A Limited Review of Licensing and Oversight of Child Care Providers by the S.C. Department of Social Services
June 2026

REPORT (PDF)     SUMMARY (PDF)

Members of the S.C. General Assembly requested that we conduct an audit of S.C. Department of Social Services’ licensing and oversight of child care providers.

Objectives

• Review the DSS licensing process for child care providers to determine what inefficiencies can be identified and corrected for a more timely process.
• Review the ABC Quality program to determine its current status.
• Determine ways the license revocation and appeals process can be more timely and consistently addressed in all the regions.
• Evaluate the data management systems used by the child care division to find inefficiencies and determine how increasing automation and integration can improve the division’s processes and timeliness.
• Review the functions of the DSS fire marshal staff to determine what changes can improve the efficiency of the process and ensure the safety of children served by providers.