The number of abuse cases handled by local children’s centers continues to increase every year, even as those centers wait for funding mentioned months ago by Berkeley County.

Local advocates and nonprofits who work with victims of physical and sexual abuse or neglect against children are often faced with numerous financial challenges and getting grants and donations is a competitive process, made more difficult because of the subject matter.

One local director said there is sometimes a concern when talking about the horrendous abuse with potential givers, saying the acts are so despicable the nonprofits worry it won’t be believed, or those hearing it will be too repulsed to continue.

That is why last year five local agencies were happy to respond to Berkeley County Council’s efforts to provide funding.

The county set aside $250,000 for charity and it was ready to be doled out. Agencies invited to make a proposal were HALOS, Carolina Youth Development Center, Windwood Farm Home for Children, Callen-Lacey Center for Children, Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center and Dorchester Children’s Center.

All of the agencies in one way or another play a role in the battle against child abuse, be it a place to live, fostering or counseling. Two of them, Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center and Dorchester Children’s Center, are on the front lines. They are where a child’s long journey to recovery will begin in practically every case.

After the agencies made their pitch to council last year, it seemed it would be a short wait to see what amount they would receive. So far not a penny has been handed out.

“They just started debating that they shouldn’t be giving the money away,” said Kim Clifton, executive director at HALOS, an agency that helps with fostering and kinship placements for abused children.

Since then, no more discussion has taken place about funding the services provided to Berkeley County residents.

“It’s expected to have some follow up,” Clifton said. “It is strange. You do all this stuff to get the money then it’s no longer available.”

Starting the debate on the same evening the proposals were made in October 2016 was District 3 Councilman Ken Gunn, and he has not changed his position.

“My point was I didn’t think it was right for the county council to give $250,000 to anyone,” he said.

Gunn said he’s sympathetic to the cause, but his obligation is to the county taxpayer. He said he will consider a referendum so the taxpayer can vote on the amount and where it will go.

“I said I had no objection to supporting it, but there are a lot of worthwhile groups out there,” he said. “I mentioned the Salvation Army.”

While the Salvation Army “exists to meet human need wherever, whenever, and however we can,” according to its mission statement, it does not provide the service local residents are receiving from specialized agencies.

At this time no group is doing more for abused children in Berkeley County than Dorchester County and the Dorchester Children’s Center. The Summerville facility handles, among other things, forensic medical exams, forensic interviews and family counseling.

Some of DCC’s numbers show that as off July 2017 the center had 739 cases – and 338 of those are from Berkeley County.

The final tally for 2017 will more than likely look similar to previous years. In 2015 DCC served 1,210 clients; 682, or 57 percent, were from Berkeley County.

In 2014: 1,023 clients were served, 488 of those were from Berkeley. In 2013: 976 served and 428 were Berkeley County residents.

One concern is that Berkeley County isn’t paying its fair share for the service it is receiving. District 4 County Councilman Tommy Newell recognized the inequity.

“It was brought to my attention the Dorchester Children’s Center has taken care of more children from Berkeley than Dorchester,” he said.

Newell, who also works closely with the Callen-Lacey Center, which provides abused children a place to live, said the money is still there, it just went back into the county’s general fund.

“I wanted the $250,000 to go to the Dorchester Children Center and Callen-Lacey then it opened up for everybody,” Newell said. “It was going through a process that ended.”

A troubling end for Dr. Kay Phillips, executive director at Dorchester Children’s Center. In addition to grants and donations, DCC also receives money from Dorchester County based on one tax mil, so funding varies year to year. This year her center is slated to get $530,000. Comparatively, in 2015 the cost for treating Berkeley County clients totaled more than $650,000. Each client, regardless of where they are from, costs the center $963.

“We are happy to do it, we want to do it,” Phillips said. “But as the numbers grow and with the counties just growing so fast, especially Berkeley, how are we supposed to keep up with no help?”

Phillips said any amount of money the county gives will be split between DCC and Dee Norton, proportionate to the number of Berkeley residents each sees.

“We’re thankful for all the funding we get, what we’re asking Berkeley County for is some help,” she said.

Newell said a majority of council agrees the money should be released. He said he expected something to happen soon.

“I am going to take it up again,” he said. “I will put it on the agenda first thing in October.”