The Division of Early Care and Education is a division of the South Carolina Department of Social Services
News and Announcements
Attention Child Care Providers: The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a forgivable loan program to help small businesses like child care with needed financial support during these unprecedented times. From February 24 – March 10, 2021, only businesses with fewer than 20 employees can apply for the PPP. This exclusive application period allows participating lenders to focus on serving very small businesses like family child care educators and early care and education programs. For more information you can find a center at America's Small Business Development Center website or from one of the centers listed here.
Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect During the COVID-19 Pandemic training is now available. For more information click here.
Publication of the South Carolina Early Childhood Workforce Survey 2018 funded by the Division of Early Care and Education, SCDSS. This is the largest, most comprehensive survey of the state's early childhood workforce, representing feedback from over 4000 practitioners across the state. The results of the study are the voice of our diverse early childhood workforce encompassing a varied field of professionals including leaders and staff who work directly with young children in center-, school-, and home-based settings, as administrators, teaching staff or family child care educators.
Attention Child Care Providers: click here to apply for a COVID Support Grant! Note: If you are operating a temporary facility for school-age children do not use this website to apply. DSS will contact you separately and provide an application for you to use.
Attention Parents: click here for a new limited funding child care voucher opportunity!
**Urgent Update On Limited Funding Vouchers**
- Due to the high volume of requests for assistance, all applications received after 12 pm on Wednesday October 28, 2020 will be temporarily placed on a waiting list, and will be approved based on funding availability. Applications submitted before this date will be processed in the order received.
- Please do not submit multiple applications or re-send applications you have already submitted.
DSS Market Rate Survey:
The Market Rate Survey helps determine the rates that child care programs are paid for South Carolina Vouchers services. Child care programs, please complete the Market Rate Survey with your program's assigned login and password sent in a letter from DSS. If you have questions about completing the survey and/or need your child care program's login or password information, please contact Rodney O'Neal at rodney_oneal@ncsu.org or 919-515-3846 for assistance.
Helpful hints when completing the survey.
If you have trouble accessing the on-line survey, your browser may be blocking the survey from launching after your login and password was entered.
You need to allow pop-ups in the browser to access the survey online.
Most browsers will give a notification that a pop-up has attempted to launch.
You can select to allow pop-ups or continue blocking.
Click allow pop-ups for this site.
If you do not select allow pop-ups, the survey will automatically be blocked by the browser.
GUIDELINES FOR RE-OPENING CHILD CARE FACILITIES
Click here to read more information on Certificate of Temporary Operation during the COVID-19 outbreak.
FIND REPORTED CHILD CARE OPENINGS HERE.
FIND REPORTED CHILD CARE CLOSURES HERE.
Click here for updated COVID-19 and Influenza (Flu) guidance for SC Child Care and Preschools from SC DHEC. The updated Child Care Exclusion list can be found here.
Click here to watch videos on Caring for Children during Covid 19
Click here to read FDA's URGENT WARNING on hand sanitizers that contain methanol.
ATTENTION PARENTS AND PROVIDERS, for more information on Early Care and Education Efforts for the COVID-19 virus please visit our announcement page here.
For SC Voucher Updates on COVID-19 click here.
CACFP updates on COVID-19 click here. CACFP Waivers can be viewed here.
ATTENTION: Child Care Providers - Supplemental Guide from CDC and the Office of Child Care found here.
Click here to see updated safety protocals for Idemia fingerprint sites.
Important Coronavirus Information! Please visit the CDC FAQ page here.
To Child Care Providers & Facilities receiving CCDF:
The Department has approved a 50% reimbursement for you and any existing staff or household members that were required to be re-fingerprinted due to the CCDBG Act of 2014 and subsequently, the new SC Background Check Law requirements. This reimbursement is for existing staff that were hired before August 5, 2019. We will not reimburse you for any new staff hired after August 5, 2019. Please read the instructions and if you have any questions, please contact Charlene Caldwell, Child Care Licensing, at 803-898-5082 or by email at Charlene.caldwell@dss.sc.gov.
The reimbursement application can be found here.
The W-9 form for the application can be found here.
Preschool Development Birth - 5 Renewal Grant 2020
Click here to view the webinar of the Leadership Team & Community Partners Kick off Meeting on June 23, 2020.
Click here to access the PowerPoint slide deck from the Leadership Team & Community Partners Kick Off Meeting on June 23, 2020.
Click here to view the Preschool Development Birth - 5 Grant Application
For an insight into ABC Quality click here to view the Beyond Home video.
New Background Check Requirements for Child Care Providers - click here
To view South Carolina's Preschool Development Grant Birth - 5 Application click here.
Click here to check out the new video presentations on safe sleep practices, the causes of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), and the dangers associated with shaking infants and young children for all child care facilities.
Grant Will Help Coordinate Early Childhood Services
See the changes to the SC Health and Safety Pre-service training! Click here to read more about it.
Click here to view tips for keeping children safe on the playground.
Click here to review the Public and Private Child Care Center Regulations. For assistance understanding the changes a crosswalk of the 2005 CCC Regulations and the 2018 CCC Regulations can be viewed here.
To view the 2019-2021 State Plan click here.
View the webinar of the revised New ABC Quality Standards and New ABC Quality manuals. Click Here to review the resources and learn more about the newly revised ABC Quality standards!
The New Early Learning Standards are Here! For More information click here.
New Legislation for Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) takes effect July 1, 2017 and and it will require 10 hours of training instead of 2 hours of training for licensed and registered family child care providers. Click here for more information.
Congratulations ABC Child Care Programs recognized for promoting, protecting, and supporting breastfeeding. For more information click here.
