Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in South Carolina
South Carolina's Child Care Scholarship covers families up to 85% SMI (~$87,000 family of 4), but new applications for the Working Families track paused December 1, 2025 — only priority categories enrolling. State CDCC is 7% of federal, max $210/$420, non-refundable.
Data current as of May 21, 2026
Child care subsidy (CCDF) in South Carolina
- Program name
- SC Child Care Scholarship Program (formerly ABC Voucher)
- Administered by
- South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS); ABC Quality is the QRIS arm
- Income ceiling
- Gross family income up to 85% State Median Income (about $87,161 for a family of four).
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding-scale weekly copay by family size and income, paid directly to the provider. Only ABC Quality-rated providers accept scholarship payments.
- Waitlist status
- Currently closed to new applications — Effective December 1, 2025 SCDSS paused new applications for the Working Families / Strong Start track due to funding constraints. The pause does not apply to protected/priority categories. Activity requirement is at least 15 hours per week of work, school, or training (pending bill S.770 would raise to 20).
Priority groups (served first)
- Families receiving TANF
- Children with special needs
- Families experiencing homelessness
- Children in child welfare or foster care involvement
- Children ages 13–18 with disabilities/developmental delays or in foster care
State pre-K in South Carolina
- Program name
- Child Early Reading Development and Education Program (CERDEP) — public-school 4K and First Steps 4K
- Administered by
- SC Department of Education (public-school track) and SC First Steps (private-provider track)
- Access
- Income-targeted
- Eligibility
- Children must be 4 by September 1. Family income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level, OR Medicaid-eligible, OR documented eligibility need.
- Coverage
- Approximately 30–35% of South Carolina 4-year-olds enrolled (NIEER 2023-24). Waitlists are maintained at the school level when demand exceeds capacity.
State tax credits & extras in South Carolina
- State CDCC
- Non-refundable. 7% of the federal CDCC. Non-refundable. Maximum credit $210 (one child) or $420 (two or more). Full-year SC residents only; married filing separately is ineligible. Filed per SC Code 12-6-3380.
Where to apply or get help in South Carolina
- Find a licensed daycare in South CarolinaChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- South Carolina child care portalwww.scchildcare.org/
- Eligibility screenerbenefitsportal.dss.sc.gov/
- Combined benefits applicationbenefitsportal.dss.sc.gov/
- South Carolina 211 (dial 2-1-1)www.211.org/
- SC Child Care Scholarship Programwww.scchildcare.org/programs/child-care-scholarship-program/
- SC DOR — Family tax creditsdor.sc.gov/tax-tips/take-advantage-these-family-tax-credits-and-deductions
- CERDEP — SC Department of Educationed.sc.gov/instruction/early-learning-and-literacy/cerdep/
- Federal childcare.gov — South Carolina resourceschildcare.gov/state-resources/south-carolina
Find a daycare in South Carolina
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse South Carolina's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse South Carolina daycaresSources
Every state layers its own program on top of a federal floor — CCDF (the federal block grant), Head Start, the federal DCFSA (employer pre-tax benefit), and the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit. See the federal overview for what the floor looks like before any state adds.