The search for a child care program that is right and affordable for your family can be an overwhelming task. To help, we’ve gathered important resources for South Carolina parents to choose, locate and afford child care.
1. Choose the Type of Child Care
With four types of child care programs in South Carolina, choosing which model is best for your family can be daunting. The four types include child care centers, group homes, family child care homes and exempt (non-regulated) programs. These programs differ in many aspects: residential/non-residential locations, number and ages of children, length of care offered and organization of classrooms. Ensure the program you choose fits your child by visiting different child care centers to compare the programs and asking questions. During your visit, look around to evaluate the facilities and see how the children play or how the teachers engage with them.
2. Locate an Open Child Care Facility
Many parents have struggled to find nearby child care facilities with a vacancy for their child. SC Child Care houses a frequently updated database to easily search hundreds of child care facilities statewide. Each program lists its contact information, address, hours, facility operator, capacity, licensing information and inspection reports. If you need one-on-one help through your family’s child care search, contact SC Child Care Resource & Referral’s Parent Referral Specialist.
3. Ensure a High-Quality & Safe Facility
One of the primary concerns when parents search for child care is ensuring the program is high-quality and prepares their child for school and life. Luckily, ABC Quality, South Carolina’s Quality Rating and Improvement System for child care, evaluates participating child care programs in important child development areas. Traditional licensing reviews safety and health, but ABC Quality scores child care providers on their procedures, teaching practices and adult-to-child ratios. Through in-person evaluations, programs are graded A+ through C to determine if they promote child well-being, safety and learning.
4. Apply for Financial Support
It’s no secret that child care is expensive. Fortunately, the Child Care Scholarship Program, formerly known as the SC Voucher Program, helps income-eligible South Carolina families afford child care so parents can work, attend school or get job training. Scholarship eligibility requirements and applications are available on the Department of Social Services (DSS) Benefits Portal. South Carolina also offers free or reduced-cost preschool programs, including Head Start, First Steps 4K and Public School 4K. To determine if your family is eligible for any of these programs, visit PalmettoPreK.org to answer a few questions.
Use the resources above to find and get financial assistance for high-quality child care for your family.