More News and AnnouncementsNews and Announcements
Attention Child Care Providers: The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a forgivable loan program to help small businesses like child care with needed financial support during these unprecedented times. From February 24 – March 10, 2021, only businesses with fewer than 20 employees can apply for the PPP. This exclusive application period allows participating lenders to focus on serving very small businesses like family child care educators and early care and education programs. For more information you can find a center at America's Small Business Development Center website or from one of the centers listed here.
Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect During the COVID-19 Pandemic training is now available. For more information click here.
Publication of the South Carolina Early Childhood Workforce Survey 2018 funded by the Division of Early Care and Education, SCDSS. This is the largest, most comprehensive survey of the state's early childhood workforce, representing feedback from over 4000 practitioners across the state. The results of the study are the voice of our diverse early childhood workforce encompassing a varied field of professionals including leaders and staff who work directly with young children in center-, school-, and home-based settings, as administrators, teaching staff or family child care educators.
Attention Child Care Providers: click here to apply for a COVID Support Grant! Note: If you are operating a temporary facility for school-age children do not use this website to apply. DSS will contact you separately and provide an application for you to use.
Attention Parents: click here for a new limited funding child care voucher opportunity!
**Urgent Update On Limited Funding Vouchers**
- Due to the high volume of requests for assistance, all applications received after 12 pm on Wednesday October 28, 2020 will be temporarily placed on a waiting list, and will be approved based on funding availability. Applications submitted before this date will be processed in the order received.
- Please do not submit multiple applications or re-send applications you have already submitted.
DSS Market Rate Survey:
The Market Rate Survey helps determine the rates that child care programs are paid for South Carolina Vouchers services. Child care programs, please complete the Market Rate Survey with your program's assigned login and password sent in a letter from DSS. If you have questions about completing the survey and/or need your child care program's login or password information, please contact Rodney O'Neal at rodney_oneal@ncsu.org or 919-515-3846 for assistance.
Helpful hints when completing the survey.
If you have trouble accessing the on-line survey, your browser may be blocking the survey from launching after your login and password was entered.
You need to allow pop-ups in the browser to access the survey online.
Most browsers will give a notification that a pop-up has attempted to launch.
You can select to allow pop-ups or continue blocking.
Click allow pop-ups for this site.
If you do not select allow pop-ups, the survey will automatically be blocked by the browser.
GUIDELINES FOR RE-OPENING CHILD CARE FACILITIES
Click here to read more information on Certificate of Temporary Operation during the COVID-19 outbreak.
FIND REPORTED CHILD CARE OPENINGS HERE.
FIND REPORTED CHILD CARE CLOSURES HERE.
Click here for updated COVID-19 and Influenza (Flu) guidance for SC Child Care and Preschools from SC DHEC. The updated Child Care Exclusion list can be found here.
Click here to watch videos on Caring for Children during Covid 19
Click here to read FDA's URGENT WARNING on hand sanitizers that contain methanol.
ATTENTION PARENTS AND PROVIDERS, for more information on Early Care and Education Efforts for the COVID-19 virus please visit our announcement page here.
For SC Voucher Updates on COVID-19 click here.
CACFP updates on COVID-19 click here. CACFP Waivers can be viewed here.
ATTENTION: Child Care Providers - Supplemental Guide from CDC and the Office of Child Care found here.
Click here to see updated safety protocals for Idemia fingerprint sites.
Important Coronavirus Information! Please visit the CDC FAQ page here.
To Child Care Providers & Facilities receiving CCDF:
The Department has approved a 50% reimbursement for you and any existing staff or household members that were required to be re-fingerprinted due to the CCDBG Act of 2014 and subsequently, the new SC Background Check Law requirements. This reimbursement is for existing staff that were hired before August 5, 2019. We will not reimburse you for any new staff hired after August 5, 2019. Please read the instructions and if you have any questions, please contact Charlene Caldwell, Child Care Licensing, at 803-898-5082 or by email at Charlene.caldwell@dss.sc.gov.
The reimbursement application can be found here.
The W-9 form for the application can be found here.
Preschool Development Birth - 5 Renewal Grant 2020
Click here to view the webinar of the Leadership Team & Community Partners Kick off Meeting on June 23, 2020.
Click here to access the PowerPoint slide deck from the Leadership Team & Community Partners Kick Off Meeting on June 23, 2020.
Click here to view the Preschool Development Birth - 5 Grant Application
For an insight into ABC Quality click here to view the Beyond Home video.
New Background Check Requirements for Child Care Providers - click here
To view South Carolina's Preschool Development Grant Birth - 5 Application click here.
Click here to check out the new video presentations on safe sleep practices, the causes of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), and the dangers associated with shaking infants and young children for all child care facilities.
Grant Will Help Coordinate Early Childhood Services
See the changes to the SC Health and Safety Pre-service training! Click here to read more about it.
Click here to view tips for keeping children safe on the playground.
Click here to review the Public and Private Child Care Center Regulations. For assistance understanding the changes a crosswalk of the 2005 CCC Regulations and the 2018 CCC Regulations can be viewed here.
To view the 2019-2021 State Plan click here.
View the webinar of the revised New ABC Quality Standards and New ABC Quality manuals. Click Here to review the resources and learn more about the newly revised ABC Quality standards!
The New Early Learning Standards are Here! For More information click here.
New Legislation for Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) takes effect July 1, 2017 and and it will require 10 hours of training instead of 2 hours of training for licensed and registered family child care providers. Click here for more information.
Congratulations ABC Child Care Programs recognized for promoting, protecting, and supporting breastfeeding. For more information click here.
More News and Announcements
The Division of Early Care and Education is a division of the
South Carolina Department of Social Services
South Carolina Department of Social Services
Contact Us
Early Care and Education
P.O. Box 1520 Columbia, SC 29202-1520
Phone: 803-898-2570