The Bureau of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) strives to assure the health and well-being of children, our most valuable resource. The Bureau provides leadership in protecting children and youth, including those with special health care needs, and in strengthening families so that all can be helped to reach their full potential. Building systems of care to assure that South Carolina’s women, infants, and children have access to the care and services that they need is a major priority of the MCH Bureau. The Bureau consists of five divisions that together offer services and programs for pregnant women, mothers, infants, children and youth, children with special health care needs, and families.
Children with Special Health Care Needs: The Division of Children with Special Health Care Needs serves children and young adults up to age 21 who have (or are at risk for) selected physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions that require special health related services. This division serves these children and young adults by serving as a source of information, referral, and care coordination; providing financial assistance for purchasing medically necessary services; and improving access to pediatric sub-specialty services.
Oral Health: The Division of Oral Health implements and evaluates oral disease prevention programs to reduce the burden of oral disease on prioritized populations and to reduce disparities in oral health. This division works closely with the SC Oral Health Advisory Council and Coalition and provides consultation and technical assistance to professionals and community partners.
Research and Planning Unit: The Research and Planning Unit works to systematically collect, analyze, interpret and report epidemiological and health systems data and coordinate planning and evaluation activities within the MCH Bureau. Ongoing activities within the Research and Planning Unit provide decision makers with information necessary to carry out assessment, assurance, and policy development activities to improve the health and well- being of MCH populations. Current programs include Birth Defects, Perinatal Regionalizaton and FIMR.
Women and Children's Services: The Division of Women and Children’s Services provides personal and preventive health services in all 46 counties of South Carolina. The services offered by this Division include: family planning, maternity care, family support services, newborn screening, postpartum/newborn home visits, lead screening, sudden infant death syndrome follow-up, Medical Home Partnerships, and child health services. Some family planning services are now also available for men in DHEC Family Planning Clinics.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Services: The WIC program was established by Congress in 1972 and is funded through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Division of WIC Services provides supplemental foods and nutrition education at no cost to eligible persons. This division also provides a Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program and breastfeeding education and counseling.
MCH Block Grant: The current MCH Block Grant can be viewed at the National MCH website. After you link with the site, view the SC grant by clicking on “Narrative” to search for the South Carolina narrative and “Measurement and Indicator Data” for the data. MCH Block Grant planning begins in March of each year with a final grant submitted by June 15. You may submit input concerning the grant to Brenda Martin (martinby@dhec.sc.gov).
Additional Maternal and Child Health Links:
- Your Baby Needs 39 Weeks
- BabyNet
- Birth Defects Prevention
- Camp Burnt Gin
- Health & Environmental Issues for Children Under Six
- SCAN - For Maternal and Child Health data
- South Carolina Epilepsy Act-168
- Maternal and Child Health Reports and Publications
