The audit objectives were to: Document DSS expenditures and funding sources for child protective services and related programs ; Determine whether the laws, regulations, policies, and practices for child protective services and related programs are effectively communicated and applied consistently ; Assess whether the intake process for receiving reports of child abuse and neglect ensures that the reports are effectively addressed in compliance with state and federal law and policy ; Determine whether DSS is effective and in compliance with state and federal law and policies when making out-of-home placements of children subjected to abuse and/or neglect ; Review the effectiveness of South Carolina's systems for preventing and investigating child deaths resulting from abuse and/or neglect ; Examine the reliability of data used by DSS in managing child protective services and related programs ; Determine whether DSS can improve its policies and practices regarding the hiring of staff, training, caseloads, and allocation of staff ; Review the use of outside contractors by DSS in the management of child protective services and related programs for the adequacy of the procurement methods and the effectiveness of the services provided ; Evaluate whether the measures used by DSS to determine the success of child protective services and related programs are appropriate and used in an effective manner.