Protective Services

Richland County Children Services provides Protective Services with our priority of helping families keep their children safe from abuse and neglect. Social workers provide casework management by coordinating and making referrals for a variety of services such as: mental and behavioral health services, drug abuse treatment, parenting training, domestic violence advocate, and coordination of family team meetings.

Kinship

Richland County Children Services offers Kinship services by assisting families in obtaining benefits and services at the Ocie Hill Neighborhood Center. These items include beds, clothing, dressers, groceries, connections to social services, monthly newsletters and YMCA memberships.

A key addition over the past two years is implementation of legal support for Kinship providers seeking permanency for children. Ongoing agency social workers assist families with developing a case plan for needed services for families and children.

Services are offered to help solve issues that can lead to child abuse and/or neglect. Services may include counseling, day care, evaluation, treatment and referrals to other social service agencies.

Click here for more information on our Kinship Services.

Placement Team

Placement social workers work closely with families and foster children. Social workers develop case plans to identify needs and provide community referrals to work toward reunifying children with their families.

Foster Care

Foster care is provided to children who are not safe in their home until reunification is possible. Prior to seeking custody, every effort is made to place children in a relative home. The agency recruits, screens, trains, and monitors foster parents. Foster parents may actively participate in planning for the children in their care.

Case Aides

Case aides provide much needed respite to foster parents by arranging special activities, supervision during visits, and transportation to medical and other appointments.