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 this
Division:
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.
The
South Carolina Child Care Data Bridge Project
is a child care research and evaluation venture funded by a federal grant.