The Advocate

PARTNERS EDITION

Issue 20 | August 2022

A Message from

the State Child Advocate

Amanda F. Whittle, JD, CWLS

I am grateful to share with you the August edition of the Department of Children's Advocacy's newsletter.  We have a fresh look for the newsletter, thanks to our new director of communications, Rob Schaller. 

He is one of the new faces that you will meet in this edition, along with Eden Everett, Jennifer Feliz, Kimberly Inabinet, and Abi Luftig.  Please help us give them a warm welcome!

I'm also delighted to share updates from around--and beyond--the agency, including recent awards for the Foster Care Review Board, DJJ's new detention alternatives initiative, and the unique challenge COC cooked up to make achieving their goals more fun.

Please share the news about the work that is underway in our state and send us your questions, concerns, and recommendations.

Welcome New Staff

As our team grows, so do the opportunities to improve the lives of all children in South Carolina.

Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem

Program Coordinator I - Dorchester

Abi Luftig

Abigail "Abi" Luftig started July 5. Originally from Pennsylvania, Abi moved to the Lowcountry in 2011. She resides in N. Charleston with her boyfriend, Ross, and their two cats, Ichigo and Cass.

Abi holds a bachelor's in English and Deaf Studies from the University of Wolverhampton (2005) and a master's in Early Childhood Education from the College of Charleston (2014). She has worked as a preschool teacher and an early interventionist. When not working, she enjoys watching movies, listening to podcasts, reading, and cross-stitching.

Department of Children's Advocacy

Administrative Coordinator

Eden Everett

Eden Everett started August 2. She was born in Florence, SC, and graduated from USC in 2010.

She worked for eight years at the Department of Juvenile Justice and learned a great deal about the children who end up “behind the fence.” She says that led her to the DCA where she hopes to enrich the lives of South Carolina's children and families.

When not traveling for her children’s baseball and competitive cheerleading activities, she enjoys crafting, cooking, and watching football.

Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem

Program Coordinator I - Florence

Jennifer Feliz

Jennifer Feliz started August 2. She is a New York native who relocated to South Carolina in January 2022. She is fluent in Spanish, as her family comes from the Dominican Republic. She obtained her BA in Forensic Psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Jennifer is a big advocate of mental health awareness and self-care. She enjoys cooking, traveling, and providing a helping hand to anyone in need.

Department of Children's Advocacy

Investigations Unit Intake Specialist

Kimberly Inabinet

Kimberly Inabinet started August 17. She earned her bachelor's degree in Child and Family Studies: Family, Law, and Social Advocacy from Columbia College in 2021 and is currently pursuing a master's degree in criminal justice as well as her SC real estate license.  She has been a member of Alpha Psi Sigma throughout her academic career.

Working for and with children and their families has always been a passion for Kimberly. She also enjoys shopping, reading, traveling, and watching a wide range of different TV shows.

Department of Children's Advocacy

Director of Communications

Rob Schaller

Rob Schaller started August 17.  He was born in New York, but grew up mostly in Texas before moving to South Carolina in 2000.  He has served the citizens of South Carolina ever since.

While new to the DCA, Rob served on the board of the Metropolitan Children's Advocacy Center for six years, helping create their annual Ugly Holiday Sweater 5K, held each December. 

Rob enjoys woodworking and traveling and holds an unhealthy amount  of trivia knowledge.

Congratulations to Bianca Williams, a member of FCRB 13D (Greenville). She is a fierce and dedicated advocate for children who is always familiar with each case at review and knows the right questions to ask.

"She challenges us as a board to be more engaged and... has consistently advocated by reaching out to staff or supporting organizations to learn more about what we do to advocate for children. She goes above and beyond by getting additional trainings, then brings that knowledge back to us," said one board member.

A member of the SC Bar, Bianca has applied to be a mentor for foster children and to volunteer with the juvenile arbitration program.

Rick Beltram

Nancy Dunn

Lee Holliday

Congratulations to Foster Care Review Board 7A (Spartanburg), composed of members Rick Beltram, June Bond (photo not available), Nancy Dunn, and Lee Holliday.

