We offer trainings throughout the year on various topics related to children's law
and child well-being. All of our programs are developed by former practitioners with years of experience and expertise in the topic area and
are designed to ensure you get the most out of your training experience. Please check
back for updates - trainings are added throughout the year.
Advanced Mandated Reporter Training: Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
This online training is designed for professionals who have already completed the
Children’s Law Center’s Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Training
(Mandated Reporter Training) and would like to gain further knowledge related to mandated
reporting. This training is being offered: • March 20, 2025 (9am - 11am) • March 20, 2025 (12pm - 2pm)
Child Death Investigations: Overview of the Multi-Disciplinary Team Approach
This 2-hour virtual training will provide an overview of the multi-disciplinary team
(MDT) approach to child death investigations in SC and address the manner and causes
of child deaths, the expectations of an MDT response according to the SC Child Abuse
Protocol, and applicable criminal statutes. This training will be held from 9 - 11
am: • March 6, 2025 • April 8, 2025 • May 7, 2025 • June 5, 2025
ChildFirst® South Carolina is an intensive five-day course in which students learn the necessary skills to conduct
an investigative interview—also known as a forensic interview—of a suspected child
abuse victim. This interactive course combines lectures and demonstrations supplemented
with homework assignments and a written examination at the end of the course. This training will be offered at the Children’s Law Center's Training Center in Columbia
April 28-May 2, 2025; and additional dates in 2025 TBA . This registration is not for DSS staff. If you are a DSS employee, register for this
course on the DSS LMS only.
Child Physical Abuse and Neglect Investigations: The Basics
This full-day training focuses on the basics of child physical abuse and neglect
investigations with an emphasis on multidisciplinary coordination. the training will
be held from 8:45 am - 4:30 pm on: • March 11, 2025 (in-person) • May 20, 2025 (in-person)
This monthly lunchtime virtual training series, hosted by the SC Children’s Justice
Act Task Force, will focus on topics surrounding children with disabilities. The
goal of this speaker series is to improve advocacy skills for professionals working
with children with disabilities and provide specific information about various disabilities
and special needs issues, available state resources, best practices, and federal guidelines. These training sessions will be offered on the third Thursday of each month from 12:00-1:15
pm, unless otherwise noted, as follows:
This session of the training series will cover critical federal legislation that both
promotes nondiscrimination and prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability.
The presenter will provide an outline of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
which ensures equal access for people with disabilities and the requirement of reasonable
accommodations. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), a civil
rights law prohibiting discrimination based on a disability, will also be discussed
including its various protections and procedural safeguards. Finally, there will be
a discussion of the provisions and requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA was created to make sure that all children with disabilities
have the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). For each
piece of legislation covered in the training, both eligibility requirements and examples
of the variety of accommodations and services that a child might receive will be included. Presenter: Barbara Drayton, JD, Deputy General Counsel, SC Department of Education
This presentation will provide a brief overview of disabilities commonly encountered
when working with children with special needs, particularly Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD), Attention-Deficient/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and other developmental
and genetic syndromes. It will highlight the importance of early identification and
intervention, discuss key screening and assessment tools, and emphasize the importance
of interdisciplinary collaboration with healthcare providers and specialists. A special
focus will be placed on the intersection of disability and experiences of abuse or
neglect, exploring how these factors impact a child’s development, behavior, and overall
well-being. Presenters: Christopher Moylan, PsyD Pediatric Psychologist, Prisma Health Sara E. Lilly, MD Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Prisma Health
This full day training, focusing on the basics of child sexual abuse investigations
with an emphasis on multidisciplinary coordination, will be offered: • February 25, 2025 (in-person) • March 13, 2025 (in-person) • May 6, 2025 (virtual) • June 18, 2025 (in-person)
Conducting Reenactments in Child Death Investigations
This 1-day, in-person training focuses on conducting reenactments with caregivers
in child death investigations and incorporates hands-on practice in a mock crime scene
apartment. This trainining is being held at the Children's Law Center's Training Center in Columbia
on: • March 25, 2025 • June 17, 2025
GAL and CASA Training: Court Reports and Professional Writing
This training, offered exclusively for current guardians and attorneys with the Cass
Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program and Richland County CASA, will provide education
on preparing GAL/CASA court reports and professional writing skills. This training
will be held vritually on February 21, 2025.
GAL and CASA Training: Exploring Substance Abuse and Associated Therapies
This training, offered exclusively for current guardians and attorneys with the Cass
Elias McCarter Guardian ad Litem Program and Richland County CASA, will provide education
on substance abuse and various forms of therapy. This training will be held vritually
on March 14, 2025.
Medical Aspects in Child Abuse Investigations (Virtual Trainings)
The Children’s Law Center is offering focused presentations on various medical aspects
of child abuse investigations. Each presentation will cover the unique medical aspects
of a different form of maltreatment. These virtual trainings will be offered as follows:
Medical Aspects of Physical Abuse • April 2, 2025 (10 - 11:15 am) • April 24, 2025 (9-10:15 am) Medical Aspects of Sexual Abuse • April 10, 2025 (9-10:15 am) • April 16, 2025 (11 am -12:15 pm) Recognizing Medical Neglect & Failure to Thrive • February 26, 2025 (2-3:15 pm)
Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Webinar
This webinar is designed for mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect, and professionals
who have frequent contact with children, who play a key role in protecting children
by identifying possible maltreatment and reporting it to the agencies responsible
for investigation and intervention. This webinar will be conducted through Microsoft TEAMS from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm on March 10, 2025 and March 26, 2025.
Recognizing and Responding to Problematic Sexual Behaviors in Youth (Virtual Training)
This training will identify myths, describe sexual development of children and adolescents,
outline considerations in determining whether the behavior is problematic or inappropriate,
and identify co-occurring behavioral problems and family dynamics. The presentation
will include a discussion of current treatments or commonly used interventions and
risk and recidivism. This virtual training is being offered on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 (1:00 pm - 2:30
pm)
Training of Trainers: Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
This training is for professionals who have attended a basic mandated reporter training
with the Children’s Law Center and are interested in conducting mandated reporter
training within their organization. This free, online training is being offered from
9 am - 4 pm on May 15, 2025 (Participants will also be required to conduct a virtual presentation on May 22nd)
This interactive online training is designed to equip mandated reporters with information
regarding their role and responsibilities as mandated reporters and to increase their
awareness, knowledge, and skills in reporting child abuse and neglect.
South Carolina Child Abuse Response Protocol Training
This on-line, self-paced training consists of approximately 3.5 hours of instruction
and includes the following topics: Introduction to the SC Child Abuse Response Protocol;
The Initial Child Abuse Response for DSS and Law Enforcement First Responders; Referral
to a SC Children’s Advocacy Center and Services Provided; The Forensic Medical Exam
and the SC Children’s Advocacy Medical Response System; The Investigative Process,
Joint Investigation (DSS and law enforcement), and Special Issues; The GAL and Court
Appointed Special Advocate; The Court Process and Preparing the Child for the Courtroom;
and Resources, Revisions, and Maintenance of the Protocol.
