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The Division of Child Care Services was formed as the result of South Carolina's commitment to protect and serve children who are cared for in child care settings outside their own homes.
The following programs are located in the Division of Child Care Services:
The Child Care Licensing Program enforces laws and regulations established by the South Carolina Legislature to ensure that child care facilities provide the basic health and safety requirements for all children in their care.
The ABC Child Care Program is the statewide system designed by South Carolina to deliver child care services under a federally-funded grant program. The ABC Child Care Voucher program makes payments to providers to care for low-income children so their parents can work. In addition, the ABC Child Care Program has a number of activities and projects that help to improve child care programs throughout the state, and make them more available and affordable to the families that need them.
The Head Start Collaboration Office is funded through a federal grant and includes a Collaboration Director, who encourages partnerships between Head Start and other agencies involved in the care and education of young children.
The Social Services Block Grant Program provides federal funding to states to support social services programs that help protect children and fragile adults. The money for these grants is given to each state based upon their population numbers. DSS uses the money to fund needed services, with many of them being provided through local community agencies and organizations.
Child Care Licensing Regulations are state laws and agency regulations pertaining to the direct operation and services of child care facilities.
Child Care Facility Operating Manual defines the regulatory duties of government necessary to safeguard children in care in places other than their own homes, ensuring for them minimum levels of protection and supervision and establishes statewide minimum regulations for the care and protection of children in child care facilities, to ensure maintenance of these regulations and to approve administration and enforcement to regulate conditions in such facilities.
Child Care Facility Requirement highlights the requirements for the types of child care facilities that are approved, licensed, or registered by the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
South Carolina Code of Laws - The South Carolina Legislative Council offers access to the unannotated South Carolina Code of Laws on the Internet as a service to the public. The unannotated South Carolina Code, consisting only of Code text and numbering, may be copied from this website at the reader's expense and effort without need for permission.
Jacob's Law is a South Carolina state law which states that any entity transporting pre-primary, primary, or secondary school students to or from school, school related activities, or child day care is required to use a vehicle that meets federal school bus safety standards. The law provides an exception for certain state agencies transporting parents and children together.
Disaster Preparedness regulations provide instructions and procedures in the event of a natural disaster and requirements for an up-to-date written plan for evacuation in case of fire, natural disaster, or other threatening situation that may pose a health or safety hazard.
South Carolina Clean Air Act specifies regulations for the possession and proximity of lighted smoking material in any form in all areas providing children’s services.
ABC Special Needs Program
is designed to assist those families who qualify for special child care vouchers (slots), but only if the parent is employed, or is enrolled in a school or training program, or is also disabled. ABC vouchers are always intended to support working parents and their families. Parents who believe they are eligible must fill out an ABC Special Needs Child Care Application. |
