| OMS Report 2020: | Highlights I Why Outcomes I Healing I Justice I Trust |
About this OMS Report
South Carolina Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs), along with CACs nationwide, participate in the Outcome Measurement System (OMS). OMS helps CACs evaluate their programs, increase the quality of services provided to children and families and improve the collaborative efforts of multidisciplinary team (MDT) members.
Through OMS, our centers ask caregivers of children served by CACs and their MDT members standard survey questions to measure how well they are providing three things to children and families in South Carolina:
- Healing: Restoring the lives of children and families after abuse
- Justice: Striving toward just outcomes for victims of abuse and protecting all kids from abusers
- Trust: Ensuring children, families, and MDT members can trust their center and the CAC model
CACs use OMS to make sure that the services they provide to kids and families, and the MDT model, are working. SCNCAC uses OMS to monitor the effectiveness of training and technical assistance services provided to CACs.
The Impact of the Pandemic
From almost the beginning of the CAC model in South Carolina, SCNCAC member CACs have served more children statewide than in the prior year. However, this was not true in 2020 as we saw a decrease in the reports of child abuse due to the pandemic. This does not mean that there was a reduction in child abuse rather, reports dropped because children were out of school and some were attending school virtually. This meant that children were away from the teachers, counselors, and other professionals who may notice a safety concern and make a report.
Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 | Children Served 8,160 8,551 9,558 10,690 10,001 | Change ---- +5% +12% +8% -6% | In addition to child abuse reports being down in 2020 due to the pandemic, CACs also had to adapt rapidly to implement new health and safety guidelines, which temporarily reduced the number of kids they could see in a day. CACs introduced Telehealth measures for some services which brought CAC capacity back to near normal in the 2nd half of 2020. Even with the reduced service numbers in 2020, CACs saw an approximately 23% increase in kids served over the past 5 years. |
Who We AreThe South Carolina Network of Children's Advocacy Centers (SCNCAC) is an accredited state chapter of the National Children’s Alliance. SCNCAC is the coordinating entity for the CACs in South Carolina. We provide support, advocacy, quality assurance, and statewide leadership for CACs to help support the important work CACs do in communities across South Carolina. CACs provide a coordinated, evidence-based response to children who have been abused in all 46 counties of South Carolina. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) membership organization for all CACs in South Carolina. Find Your CAC |
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 | The first outcome is measured through two caregiver surveys, and the second outcome is measured through an MDT survey. Caregivers are asked to complete an initial survey at the end of their first visit to the CAC and then a follow-up survey later to provide feedback on their experiences with the CAC. MDT surveys are given to all team members twice a year, approximately six months apart, to give feedback on the current functioning of the team across all cases. The items on each survey were designed to measure two overarching outcomes:
During 2020, 57% of the initial caregiver surveys were completed on a computer or tablet at the Center. The remaining surveys were completed by phone or handwritten at the CAC. 80% of MDT surveys were completed by email after the MDT professional received an email from the Center. The remaining MDT surveys were completed by computer or tablet at the center. |
The South Carolina Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers (SCNCAC) is the state association and coordinating body for a network of 17 primary CACs and 10 satellite CACs in South Carolina. CACs provide a coordinated, evidence-based response to children who have been abused in South Carolina and strive to provide Healing, Justice, and Trust for children and families they serve. The remainder of this report will look at the data to determine how well CACs are meeting each of these three goals.
In survey results, caregivers of children served by CACs say that CACs help them and their children feel safe:
"I believe my child felt safe at the center." 89% Strongly Agree |  91% Agree "I was given information about possible behaviors I might expect from my child in the weeks ahead." 80% Strongly Agree |
"The Center staff provided me with resources to support my child and respond to his or her needs in the weeks ahead." 88% Strongly Agree |
97% Agree
95% Agree
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Caregivers were also very satisfied with overall information from the CAC with 98% indicating that they were given information about the services and programs provided by the CAC for their child and family. In addition, 97% of caregivers reported that the Center provided them with information about how to access services like counseling or family support for their child. South Carolina CACs are helping provide healing for child victims and families after abuse! |
South Carolina statistic for caregivers who reported receiving helpful information about behaviors they may expect from their child in the future increased by 3% over 2019.
2020 OMS Survey Results |
I was pleased with the staff very friendly and professional. Treated child very kindly. |
The staff were knowledgeable and kind. Very professional. My children were made to feel comfortable in a safe environment. |
Together, CACs and their Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) partners address Abuse:
"I believe the clients served through the center benefit from the collaborative approach of our MDT." 84% Strongly Agree |  96% Agree "The Children's Advocacy Center Model fosters collaboration on the Multidisciplinary Team." 88% Strongly Agree |  93% Agree "Case review team meetings help me with my work on cases." 58% Strongly Agree |
98% Agree
| What is a MDT? The work of a CAC is built around its MDT, a team that includes medical professionals, law enforcement, mental health providers, prosecution, child protective services, victim advocates, school personnel, Guardian ad Litem representatives, and other professionals. The team reviews the forensic interview and other case information, and then makes decisions together about how to help the child. This team collaboratively shares case information that each team member needs to perform their function to ensure the best outcome for the child. This helps solicitors build stronger cases against abusers, helps courts to determine just outcomes to protect all children from the abuser, and helps Department of Social Services (DSS) child protective services (CPS) determine the best interests of the child |
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The CAC works with our school district to ensure students receive wrap around services in a caring environment. The collaboration is essential and our partnership improves the lives of our students using evidenced based treatment protocols. |
I am glad that the MDT team can get together and collaborate on cases. I feel that it would benefit to have additional MDTs and continued opportunities for skill and team building. |
Caregivers trust CACs to help them and their children:
"Staff members at the Center have been friendly and pleasant." 97% Strongly Agree |
"Since my first contact with the Center, the staff has been available to answer any questions I had." 89% Strongly Agree |
"I feel that the Center has done everything it can to assist my child and me." 89% Strongly Agree |
99% Agree
97% Agree
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95% of caregivers reported that as a result of their contact with the Center they knew what to expect in the days and weeks that followed. In addition, 96% of caregivers reported they had received information that had helped them understand how to keep their child safe in the future, which is a 3% increase over 2019. South Carolina CACs are helping families know they can trust their Center and the CAC model. Keep up the great work! |
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I appreciated the compassion that the staff showed during that time. They helped me understand what to expect going forward and what to talk about with my child. |
I was told that at anytime we need additional services they would be available for me or my child at the Children's Advocacy Center. |
| South Carolina Network of Children's Advocacy Centers Empowering SC communities & Childrens's Advocacy Centers to deliver a best practice response to child abuse. |
P.O. Box 2195 Columbia, SC 29202 803-576-7250 |
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