How to Start a Daycare in South Carolina: Licensing Steps, Costs and Staffing
To start a daycare in South Carolina, you apply to the Division of Early Care and Education at the SC Department of Social Services (SCDSS), beginning with a New Applicant Orientation at your regional licensing office.
Family child care homes of up to 6 children register; group child care homes of 7 to 12 children and centers of 13 or more need a license.
New centers go through health and fire inspections, a regular center license runs two years, and directors must be at least 21 with one of five qualification routes.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Division of Early Care and Education at the SC Department of Social Services (SCDSS), which regulates approximately 2,500 providers through four regional offices under S.C. Code Regs. Chapter 114.
Registered family child care homes (up to 6 children), licensed group child care homes (7 to 12 children) and licensed child care centers (13 or more children).
A New Applicant Orientation session from the regional licensing office — the first step to becoming licensed or registered, held separately for centers/group homes and family child care homes.
Our research found no application fee in the center regulations or statute we read — ask your regional licensing office about current costs. The statute text we read puts required background-check fees on the prospective employee or the child care facility.
At least 21 years old, meeting one of five education and experience routes — from a bachelor's with at least 18 child-development or ECE credit hours down to a high school diploma or GED plus ECD 101 and 3 years' experience, one year supervising staff.
DSS requests health and fire inspections for a new center; a family child care application gets a home visit with at least 2 business days' notice.
Steps to a license in South Carolina
- Attend a New Applicant OrientationStep
The regional licensing office runs orientation as the first step to becoming licensed or registered, with separate sessions for centers/group homes and for family child care homes.
- Choose your program typeStep
A family child care home of up to 6 children registers, a group child care home of 7 to 12 children must be licensed, and a center of 13 or more children must be licensed.
- Complete the application packetStep
Family child care applicants receive the packet at orientation and submit a zoning approval letter from the city or county, while DSS requests health and fire inspections for a new center.
- Clear background checksStep
SLED and FBI fingerprints, a DSS Central Registry check, sex offender checks and registry checks in every state lived in during the previous 5 years.
- Open under your license termStep
A regular center license is valid for two years, a family child care registration runs one year, and the optional family child care license runs two.
Which agency licenses daycares in South Carolina?
South Carolina child care licensing is run by the Division of Early Care and Education at the SC Department of Social Services (SCDSS), which regulates approximately 2,500 providers through four regional offices.
The center rules are S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 114, Article 5 — Reg. 114-500 through 114-509 — last amended effective June 22, 2018.
The family child care rules sit in the same chapter, Reg. 114-530 through 114-537.
New Applicant Orientation is run by the regional licensing office and is the first step for both program types, so your regional office is where every step on this page starts.
“Licensing is managed by the SC Division of Early Care and Education at the SC Department of Social Services (SCDSS).”
South Carolina daycare license types: family home, group home and center
The child count decides which of the three program types you run.
A child care center is a facility licensed for 13 or more children (Reg. 114-501).
A group child care home is a residence occupied by the operator that regularly cares for at least 7 but not more than 12 children, counting children living in the home and children related to the caregiver.
A family child care home cares for no more than 6 children on the same counting rule, and SCDSS requires these homes to be registered, with an option to become licensed, while group homes must be licensed.
A family child care provider must be registered before caring for a second unrelated child.
SCDSS's licensing page also lists the general triggers for licensure: caring for children from more than one unrelated family, operating more than 2 days a week or operating 4 or more hours a day, with programs open less than 4 hours a day able to be legally exempt — an option SCDSS says is not available to family or group homes.
“(9) Child care center: A center that is licensed for thirteen (13) or more children for care.”
What are the application and inspection steps in South Carolina?
Every applicant starts with a New Applicant Orientation session run by the regional licensing office; sessions are held separately for centers and group homes and for family child care homes, with virtual sessions listed for October through December 2026.
Reg. 114-531 requires a prospective family child care operator to attend orientation to obtain the application packet and to submit a zoning approval letter from the city or county, and before issuing a registration SCDSS visits the home with at least 2 business days' notice and phones the applicant's three references.
