April is Autism Awareness Month
A Safe Haven for South Carolina’s Youth
At Saving Our Youth (S.O.Y.), we are dedicated to transforming the lives of children in South Carolina’s child welfare system. Our mission is to provide a safe, welcoming space for children in crisis—offering immediate support, care, and comfort while easing the burden on overextended caseworkers and state offices.
Our Mission
VHEF’s mission is to educate, serve, and see communities thrive by addressing the needs within the child welfare system and beyond.
We strive to:
- Educate parents, children aging out of foster care, and the broader community through impactful programs, resources, and awareness campaigns that promote understanding and resilience.
- Serve vulnerable populations by providing life skills, technical training, and transitional resources that empower individuals to navigate life’s challenges confidently.
- See our efforts create lasting change by fostering healthier, more connected communities and addressing systemic challenges within the child welfare system.
Our Vision
The Marion County center is just the beginning. We plan to open multiple S.O.Y. Drop-In Centers across South Carolina, creating a statewide network of support for vulnerable youth. Our vision is to ensure that no child in the welfare system has to endure another night in an office or without basic needs met.
Our Drop-In Centers
Our S.O.Y. Drop-In Centers are designed to address a critical gap in resources for children in the child welfare system, starting with our flagship location in Marion County. These centers will provide essential services for children who are often left without a stable place to stay, including those whom caseworkers currently care for overnight in DSS offices.
Each center will be staffed by compassionate, trained professionals who understand the unique challenges facing children in the welfare system.
What do we do?
Our services include:
- Private Showers: A safe, clean space for children to refresh and maintain their dignity.
- Nutritious Meals: Healthy, comforting meals served in a welcoming environment.
- Optional Overnight Stays: A safe, supervised place for children to rest, ensuring they no longer have to spend nights in state offices.
- Educational Services:
At S.O.Y., we recognize the significant challenges children in the welfare system face, especially when it comes to education and emotional well-being. Frequent transitions and unstable living situations can disrupt their learning and development. That’s why we’re committed to offering resources that address both educational and emotional needs
Education Support:
We provide customized learning curriculums tailored to the needs of each child. For children on the move, we create portable learning packets to ensure continuity in their education. Our ongoing tutoring services are available even after children transition to more permanent living arrangements. Additionally, we incorporate engaging learning games to make education both fun and effective.Life Skills and Technical Training:
For older youth preparing to age out of care, we offer technical training programs designed to equip them with essential skills for a successful transition into adulthood.- Counseling and Emotional Support:
Emotional well-being is just as important as education. Our counseling services provide a safe space for children to process their emotions and experiences. By addressing emotional challenges early, we aim to foster resilience and set these young individuals on a path to a brighter future.
At S.O.Y., we believe that by supporting their educational and emotional growth, we can empower our youth today to build a stronger future for tomorrow.
Why It Matters
Across South Carolina, children in the welfare system often experience trauma, instability, and a lack of basic resources. DSS caseworkers are frequently left with no option but to care for children overnight in their offices due to the absence of proper facilities. This situation is neither ideal for the children nor sustainable for the system.
The S.O.Y. Drop-In Centers will fill this gap, providing children with immediate relief in a safe and nurturing environment while empowering caseworkers to focus on connecting families with longer-term solutions.
Understanding the Children We Serve
Foster Care
Foster care is a system in which children who are unable to live with their biological parents due to various reasons, such as abuse, neglect, or parental incapacity, are placed under the temporary care and supervision of trained and approved individuals or families.
Kinship Care
Kinship care refers to the arrangement in which a child who is unable to live with their biological parents is placed in the care of a relative or someone with a significant pre-existing relationship with the child.
Adoption
Adoption is a legal process through which a person or a couple assumes the permanent parental responsibilities for a child, taking on the rights and obligations that biological parents would have. This process typically involves the termination of the biological parents’ legal rights and the creation of a new, legal parent-child relationship between the adoptive parents and the child.
How You Can Help?
We believe that a community can change lives when it comes together. You can join us in saving our youth by donating, volunteering, or partnering with us to expand these vital services. Together, we can give every child in the welfare system the care and compassion they deserve.
