Statewide News

In 2024, Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) across South Carolina provided services to 13,788 children—a 5% increase from the number served in 2023. To put this growth into perspective, reliable statewide data has been tracked since 2009, when CACs served 6,386 children. Since then, the number of children served annually has more than doubled, reflecting a 116% increase over the past 15 years. CACs play a vital role in South Carolina’s coordinated response to child abuse. The SCNCAC Development Plan has been instrumental in helping build a network of centers equipped to deliver trauma-informed, child-centered services across the…

More than 500 professionals gathered at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center from May 27–30 for the 2nd Annual Joint Symposium on Child Abuse & Neglect for the Carolinas. Hosted by the South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers (SCNCAC), in collaboration with Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Carolina (CACNC), this year’s Seaside Symposium continued to build on its mission to strengthen the coordinated response to child abuse. This three-day professional development event was designed for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) and their Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) partners. A total of 478 attendees and 42 speakers participated in 48 sessions…

Columbia, S.C. — April 22, 2025 In a moving and resolute show of bipartisan unity and community commitment, South Carolina officials, advocates, and lawmakers gathered at the Statehouse last week to mark the 14th Annual Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) Day, an event dedicated to highlighting the vital work of Children’s Advocacy Centers across the state. Governor Henry McMaster and the General Assembly formally declared April 15, 2025, as CAC Day through an official proclamation and a joint legislative resolution (H. 4213). Tom Knapp, President and CEO of the South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, opened the press conference…

Problematic Sexual Behavior – Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy™ (PSB-CBT™) is a comprehensive family-based clinical treatment intervention for children and adolescents with problematic sexual behaviors. The PSB-CBT™ models were developed and tested at the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. SCNCAC has worked with Project BEST to provide training and support for this model at a number of CACs in South Carolina. A number of CACs are offering the PSB-CBT model and SCNCAC continues to work with stakeholders and CACs to increase the capacity of the model across the state. SCNCAC…

The South Carolina Child Abuse Response Protocol Act helps to ensure that all children in South Carolina have access to an evidence based and best practice response to child abuse to help provide healing and restore hope during the most difficult time in their young lives. This legislation requires that in the investigation of a known or suspected crime against a child, a multidisciplinary team must follow the Protocol as developed by the SC Children’s Justice Act Task Force and the South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers. Often times in an initial response to child abuse, it is necessary…

Since June of 2000, the South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers (SCNCAC) has been providing support, advocacy, quality assurance, and statewide leadership for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs), all to empower South Carolina communities and CACs to deliver a best practice response to child abuse. SCNCAC recently received a five-year grant from The Duke Endowment and support from the BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, to research and establish South Carolina Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) accreditation standards that supplement and enhance the National Children’s Alliance accreditation standards for…

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…

In 2022, Children’s Advocacy Centers in South Carolina provided services to 12,897 children. This represents a 16% increase over children served in 2021. 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 12,890 children served in 2022 represent a 102% 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…