Dozens of children run away from state care each month

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In early June, when the agency ran a report of missing children in response to a request by The Greenville News, 85 children were missing. Officials did not know last week how many of the children had returned or been found.

"A lot have been gone for more than six months," said Jerry Adams, a spokesman for DSS, which has 5,000 children in its care at any given time.

Most of the runaways are 17, although children as young as 12 have been reported missing, DSS officials said. One girl last year stole a car to escape a group home and later died in an accident. Another girl who ran was later found murdered, Adams said.

Carolyn Orf, assistant director of out-of-home care for DSS, said some have later been accused of stealing cars or vandalism.

"We want to know where our kids are," Orf said. "These kids are here because they need care and protection and we want to help them improve their condition and be able to return to their families or live on their own safely."

Each year, the state places thousands of children into private foster homes or group facilities until the youths can be returned to their families or permanently placed elsewhere.

Most of the children come from backgrounds of abuse or neglect, and many are emotionally disturbed or have psychological disorders. Some are placed in group facilities for therapy and treatment.

State Sen. Verne Smith, a Greenville Republican who chairs a legislative committee that handles funding for child welfare programs, said he did not know how many children had run from the system.

"It's a sad situation," he said. "I don't know what the answer is. But we evidently are not putting enough thought on it."

Rochelle McKim, a Columbia lawyer and children's advocate, said while the problem of runaway children is complicated, the numbers released by DSS suggest the state's system is not working.

"If you have that many kids running away, that's an indication that the system is not meeting their needs," she said.

The 85 children represent the number missing from the system when officials checked their records in early June, Adams said. However, DSS officials said the 74 average is considered a more accurate reflection of runaways in the state system.

Some of the runaways escape to return to their families or friends, while others are unhappy about the conditions where they have been placed, Orf said. Most are not in secure facilities and have few obstacles to freedom.

Orf said group homes and DSS are required to notify law enforcement if a runaway youth cannot be found. But Adams said police are often hesitant to search for runaways if they are close to their 18th birthday. Orf said DSS contacts schools, family members, friends, doctors, probation officers and other agencies to locate the missing children.

The agency also works with the National Center For Missing or Exploited Children if the agency believes the child may have gone to another state or country.

In some cases the agency may advertise the missing child if the youth has special needs or a medical situation. Adams said the agency did so recently in the case of a teen girl who needed medical help. She eventually was found.

"Some walk back in the door and say, 'Here I am. I made a mistake,' " Orf said. "Some do not want to come back even after we find them."

Virginia Williamson, DSS' general counsel, said officials try to match the child with the appropriate home to help prevent runaways. But even then, Orf said, the children are not locked up.

"This is the foster care system," Orf said. "Our goal is to help the kids get the care and treatment that they need."