Over 74,000 of South Carolina's children live in the full-time care of grandparents and other relatives so that they will not have to enter the foster care system.
At HALOS, we provide assistance to abused and neglected children in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties and to their kinship caregivers. Through a variety of programs and initiatives, we help improve the lives of these children.
Founder Emeritus
Eve Spratt, MD
Medical University of South Carolina Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics
President
Susan Taylor
President-Elect
Page Bullington
Blackbaud Healthcare Solutions, President and General Manager
Vice President
Lorraine O. Powers, retired Educator and Administrator
Treasurer
Kevin Carter, R. Ph.
Healthrust, Senior Director, Pharmacy Benefit Strategy
Secretary
Jennifer Alspector
Agent Owned Realty, Realtor
Members
Randall Cercopely
Director Sales and Product Management
Dan Delanty
Coldwell Banker, Realtor
Pamela H. Germanos
Motley Rice, LLC, Senior Paralegal
Suzanne Groff, Esq.
Attorney and Mediator
William A. “Drew” Hautt
Vertos Medical Inc., District Sales Manager
Kelly Hodges
Charleston County School District, Registered Nurse
Tope Leyimu, Esq
Attorney, Motley Rice LLC
Suzanne Lynch
TD Bank, VP Commercial Real Estate
Perry MacLennan, Esq.
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA
David Overstreet , Esq.
Earhart Overstreet Attorneys at Law
Sallie K. Pritchard
Curt Wegner
Curtis Daniel Homes, President
In 1997, child psychiatrist and pediatrician Dr. Eve Spratt founded HALOS. At the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Spratt saw firsthand the severe lack of resources for young victims of abuse or neglect in Charleston County and wanted to improve the conditions for these children and their caregivers.
So she organized a meeting of the Department of Social Services case workers, business leaders, religious leaders, and politicians, and the group discussed the gaps in resources for children in the care of Social Services. Caseworkers told local leaders what they needed most, and HALOS was born to help meet those needs.
By 2007, HALOS identified a pattern in the requests caseworkers made. Many of the children were living with family members – grandparents and other relatives – because they weren’t safe with their own parents. This arrangement is called kinship care.
HALOS discovered there was no agency in the entire state focused on kinship families, and with the vision of the board, decided to concentrate our efforts on helping kinship families in the tri-county area.
In 2007, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of SC funded the first grant to HALOS to meet the needs of children in kinship care and to provide support to their caregivers to ensure their safety and wellbeing. The direct service program began by offering support group meetings for caregivers and referrals for services. Caregivers were surveyed every six months to guide the program's direction. Caregivers overwhelmingly asked for more one-on-one time with the Family Advocate. As a result, each new referral receives a home visit and assessment with the Family Advocate, who offers support and personalized assistance in identifying available services and follow up.
In 2015, HALOS was awarded a three-year grant of $1,017,000 from the The Duke Endowment and The Sisters of Charity Foundation of SC, to replicate a case management model that seeks to improve permanency in placements and overall child wellbeing. HALOS is adapting this model to address the specific needs and issues relating to children in kinship care.
In 2017, HALOS received Victims of Crime Act grant funding for the addition of a new Success Coach and Family Advocate in order to reach the growing and vulnerable kinship populations in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties.
HALOS has served more than 50,000 children since its inception in 1997.
With your support today, kinship children will have a better tomorrow. For information about how to donate, contact HALOS at 843-990-9570.
Tiffiny Alexander grew up in Durham, NC and received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She then moved to Charleston, SC to continue her interest in psychology, obtaining her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from The Citadel Graduate College. Prior to working at HALOS, Tiffiny worked at Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center for 5 years, helping children and caregivers who have experienced abuse, neglect, or other trauma in their lives. She is passionate about advocating for others and is excited to continue her career on the HALOS team.
Thearica is from Charleston, SC. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Carolina in psychology. She has worked with The Department of Social Services and other human services agencies in the Charleston, Berkeley , and Dorchester County areas. She is passionate about the field of counseling, social services, and education. She is excited about the opportunity she has to share her knowledge and passions of the field with Kinship families through support groups and education classes.
Brennyn has lived in the Charleston area for the past 4 years after graduating from Washington State University with a degree in Fine Arts. Brennyn served two years with the AmeriCorps*VISTA Charleston Area Service Collaborative working to alleviate poverty as a Leader as well as with the Youth Volunteer Corps. She is excited to help assist Kinship Care Families in the Tri-County area.
Robert is a native of Charleston, SC. He is a graduate of the University Of South Carolina with a degree in Government and African American Studies. He has worked in the non-profit realm for over 20 years. His prior experience includes being a Site Coordinator and Student Support Specialist. He is also an accomplished reggae artist. Robert is community minded and has a passion for working with kinship families.
Jennifer Richard holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude, and graduated with a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania. She formerly was COO of a national fundraising consulting firm. Ms. Richard is a past president of the Lowcountry Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and past member of the National Editorial Review Board of GivingUSA, the seminal publication on annual giving trends. She holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential.
Liz was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, and made the journey to South Carolina to attend Clemson University for her undergraduate studies in Psychology. Her subsequent move to Charleston led her to work with the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she served in several different roles over 9 years. During that time, she completed her Masters of Social Work through the University of South Carolina, worked with individuals and families impacted by addiction, and was involved in clinical research to explore interventions for anxiety and mood disorders in both adults and adolescents. Liz is thrilled to serve kinship families.
Born and raised in Charleston, SC, she received her degree from Claflin University in Mass Communications. NyRe has over 10 years of non-profit experience and service. Her background includes recruitment, retention and volunteer management. NyRe brings her creative mindset and her desire to help underprivileged Lowcountry youth to HALOS.
Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sam relocated to the Charleston area after earning his degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His prior service experience includes legislative assistance at the Wisconsin State Capitol, serving as an Americorps*VISTA member for Nativity Jesuit Middle School in Milwaukee, and working as an English and math teacher at the Center for Working Families in Quito, Ecuador.
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, and a graduate of the College of Charleston, Kim brings a wealth of successful nonprofit experience to the HALOS team. She received a Master of Social Work degree from Boston University with a concentration in program planning and development, community organizing, and nonprofit administration. Her prior experience includes serving as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member on Whidbey Island, Washington, the Director of Development for a community center in inner-city Boston, and Fundraising Specialist in Guatemala.