The four members bring a wide range of life and professional experiences and a serious-minded approach to reviewing cases of children in foster care. 

In 2021, they were successful in adding another Family Court judge to the 7th Judicial Circuit Court, after working with the clerk of court, the Children's Advocacy Center, their local legislators, and Foster Care Review Division staff.  After their presentation, legislators voted unanimously in favor of the request, and Governor Henry McMaster signed H.3696 to make it a reality.

August Highlights

17

Events attended statewide, raising awareness and recruiting new GALs

20

New GAL volunteers successfully complete pre-service training

3

Pre-service trainings held across South Carolina.

Like us and share our posts with friends and family to spread the word about our great GALs!

Come Find Us:

Upcoming Public Events

9/2 - 9/3 | Myrtle Beach Waves of Praise Gospel Fest

9/3 | Edisto Beach Shag Festival, Colleton County

9/7 | Sumter County Library

9/9 | Orangeburg County Library

9/10 | Fight for Families, York County

9/10 | Chester Health Expo, Chester County

9/13 | Walhalla Library, Oconee County

9/13 | A Child's Haven, Greenville County

9/13 | Colleton Farmer's Market, Colleton County

9/17 | 6th Annual Clearwater Vendor Fair, Aiken County

9/17 | Yemassee Shrimp Festival, Hampton County

9/21 | Pendleton Library, Anderson County

9/22 | Bamberg County Library

9/24 | Firefest in Camden, Kershaw County

9/24 | Okra Strut, Lexington County

9/30 | Fairfield County Library

Pre-Service Training Classes

All training sessions will be offered virtually

9/12 | Regions II and III

9/26 | Region IV

10/3 | Region I

Invited Speaking Engagements

9/1 | West Florence Rotary Club

9/11 | First Presbyterian Church in Greenwood

9/14 | United Way of the Piedmont (Spartanburg)

9/20 | Myrtle Beach Rotary Club

Zoie P. is a smart and friendly youth who enjoys family time and likes to play video games and board games. Her favorite subjects are math and technology but she also likes English Language Arts because she’s good at it (She had a hard time picking a favorite because she loves her teachers).

Zoie likes rap and R&B music and her favorite foods are definitely ice cream and tacos. She loves animals and would like a family that enjoys music, the outdoors, and has pets, particularly a dog.

Zoie was featured by ABC News 4 in Charleston during their monthly segment, Forever Families.

(l to r) News 4 Anchor Tessa Spencer, Heart Gallery Coordinator Christina Grant, FCRD Director Lindsey Taylor, and FCRB volunteers Jim Kelly and Dee Stogdill.

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative

South Carolina is the 40th state to launch JDAI, a program of the Annie E. Casey Foundation that seeks to reduce overreliance on detention and helps create alternative programs for juvenile defenders.

Led by DJJ, the initiative directly aligns with the agency's mission of protecting the public and reclaiming juveniles by:

• Eliminating inappropriate/unnecessary use of detention
  
• Minimizing failure to appear and incidences of delinquent behavior
• Redirecting public finances to more effective reform strategies
• Reducing disparities and advancing equity
• Improving conditions in secure detention facilities

Learn more at djj.sc.gov/jdai

Sweet Taste of Success

The Challenge: Continuum of Care staff in each region were challenged to set a goal they could all work towards together from the end of May to the end of July. Goals included increasing team contact, team members per family, and getting service notes submitted within seven days.

The Payoff: During the last week of July, those regions that met their goal by at least 80 percent—which was all of them—were rewarded by getting to smash a whipped-cream pie in the faces of state coaches Yvonne Lee and Leslie Johnson.

The Cherry on Top: Real pies were available for all to enjoy, and, of course, families saw improved outcomes.

3

Leslie Johnson (photo 1) and Yvonne Lee (photo 3) get pied by Region B. Leslie and Yvonne (photo 2) get pied by Region C.

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