South Carolina Kickoff Recap
The BCDI-Carolinas South Carolina Kickoff event gathered critical insights into the challenges and
opportunities facing Black and Brown Children and their families across the state. This summary
highlights which key areas of NBCDI’s 8 Essential Outcomes are of priority for South Carolina
including health, representation, nutrition, climate, safe communities, digital safety, education,
and narratives that influence child development.
Health(47%)
- Weight due to processed foods, chemicals, and lack of information.
- Fear of being labeled and placed in the system so they don’t ask for help.
- Lack of knowledge and education from leaders who misguide families with their opinions (not able to to afford service or will not comply with recommendations)
- Lack of pre-natal care because of transportation or no other outlets for healthy nutrients.(food deserts leading to lack of nutrients and children having more health and dental problems like cavities and diabetes)
- Parents unsure how to become advocates for themselves
Families are struggling with weight-related issues in children due to processed foods, chemical exposure, and a lack of information. Misinformation from leaders and fear of system involvement prevent many families from seeking help. A shortage of prenatal care and access to healthy foods exacerbates health issues such as cavities and diabetes, particularly in food desert areas. Many
parents feel ill-equipped to advocate for themselves and their children's health needs.
Representation(58%)
- Child care training
- Advocating in early ed
- Narratives that are told regarding which centers are the “best”
- Resources- also having teachers-books-etc that looks like the child
- Lack of knowledge of process/explaining “IEP” - representation that supports
- Parents are partners in the education process
There is a strong need for increased training in child care and early education advocacy. Current narratives often prioritize certain child care centers as "best, " leaving others overlooked. There is a notable lack of culturally relevant resources—teachers, books, and materials that reflect the children they serve. Many parents are unfamiliar with educational processes like Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and efforts to strengthen parental partnership in education are critical.
Nutrition (63%)
- SC Office of Rural health/family solutions
- Nutritional workshops/classes(snap ed program)
- Partnerships w/ foodshare boxes
- SC state extension 1899 also does food nu •Institute for Child Success (ics)
- Working on free school meals for all legislation -Did not pass but hopefully a provision will pass to get “reduced lunch” students free lunch
Several programs are working to address nutrition challenges. The SC Office of Rural Health and
Family Solutions offers nutritional workshops and partnerships with food-share boxes, while the
Institute for Child Success is advocating for free school meals for all. Though legislation has not yet
passed, efforts continue to secure free lunches for students on reduced lunch programs.
Climate(21%)
Ensuring safe, supportive, and clean environments where children can thrive is a growing concern. However, there is less awareness or initiative in this area compared to others.
Safe Communities(74%)
- Mental health resources
- Trust(hidden molestation/not being able to speak your truth)
- Communication with authorities
- Education awareness/biases/advocacy
- Confidence vs arrogance
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help
- Violence
- Police
- Gangs
- Abuse/neglect
- Racism
- Classism
Mental health resources and trust-building with authorities are top concerns. Issues such as
hidden molestation, racism, classism, violence, and gang activity affect the safety of communities.
There is also a need for education on biases, increased confidence in seeking help, and stronger
communication with law enforcement and community leaders.
Digital Safety (42%)
- Education + Understanding
- Workshops
- Good vs bad use
- Red flag awareness
- Identify positive resources (hub)
- Sttach to pre-existing hubs
- Centralize control resources for parents
- Educating on age-appropriate resources to further development
- Connect/respect
Workshops and resources are needed to educate families on safe digital practices. Awareness around good versus harmful internet usage, identifying positive resources, and providing centralized control tools for parents is necessary. There's also a need for age-appropriate content and digital literacy education.
Education (84%)
- Empowerment
- Educating the parents/families who we believe are children’s first educators/advocates
- Educating the community on the importance of ECE(how children learn and develop/learning styles)
- Creating families to be advocates for long term change
- Educating on the importance of care in ALL aspects (health,nutrition,education,etc)
- Education of rights(parents,educators)
- Education of differences(gender,ages,abilities)
- Lower classroom sizes(DSS ratios)
Education is seen as a powerful tool for change, with a focus on empowering parents to be their children's first advocates. Raising awareness on the importance of early childhood education,
smaller classroom sizes, and educating communities on rights, learning differences, and gender/ability diversity are crucial. Families must be equipped with knowledge to advocate for
long-term improvements in education.
Narratives (47%)
- Schools need to get ready for kids(not just the other way around)
The event emphasized that schools need to adapt to the needs of children, rather than expecting
children to fit into predetermined educational structures.
Conclusion
The data collected during the BCDI-Carolinas South Carolina Kickoff event highlights several systemic challenges that impact children's development. Addressing health, education, representation, and safety concerns will be crucial to improving the quality of life for black and brown children in South Carolina. The BCDI-Carolinas initiative is committed to driving long-term change through education, advocacy, and community support.