On this episode of Kids First, Keven Cohen welcomes Major General Todd McCaffrey of the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs, joined by Superintendent Chris Neeley. On an Election Day edition fitting for a conversation about service and sacrifice, McCaffrey draws on his own thirty-four years in the Army, a career that moved his family nineteen times and sent his children to three different high schools, to explain why a welcoming education system matters so much to those who serve. He and Chris describe the growing partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the public charter school district, and share how recent legislation now lets military families pre-enroll their children and compete in the school lottery the moment they receive their orders, a change already making a real difference for families relocating to South Carolina.
The conversation goes deeper into what it truly takes to support a military community, from quality education to affordable housing to employment and childcare. McCaffrey offers heartfelt praise for the military spouses he calls the unsung heroes, and he and Chris discuss efforts to help those spouses find meaningful work, including the district’s own commitment to hiring veterans and their families as teachers and staff. They also touch on the Purple Star program that trains schools to understand what military-connected children experience, and a striking finding that these students are actually outperforming their peers across the state. McCaffrey closes with warm, practical advice for any family facing a new deployment or a difficult transition: reach out, because help and community are closer than you think. It is a moving, patriotic look at how South Carolina is working to serve the families who serve us all.
🔗 Learn more: https://scdva.sc.gov/
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