South Carolina runs its publicly funded child care subsidy through the ABC Voucher Program, administered by the South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS) Division of Early Care and Education. The ABC Voucher covers SCDSS-licensed child care centers, registered family child care homes, school-age programs, and Approved Caregivers (in-home relatives with background checks). SCDSS regional and county offices handle day-to-day intake, eligibility, family co-pay calculations, and provider payment.
If your family income is at or below 85 percent of State Median Income, at least one parent is working, in school, or in approved job training, and your child is under thirteen, you almost certainly qualify on paper. The ABC Voucher waitlist has been a persistent feature in counties like Greenville, Richland, Charleston, and Horry during peak demand windows, but TANF (Family Independence), SNAP Employment and Training, foster care, and homeless family priority groups bypass the waitlist. South Carolina has expanded CCDBG funding under federal supplements since 2022 to raise ABC Quality reimbursement rates.
SCDSS Division of Early Care and Education sets statewide ABC Voucher rules: who can be eligible, what counts as a work, school, or training activity, the family co-pay schedule, and how providers are paid. SCDSS regional and county offices handle intake, eligibility, family co-pay calculations, recertification, and direct provider payment. The ABC Quality system runs in parallel under SCDSS in partnership with the South Carolina Endeavors program. The Child Early Reading Development and Education Program (CERDEP) runs separately under the South Carolina Department of Education for income-eligible four-year-olds in participating school districts and select private providers.
South Carolina's ABC Voucher eligibility rules require a need activity (work, school, or training), South Carolina residency, and household income within the program ceiling.
SCDSS sets initial and ongoing ABC Voucher eligibility at 85 percent of State Median Income, in line with the federal CCDF ceiling. Approximate monthly intake limits for 2025-2026:
Categorical eligibility (no income test at intake) applies to Family Independence (TANF) recipients in approved work or training activities, children in foster care, children in protective services, families experiencing homelessness, and children in the twelve-month Transitional Child Care window after Family Independence closes. Both parents (or the single parent in a single-parent household) must be working, in school, or in an SCDSS-approved job-training program. Children must be under age thirteen, or under age eighteen if the child has documented special needs.
South Carolina sets a weekly family co-pay on a statewide sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income, generally five to seven percent of income. Approximate weekly amounts for 2025-2026:
The co-pay is paid directly to the provider each week. ABC Voucher reimbursement covers the difference between the family co-pay and the contracted reimbursement rate, up to the SCDSS-published county maximum. Family Independence families have no co-pay during the cash assistance window.
SCDSS reimburses ABC Voucher providers at a base rate set by county and child age, with quality enhancement add-ons for providers participating in ABC Quality at B, A, A+, and Quality Plus levels. A+ and Quality Plus providers receive the largest add-ons, typically 15 to 30 percent above the base rate. Reimbursement rates were updated in 2024 to align with the federal equal-access requirement. Full-time infant center base reimbursement ranged from roughly $700 per month in rural counties (Allendale, Bamberg, Marlboro, McCormick) to roughly $1,300 per month in Greenville, Richland, Charleston, and Horry counties. Family child care home rates ran 15 to 25 percent below center rates.
South Carolina's Child Early Reading Development and Education Program (CERDEP, also called 4K) provides a free full-day pre-K program for income-eligible four-year-olds (185 percent FPL or below) in participating school districts and select private providers. Many working families use the ABC Voucher for younger children and combine CERDEP with ABC Voucher wraparound at age four.
South Carolina maintains a statewide ABC Voucher waitlist during peak demand windows. Priority groups (TANF Family Independence, SNAP Employment and Training, foster care, child protective services, homeless families) bypass the waitlist and are determined within fifteen business days. General working families may face a waiting period of one to three months in Greenville, Richland, Charleston, and Horry counties depending on available funding.
Use dss.sc.gov to find your SCDSS regional or county office. Each county has at least one office handling ABC Voucher intake for residents of its service area. Larger counties include Greenville County DSS, Richland County DSS, Charleston County DSS, Horry County DSS, Spartanburg County DSS, Lexington County DSS, and Anderson County DSS.
SCDSS accepts ABC Voucher applications online through the SCDSS ABC Voucher portal, in person, or by mail using DSS-3800 (ABC Voucher Application). The application asks for family composition, household income, the need activity (work, school, or training), work or school hours, and a preferred provider if you have one selected.
Photo identification for each adult; birth certificates for each child; proof of South Carolina residency such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill; last 30 days of pay stubs or a signed employer letter; school or training program enrollment documentation if applicable; a current work schedule from your employer.
Priority cases (Family Independence, SNAP E&T, foster care, protective services, homeless families) are typically determined within fifteen business days. General working families with available funding are determined within twenty to thirty business days; families on the waitlist are notified when funding becomes available. If verification documents are incomplete, the SCDSS office will request additional items by phone or mail.
