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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.
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What we do
- We help child care providers make sure that children
in their care are healthy, safe, and supervised at all times.
- We make sure that all child care facilities comply
with laws and regulations and we issue permits (licenses) that allow them to operate.
- We investigate all regulatory complaints quickly.
- We open up records on any child care facility, as required
by law, so that parents can see the
history of compliance for that child care provider.
- We provide technical assistance to child care providers
and help them obtain the necessary inspections from
the State Fire Marshal and from
the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
- We conduct unannounced visits to make sure providers
abide by all laws and regulations.
- When a child abuse
or neglect report is made against a child care facility, we work with staff from the agency’s Out of Home Abuse and
Neglect division to thoroughly investigate the report.
- When children are in danger, we revoke a license or
registration.
- We develop child care regulations,
with the help of
an advisory committee (the State Advisory Committee on the Regulation of Child
Care Facilities), for providers to follow.
Frequency of Inspections
Centers, Group Homes, and Licensed Family Homes:
Unannounced visits are made twice each year or in response to a complaint; visits
are scheduled with the facility during the re-licensing process which occurs every
two years.
Registered Family Homes: Most family homes are registered, not
licensed. By law, the agency can only inspect these homes in response to a complaint.
When a complaint is filed, DSS inspectors make an unannounced visit to investigate
it. Family homes are required to register with the agency by mail every year. Because
family homes are not inspected on a regular basis, parents should be aware that
these facilities have fewer deficiencies listed on this website than other regulated
facilities.
Click here for an overview of each facility and the requirements they must
meet according to state law.