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News and Announcements

ATTENTION: Child Care Providers - Supplemental Guide from CDC and the Office of Child Care found here. 

FIND REPORTED CHILD CARE CLOSURES HERE.

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 Waivers can be viewed here. 

Due to concerns related to COVID19, Identigo has provided a listing of their office closures here.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 

Important Coronavirus Information! Please visit  the CDC FAQ page here.

 

The Governor's Advisory Committee Meeting on the Regulations of Child Care Facilities scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, has been cancelled. The next Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28th, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm in Room 307-310, 1535 Confederate Avenue, Columbia, South Carolina.

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 (Due November 5th)

Click Here to view the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to access the PowerPoint slide deck

 

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.

Child care providers are growing their quality with ABC.  Click here to see who recently moved up or moved in at Level B or above!!!

Get DHEC Information

More News and Announcements
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 - Supplemental Guide from CDC and the Office of Child Care found here. 

FIND REPORTED CHILD CARE CLOSURES HERE.

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 Waivers can be viewed here. 

Due to concerns related to COVID19, Identigo has provided a listing of their office closures here.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 

Important Coronavirus Information! Please visit  the CDC FAQ page here.

 

The Governor's Advisory Committee Meeting on the Regulations of Child Care Facilities scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, has been cancelled. The next Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28th, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm in Room 307-310, 1535 Confederate Avenue, Columbia, South Carolina.

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 (Due November 5th)

Click Here to view the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)
Click here to view the webinar
Click here to access the PowerPoint slide deck

 

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.

Child care providers are growing their quality with ABC.  Click here to see who recently moved up or moved in at Level B or above!!!

Get DHEC Information

More News and Announcements
The Division of Early Care and Education is a division of the
South Carolina Department of Social Services
Contact Us

Early Care and Education

P.O. Box 1520 Columbia, SC 29202-1520
Phone: 803-898-2570


Dear Child Care Provider,

The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) is sending you this email to help you stay up-to-date on the latest recommendations regarding the Coronavirus. 

We understand that you may have concerns about how the virus may impact your child care centers, and many of you have contacted us in the last 24 hours asking for guidance on whether to continue operations.  At this time it remains your decision as a provider on whether to remain open.  There are 2,419 regulated child care facilities in South Carolina (including centers, churches, and family homes).  As of 5:00 this evening, 611 (25%) have voluntarily closed. 

DSS recommends child care facilities implement the following steps to help yourselves, your staff, and the children in your care stay healthy.

  1. 1. Make sure children, staff, and visitors are washing hands as directed by DHEC.
  2. 2. Clean and disinfect all surfaces within the facility regularly.
  3. 3. Practice social distancing when possible.
  4. 4. Consider changing your sign in procedures for parents and other visitors (e.g., move handoffs closer to the front door to minimize parents coming into the classroom space and avoid possible exposure to children and caregivers).
  5. 5. Limit visitors to the facility.
  6. 6. Limit communal sharing of food, and donations where possible.
  7. 7. Direct staff to stay home when they are sick, and direct parents to keep their children home when they exhibit symptoms of illness.
  8. 8. Establish procedures to ensure children and staff who become sick at daycare or arrive at your facility sick are sent home as soon as possible.  Keep sick children and staff separate from well children and staff until they can leave.

The Governor has declared a State of Emergency for the COVID-19 emergency, and emergency plans for child care licensing are in effect.  If you are a licensed child care center and can expand your capacity to serve the children of essential state and local services personnel and other children displaced by closures, please contact Child Care Licensing at 1-888-825-7174 or childcare.disaster.response@dss.sc.gov as soon as possible.

If your organization has the ability to set up a temporary child care site, please contact Child Care Licensing at 1-888-825-7174 or childcare.disaster.response@dss.sc.gov.  You may be allowed to operate without a license for a maximum of 30 days in accordance with state law (63-13-440).  Child Care Licensing must grant approval for temporary child care arrangements.

If you have general questions about COVID-19, the DHEC Care Line is here to help at 1-855-472-3432 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  For the most up to date information about the Coronavirus, visit DHEC’s website at scdhec.gov/COVID19.

Thank you.