers in 2025 and the thousands upon thousands more that will need our help in 2026 and beyond.”
The Cost of Compassion
Knapp outlined the significant resources required to maintain South Carolina’s response to child abuse. In 2025, CACs spent nearly $22 million to provide more than 49,000 direct services—including forensic interviews, medical evaluations, mental health treatments, and victim advocacy. [There were also over 60,000 case management and case coordination services with MDT partners provided by CACs.]
While expressing gratitude for support from foundations, endowments, and state agencies, Knapp highlighted a critical challenge: after the General Assembly provided 7% of needed funding in fiscal year 2024-2025, no state funding was available in the current fiscal year. Though CACs replaced some lost funds through one-time contracts, grants, and reserves, the gap resulted in lost service providers and program delays statewide.
The $1.5 million requested for fiscal year 2026-2027 would provide 7.19% of the total cost of serving over 14,000 children. Knapp emphasized that state funding serves as match dollars for federal, foundation, and endowment grants, meaning years without this support have a compounding impact on the ability to serve children across the state.
A Passionate Plea for Sustained Support
Attorney General Alan Wilson delivered an emotional address, noting that after 15 years in office, this would be his final CAC Day event. Drawing from his experience as a prosecutor, Wilson emphasized that the 14,184 children served represent far more than a number. When multiplied by affected family members, investigators, and court officials, tens of thousands of lives are impacted.
Wilson passionately advocated for prioritizing CAC funding, explaining that by consolidating services in one location, CACs provide both the most compassionate and cost-effective approach to child protection while minimizing trauma from repeated interviews. He reminded attendees that the 14,184 figure represents only reported cases—”the tip of the iceberg”—and urged state leadership to never forget the frontline workers at Children’s Advocacy Centers.
Prevention and Awareness
Sue Williams, CEO of Children’s Trust of South Carolina, spoke about the organization’s statewide focus on preventing child abuse before it occurs, leading Child Abuse Prevention Month every April through initiatives like the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign.
Williams highlighted that CACs play a vital role on the front lines of responding to abuse and noted that many have also expanded their focus to prevention—reaching families before a crisis occurs, connecting them to resources, and building the trust needed within communities to support effective early intervention.
Margaret Bodman, Interim State Child Advocate from the Department of Children’s Advocacy, traced the history of CACs back to 1985 when an Alabama prosecutor created the first center to address fragmented systems that were traumatizing abused children. In South Carolina, this vision led to the state CAC network and the 2018 Child Abuse Response Protocol Act, which formalized the use of CACs and multidisciplinary teams as best practice.
“The multidisciplinary teams working collaboratively in CACs across this state are vital,” Bodman said, “to the birth of the next monumental systemic change that will benefit every child we can prevent from walking into a CAC tomorrow.”
Legislative Leadership
Representative Paula Calhoon emphasized how South Carolina’s Child Abuse Response Protocol Act formalizes the critical work CACs perform daily, recognizing the forensic interviewers, therapists, medical professionals, victim advocates, and multidisciplinary team partners from law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and prosecution.
“Through their multidisciplinary team model and child-centered approach, CACs provide coordinated care that minimizes additional trauma to children and sets children and families on a path of healing and justice,” Calhoon said as she read and presented the 2026 resolution, congratulating Tom Knapp on the work accomplished by the South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers.
Alarming Numbers, Compassionate Response
Tony Catone, Director of the South Carolina Department of Social Services, presented sobering statistics: in 2025, DSS received more than 69,000 reports of child maltreatment, with 7,169 cases substantiated.
“When abuse or neglect occurs, it’s our collective responsibility as a coordinated system to respond together in a way that helps children heal, provides timely access to services, and prevents further harm,” Catone said.
He emphasized that no single organization can meet this challenge alone, praising the partnership with CACs statewide.
“Most importantly, it allows children to tell their story in a safe and supportive environment, surrounded by trained professionals who are working together towards the same goal of protection, healing, and hope for the future,” Catone said.
A Sustained Commitment
To close the 15th Annual CAC Day, Tom Knapp presented the 2026 Be Heard for Kids Statewide Leadership Award to Labrena Aiken-Furtick, Director of the Edisto Children’s Center and longtime member of the South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers Board of Directors.
Aiken-Furtick was honored for her unwavering dedication to communities across Orangeburg, Calhoun, and Bamberg Counties and her leadership in strengthening the statewide response to child abuse.
With 14,184 children served statewide in 2025 and thousands more expected to need assistance in the years ahead, the state’s Children’s Advocacy Centers remain committed to ensuring every child is protected, believed, and given the support they need to heal.
Click the image below to watch the full press conference.