ABC Voucher families select any SCDSS-licensed provider: licensed child care centers, registered family child care homes, school-age programs, and Approved Caregivers (with background checks). SCDSS issues an ABC Voucher with approved hours and reimbursement rate. SCDSS pays the provider directly, and the family pays the weekly co-pay.
Provider participation in the ABC Voucher is voluntary. To accept the ABC Voucher, the provider must hold a current SCDSS center license, family child care registration, school-age program registration, or Approved Caregiver registration, sign an ABC Voucher provider agreement, accept the county maximum reimbursement rate, and meet attendance reporting requirements. Most ABC Voucher funding flows to ABC Quality B, A, A+, and Quality Plus providers. Some private centers in Greenville, Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, and Columbia decline the ABC Voucher because their posted rates exceed the county maximum reimbursement.
South Carolina's ABC Voucher intake ceiling at 85 percent of State Median Income matches the federal CCDF maximum and is among the more generous in the Southeast, comparable to Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida. Co-pays expressed weekly run lower in nominal terms than monthly co-pays in other states. ABC Quality reimbursement add-ons at A+ and Quality Plus are competitive. The persistent waitlist for non-priority working families in metro counties remains the most significant operational constraint in 2026.
South Carolina families have the right to appeal an SCDSS denial or termination by requesting a fair hearing within thirty calendar days. Most denials at the county level are reversed when the family provides missing pay stubs, a corrected work schedule, or updated household composition. If the appeal does not succeed, options include reapplying when income or hours change, pursuing Head Start or Early Head Start, enrolling a four-year-old in CERDEP at no cost where available, or asking your employer about a Dependent Care FSA.
South Carolina's ABC Voucher substantially reduces daycare costs for low- and moderate-income working families, particularly those who qualify under priority categories. ABC Quality reimbursement add-ons reward higher-rated providers, Family Independence-pathway eligibility is fast, and the income ceiling at 85 percent SMI is at the federal maximum. For most South Carolina families within range of the income ceiling, the single best move is to apply through the SCDSS ABC Voucher portal or your county DSS office now, even before you need care, and to plan for CERDEP layering at age four with ABC Voucher wraparound hours.
Initial eligibility for the South Carolina ABC Voucher Program is set at 85 percent of State Median Income for the certification year, with TANF and SNAP Employment and Training categorically eligible without an income test. Approximate monthly intake limits for 2026 are roughly $5,000 per month for a family of two, $6,200 per month for a family of three, $7,400 per month for a family of four, and $8,500 per month for a family of five. SCDSS uses CCDBG funding to subsidize tuition at ABC Quality-rated providers across all 46 counties.
SCDSS sets a weekly family co-pay on a sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income, generally five to seven percent of income. Co-pays for the 2026 schedule run from $0 per week at the lowest-income tier to roughly $40 to $90 per week at the upper end of eligibility, paid directly to the provider. TANF families have no co-pay during the cash assistance window.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS) Division of Early Care and Education administers the ABC Voucher Program statewide. SCDSS regional and county offices handle day-to-day intake, eligibility, family co-pay calculations, and provider payment. The ABC Quality rating system runs under SCDSS in partnership with the South Carolina Endeavors program.
ABC Quality is South Carolina's tiered quality rating and improvement system, with B, A, A+, and Quality Plus rating levels administered by SCDSS. ABC Voucher reimbursement rates scale meaningfully with ABC Quality level: A+ and Quality Plus providers receive 15 to 30 percent above the base reimbursement rate. South Carolina also operates the Child Early Reading Development and Education Program (CERDEP), a state-funded 4K program for income-eligible four-year-olds in participating school districts and select private providers.
South Carolina maintains a statewide ABC Voucher waitlist during peak demand windows. TANF, SNAP Employment and Training, foster care, child protective services, and homeless family priority groups bypass the waitlist. General working families may face a waiting period of one to three months depending on county and available funding. Priority cases are typically determined within fifteen business days of completed application.
South Carolina permits care by an Approved Caregiver, generally an in-home relative or close friend, after completion of background checks, child abuse and neglect registry clearance, and SCDSS registration. Most ABC Voucher funding is paid to SCDSS-licensed centers and registered family child care homes participating in ABC Quality.
Yes. Family Independence (South Carolina's TANF program) recipients receive guaranteed ABC Voucher child care while participating in approved work, education, or training activities under the FI work program, and during the twelve-month Transitional Child Care window after Family Independence closes. FI-related cases are processed within five to ten business days.
Photo identification for each adult; birth certificates for each child; proof of South Carolina residency such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill; last 30 days of pay stubs or a signed employer letter; school or training program enrollment documentation if applicable; current work schedule. Your SCDSS regional or county office provides a complete checklist with the application packet.
What a center or family child care home actually costs across Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, and the Pee Dee in 2026.
See South Carolina costs → South Carolina pre-KCERDEP (4K), district eligibility, and how it layers with ABC Voucher wraparound for working families.
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