The South Carolina Department of Social Services has launched a new waitlist for families seeking childcare scholarships following the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funding.
The federal funding ended in December, leaving many families without financial assistance for childcare. The new waitlist is intended to identify eligible families if additional scholarship funding becomes available.
DSS officials requested an additional $20 million annually from state lawmakers to help offset the loss of federal funding. The Legislature did not approve the request, leaving the agency operating within its pre-pandemic budget.
The loss of childcare assistance has affected families and childcare providers across South Carolina. Parents who previously received subsidies have faced higher childcare costs, while some providers have reported losing customers as families can no longer afford care.
DSS officials said the waitlist does not guarantee that families will eventually receive financial assistance. Funding availability will determine whether additional scholarships can be provided.
The agency also plans to use information gathered through the waitlist to document the demand for childcare assistance across the state.
Officials say the data could help demonstrate to state and federal lawmakers the need for additional scholarship funding and provide a clearer picture of how the loss of subsidies is affecting families, childcare providers and the broader workforce.
Families seeking assistance can register through the South Carolina DSS benefits portal.
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Patrick Byrne lives in Tega Cay with his wife and two daughters. After 25 years working for a Big 4 bank, he retired to pursue his passion for writing. Additional articles and content can be found on his blog (reverian1776.blogspot.com) and freethepeople.org.
Patrick can be reach via email at [email protected]
