SCDSS Child Care Licensing
South Carolina counts families, not children. S.C. Code 63-13-20(13) defines a family childcare home as a residence occupied by the operator that provides care for no more than six children, and takes out of that definition an occupied residence in which childcare is provided only for children related to the resident caregiver, or only for the children of one unrelated family, or both. Childcare itself means care for more than four hours a day, on more than two days a week, away from the child’s own home. Care for a second unrelated family on that schedule makes the home a family childcare home, and 63-13-810(B) requires a statement of registration from the Department of Social Services before it operates. Seven to twelve children is a group childcare home, which needs a license.
| Tier | Children | Age limits | Your own kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Childcare Home (registered)fch registration | up to 6 |
| Count |
| Family Childcare Home (licensed, optional)fch license | up to 6 |
| Count |
| Group Childcare Homegch license | 7 to 12 |
| Count |
Age limits and totals for every tier, with row-level citations, live on the South Carolina home daycare ratios page.
Childcare under 63-13-20(2) reaches care for periods of more than four hours a day, and regularly means more than two days in any one week. A two-afternoon arrangement, or a schedule under four hours, is outside the definition however many families take part.
Related means parent, grandparent, brother, sister, stepparent, stepsister, stepbrother, uncle, aunt and cousin of the first degree, by marriage, blood or adoption, under 63-13-20(25). A second cousin’s children are an unrelated family.
The six of a family childcare home include children living in the home and related children received for care. Reg. 114-533.C(1) narrows that count to those under twelve. A licensed family home is optional and exists for federal programs that require a license.
A person who violates the chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction may be fined up to $1,500 or imprisoned up to six months, or both, under 63-13-170. The department may seek a family court injunction against unregistered operation under 63-13-160.
There is no headcount. A residence caring only for relatives, or only for the children of one unrelated family, is not a family childcare home under 63-13-20(13). A second unrelated family, for more than four hours a day on more than two days a week, requires registration.
Yes. 63-13-810(B) requires a statement of registration before a family childcare home operates. Licensure of a family home is optional under 63-13-810(C).
Up to six at any time, including children living in the home and related children under twelve, per Reg. 114-533.C(1).
Three under twelve months with the operator alone. When four or more children in attendance are younger than twelve months, a second adult must be on the premises under Reg. 114-533.C(2), and the six-child cap stays.
A residence occupied by the operator providing childcare for seven to twelve children, licensed under 63-13-410, with a second teacher or caregiver when attendance reaches nine or four or more children are under two.
DaycareRules is an informational reference about home child care licensing rules in the United States. It reprints thresholds, capacity limits, ratios and citations from state statutes and regulations, together with the date each state was last verified. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and rules change. Confirm with your state licensing agency before acting on any number printed here.