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A walkout took place last Friday morning (October 18, 2024) at a Midlands social service agency after juveniles entrusted to the agency’s care allegedly vandalized offices – and threatened staff.
News of the walkout – which took place at the Richland County offices of the S.C. Department of Social Services (SCDSS) – was first reported by Chris English of WLTX TV 19 (CBS – Columbia, S.C.).
Other stations have since obtained footage of the damage…
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Children have reportedly vandalized the Department of Social Services building in Richland County, causing damage and breaking glass.
— WACH FOX (@wachfox) October 18, 2024
WACH FOX has contacted DSS officials for comment but has not yet received a response.
Full story and updates: https://t.co/HrIaVRWVxe pic.twitter.com/rgvtZfOXql
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“Sources said the walkout stems from poor working conditions made worse after two juveniles who were in the care of (the agency) got into an argument and then vandalized several offices in the building,” English noted in his report. “When workers arrived for work Friday morning, they were met with broken glass and other messes. That’s when workers decided they’d had enough and walked out.”
SCDSS director Michael Leach visited the office on Friday afternoon “to try and make peace with the employees,” according to English. Per SCDSS, a plan has been put in place “to improve the working conditions” of employees – including “additional security, additional clinical staff… as well as physical improvements” to the facility.
Sources close to the situation warned the problem is much bigger than the agency is letting on, however… and is not confined to Richland County.
“Employees all over the state are having to spend the night with kids at DSS offices because placements can’t be located,” once source told us. “These are teens with severe emotional and behavioral issues… the same kids that their own parents can’t handle at home. While DSS leadership has added staff to its state office and upped salaries, what has been done to create and maintain placements for youth that need secure, safe environments with treatment services?”
That’s a good question…
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Another source familiar with the agency’s upstate operations indicated “everything they’re saying on the local news is the PG version of what’s been happening for years.”
“This is what happens when we defund social programs and strip them bare,” the source added.
For those of you keeping score at home, SCDSS received $934.92 million in the current iteration of the South Carolina state budget – which took effect on July 1, 2024. This total included $316.1 million in general fund dollars (i.e. monies collected from Palmetto State tax revenue).
SCDSS’ budget grew by 3.18 percent from the previous fiscal year.
Count on our media outlet to dig deeper into this situation in the hopes of identifying more about the nature and scope of the problem and SCDSS’ efforts to mitigate it.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the owner and founding editor of FITSNews. Prior to founding his own news outlet, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina, bass guitarist in an alternative rock band and bouncer at a Columbia, S.C. dive bar. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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2 comments
Good, lock the doors and fire everyone not at their desk. DSS is a DISASTER!
Sounds like more than enough money is budgeted to DSS to me. Like so many things governmental, the allocation and use of the money is probably questionable.