For a new center, DSS requests health and fire inspections.
The rule then puts a clock on the decision: if DSS does not approve or deny a complete application within 90 days (except as provided by statute), a provisional license results (Reg. 114-502).
A regular center license is valid for two years from issuance, and a change in location, ownership or sponsorship automatically voids it.
“Failure of Department staff, except as provided by statute, to approve or deny any complete application within ninety days shall result in the granting of a provisional license/provisional approval.”
What are the director and staff requirements for a South Carolina daycare?
Directors and co-directors must be at least 21 with one of five routes: a bachelor's in ECE, child development or a related field with at least 18 ECE/child-development credit hours; a bachelor's in any subject plus 6 months' facility experience; an associate degree with 18 ECE credit hours plus 6 months' experience; a child development diploma or CDA plus 1 year's experience; or a high school diploma or GED plus ECD 101 and 3 years' experience, one year supervising staff.
The director or a designee must be on site during all operating hours; a center open more than 12 hours a day needs a co-director; directors complete at least 20 training clock hours a year.
There is no separate assistant tier: direct-care staff are all teacher/caregivers, at least 18 with a high school diploma or GED plus 6 months' experience, or a first 6 months directly supervised by someone with at least a year's experience plus 6 clock hours of child growth and development and ECE training within 6 months of hire.
Teacher/caregivers complete at least 15 training clock hours a year and clear the required SLED/FBI, Central Registry, sex-offender and out-of-state registry checks.
What ratios will you staff to in South Carolina?
Center ratios come from Reg. 114-504.B: birth to 1 year is staffed at 1:5, 1 to 2 years at 1:6, 2 to 3 years at 1:8, 3 to 4 years at 1:12, 4 to 5 years at 1:17, 5 to 6 years at 1:20 and 6 to 12 years at 1:23.
Two staffing rules sit alongside the ratios: a center must have at least two staff persons in the center at all times (Reg. 114-504.A(4)), and nap time loosens the daytime schedule — 2- to 3-year-olds go from 1:8 to 1:16 while napping, with another staff person readily available.
The center ratio rules we read set no maximum group size; group-size caps appear in the voluntary ABC Quality standards, not in licensing.
In the homes, a family child care home may have up to 6 children present, counting the operator's own and related children under 12, and needs an additional adult 18 or older on the premises when 4 or more children present are under 12 months, while a group child care home needs an additional caregiver when attendance reaches 9 children or when 4 or more children are under age 2.
What fees, timeline and startup costs should you plan for in South Carolina?
The application fee is the gap to plan around: no South Carolina license application fee was found in the center regulations or the statute section we read, so contact your regional licensing office for current costs before you budget.
On background checks, the statute text we read puts the fees for required checks on the prospective employee or the child care facility.
On the clock, DSS requests health and fire inspections for a new center, and if DSS does not approve or deny a complete application within 90 days (except as provided by statute) a provisional license results (Reg. 114-502).
A regular center license is valid for two years from issuance, a family child care registration is issued for one year, and the optional family child care license runs two (Reg. 114-530).
Our research captured no South Carolina startup-cost figures for buildings, equipment or insurance; your regional office and the resources below are the places to ask.
“The prospective employee or childcare facility shall be responsible for any fees associated with any and all required background checks.”
What grants and resources can South Carolina daycare operators use?
South Carolina's quality and workforce systems give a new operator three levers.
ABC Quality is the state's voluntary quality rating and improvement system, run by the SCDSS Division of Early Care and Education; participation brings increased SC Voucher payments based on quality level, grants and awards, free professional development and scholarships to conferences.
Joining requires a program to be licensed or approved by DSS (or license-exempt) — registered family child care homes do not qualify.
On the staffing side, SC Endeavors runs the early childhood workforce registry and awards three levels of early childhood credentials built on coursework at the state's 16 technical and community colleges, with one-time bonuses of $400 for Level One, $600 for Level Two (the infant/toddler, preschool, director, special needs and family child care credentials) and $1,000 for Level Three, for courses taken since 2001.
TEACH Early Childhood South Carolina, funded by SCDSS and administered by SC Endeavors, offers scholarships for credentials, associate degrees and bachelor's degrees to teachers, directors, owners and family and group providers.
Those bonuses and scholarships are concrete points to raise when you recruit teachers and a director.
What zoning, fire and health checks come before opening?
Two checkpoints sit between your application and opening day.
A prospective family child care operator submits a zoning approval letter from the city or county with the application (Reg. 114-531), and SCDSS visits the home before issuing a registration.
For a new center, DSS requests health and fire inspections.
What changed in South Carolina's daycare rules recently?
The family child care rulebook is the recent rewrite: Reg. 114-530 to 114-537 were rewritten effective May 24, 2024 (SCSR 48-5 Doc.
No. 5229), and the current rules are the ones behind this page's operator age, diploma, background-check and staffing requirements for family child care homes.
A checklist or blog post written before May 2024 may not reflect the current family child care home rules.
The center rules, by contrast, were last amended effective June 22, 2018, under Chapter 114, Article 5.
Whatever source you are reading, confirm it against the current chapter before you rely on it — including this page.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the South Carolina licensing rules, agency pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state daycare licensing steps series, current as of October 2026. It is not a substitute for the instructions the Division of Early Care and Education at the SC Department of Social Services (SCDSS) publishes. For the rest of the picture in South Carolina, see daycare director requirements in South Carolina and home daycare license requirements in South Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to get a daycare license in South Carolina?
Our research found no license application fee in the center regulations or the statute section we read, so contact your regional licensing office for current costs before you budget.
The statute text we read puts the fees for required background checks on the prospective employee or the child care facility.
Family child care applicants submit a zoning approval letter from the city or county with their application.
How long does it take to get a daycare license in South Carolina?
The rule gives DSS 90 days to act on a complete center application; except as provided by statute, if DSS does not approve or deny within that window, a provisional license results.
A regular center license then runs two years from issuance.
On the family child care side, registration is issued for one year, with the optional family child care license running two.
Your regional licensing office can tell you current processing times after your New Applicant Orientation.
Do you need a director to open a childcare center in South Carolina?
Yes.
A center's director and any co-director must be at least 21 and meet one of five education and experience routes, ranging from a bachelor's with at least 18 credit hours in child development or ECE down to a high school diploma or GED plus the ECD 101 course and 3 years' experience, one year supervising staff.
The director or a designee must be on site during all operating hours, and a center operating more than 12 hours a day must have a co-director.
How many kids can a home daycare have in South Carolina?
A family child care home may have up to 6 children present, counting the operator's own and related children under 12, and needs an additional adult 18 or older on the premises when 4 or more children present are under 12 months.
The operator must be at least 18 and hold a high school diploma or GED.
At 7 to 12 children the home is a group child care home, which must be licensed; its operator must be 21 and meet the same qualification routes as a center director.
What background checks do daycare staff need in South Carolina?
Child care staff complete a SLED state fingerprint check, an FBI fingerprint check, a DSS Central Registry check for child abuse and neglect, sex offender checks and registry checks in every state they lived in during the previous 5 years, under S.C. Code 63-13-40.
In family child care homes, SLED and FBI fingerprint checks reach household members aged 15 and older and are repeated every 5 years, while Central Registry checks cover household members 18 and older.
The statute text we read puts the fees on the prospective employee or the child care facility.
More South Carolina Resources
Sources
- SCDSS Division of Early Care and Education — child care licensing requirements (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- South Carolina Code of Regulations, Chapter 114 — child care facilities (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- SCDSS — New Applicant Orientation (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 63, Chapter 13 — child care (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- SCDSS — ABC Quality rating and improvement system (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- ABC Quality — South Carolina's quality rating system (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- SC Endeavors — professional development and workforce registry (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- SC Endeavors — TEACH Early Childhood South Carolina (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- SC Endeavors — early childhood credentials (retrieved 2026-10-05)
Sourced from the documents listed above. Verified October 2026. This is career and employer information, not licensing or legal advice. Confirm current rules with the Division of Early Care and Education at the SC Department of Social Services (SCDSS).