State Profile | South Carolina

The Afterschool Investments project has developed profiles for each state to provide a snapshot of the "state of afterschool," as well as an opportunity to compare afterschool activities across the country. This profile provides key data and descriptions of the afterschool landscape, which includes a range of out-of-school time programming that can occur before and after school, on weekends, and during summer months. It is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers, administrators, and providers.

• Quick Facts
• Statewide Initiatives
• Notable Local Initiatives
• Statewide Organizations
• Additional Resources
• Notes and Sources

Quick Facts

Demographics

For more demographic information, visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

CCDF Administrative Overview

Settings

Where CCDF-Subsidy school age-children are served:

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool

"Resource and referral and school-age" targeted funds:
Funds may be used to target underserved areas. SCDSS will collaborate with the SC After-school Alliance (SCAA) to expand and enhance quality after-school services. A new School-Age Credential has been developed in collaboration with the technical college system. A new course on School-Age Care (SAC 101) has been implemented by the technical colleges. This new availability will be reflected in the new ABC Level A Standards for staff qualifications. A School-Age Certificate will also be available to child care providers through on-site or distance learning through a partnership with Trident Technical College.

Other quality activities:
The Lead Agency has a contractual agreement with the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance to expand the system by including criteria for school-age program technical assistance.

Provider Reimbursement Rates

Tiered Reimbursement Rate System:
The tiered system consists of three levels of reimbursement: Level C (participating providers must meet state regulatory requirements applicable to the type of care provided), Level B (enhanced providers voluntarily agree to meet ABC Child Care Standards higher than state regulatory requirements and undergo unannounced reviews based on those standards), and Level A (criteria representing the highest quality of care recognized in the state).

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

Program Licensing Policies

Any program operating less than 40 hours per week is not subject to licensing, which affects school-age programs during the school year. Summer programs that operate over three weeks and at least 40 hours a week are subject to licensing.

Systems/Quality Supports

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

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Statewide Initiatives

• South Carolina Afterschool Alliance. In July 2000, 10 South Carolina representatives participated in a national symposium to engage in a process of visioning, analysis, and planning for afterschool services in South Carolina. The team returned to South Carolina with a shared vision of and a commitment to quality afterschool programs. In 2002, the C.S. Mott Foundation awarded Communities in Schools of South Carolina with a three-year grant to develop a statewide network that supports and represents afterschool programs across the state. The network, formalized as the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance, functions as an intermediary to review existing statewide funding and policies and to link after school providers, large and small, to resources, technical assistance, and training opportunities. The SC Afterschool Alliance aims to expand and sustain access to afterschool programs in South Carolina through: education and communications campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of quality afterschool programs; policy development efforts to identify needs and ensure resource availability for afterschool; providing technical assistance to serve as a broker, organizer, and facilitator for promoting and identifying best practices, programs and gaps of services, that address special needs for specific areas; and collaborating with organizations and groups with a shared vision to develop partnerships and link services.

  For more information, see www.scafterschool.com

• The School-Age and Youth Development Certificate Program upgrades and enhances the skills of professionals and for those interested in possessing a career in school-age and youth development. Professionals working with children ages 5-17 are provided with training related to experiences in human relationships, indoor/outdoor environments, activities, safety, health and nutrition, and administrative skills. Admission into this program requires proof of high school graduation (or GED) and qualifying scores on SAT, ACT or the TTC placement test. Students who have transfer credits of C or better from an approved, regionally accredited postsecondary institution may not need to take the placement test. Program admission requires that students have a health assessment denoting good health, a negative tuberculosis skin test and compliance with technical standards. Fingerprinting and a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) background check are required for the Early Care and Education, School-Age and Youth, and Human Services work force.

  For more information, see http://www.tridenttech.edu/catalog/current/85.htm.

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Jasper United Serving Together In Community Efforts (JUSTICE) Afterschool Program. In 2001 Save the Children volunteers set up this non-profit in Jasper County, South Carolina. JUSTICE serves up to 200 primarily African-American children ages 5 to 14 in four locations by engaging in community development activities afterschool, five days a week. These activities include teen outreach at nearby nursing homes, highway litter cleanups, food and toy drives, and special events planning. The goal is for children in this low-income, rural area to practice community involvement and generosity. JUSTICE is funded by Save the Children, community-based organizations, and grant making foundations.
• Spartanburg Terrace Tenants’ Association (STTA) Parks Reclamation Program. In 1998, the Spartanburg Terrace Tenants’ Association started its Parks Reclamation Program in the hopes of renovating and reclaiming two dilapidated public parks in the area. It services 5,000 African-American, Hispanic, and Caucasian children ages 5-17 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The STTA, in partnership with the Youth Sports Bureau and a local expert with experience in park design, created plans for refurbishing Irwin Park and another nearby recreational area. Children in the program conduct quarterly clean up days at the park sites, provide maintenance for the parks’ athletic fields until the parks are reopened, and hold community service events. The program is funded by the Spartanburg government, which recently earmarked $500,000 for the program; Save the Children; community-based organizations; faith-based institutions; private donors; and fundraising drives.
• Sumter County YouthNow! Program. Founded in 1997, the YouthNow! Program seeks to collaborate within the community to provide access to existing services and programs. Staff cooperate with school principals and teachers to track the academic achievement of students. Children and families attend regular educational programs on nutrition, food safety, life skills, leadership, and consumer education. YouthNow! also provides athletic scholarships so youths can participate in sports and leisure activities at local recreational centers. The program, which operates Monday through Thursday year round, serves over 400 African-American children in Sumter county ages 6 to 18. YouthNow! is funded by Save the Children, the United Way, and grant-making foundations.
• St. Ann Catholic Center Programs. The St. Ann Catholic Center, a local, non-profit organization in Williamsburg, South Carolina, operates afterschool programs for local youth. The Academic Incentive Program allows children to earn points for passing grades in math, science, and English. The points can then be used for field trips to restaurants, skating rinks, movies, or other social activities that the children cannot afford on their own. The Parental Involvement Program lets parents earn points by volunteering at the center or school and attending PTA meetings. These points can then be used to win a family trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The St. Ann Catholic Center serves between 380 and 500 primarily African- American children ages 5 to 14. It is funded by the local, state, and federal governments; Save the Children; the Catholic Diocese of South Carolina; faith-based institutions; and fundraising drives. 

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Statewide Organizations

National AfterSchool Association Affiliate:

South Carolina School-Age Child Care Alliance
James Island Community Education
Phone: 843-762-2793
Email: Steve-Kugelman@charleston.K12.sc.us

Statewide Child Care Resource & Referral Network:

South Carolina Child Care Resource & Referral Network
2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite 305
Suite 305
Columbia, SC 29204
Phone: 803-779-2276
Fax: 803-779-2245
Web: http://www.childcaresc.org

Statewide Afterschool Network:

South Carolina Afterschool Alliance
1611 Devonshire Drive, Suite 101
Columbia, SC 29204
Phone: 803-254-5454
Phone (toll free): 866-237-5454
Fax: 803-254-5441
Web: http://www.scafterschool.com

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Additional Resources

State Child Care Administrators:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

State TANF Contacts:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/tanf-dr.htm

21st Century Community Learning Centers Contacts:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/contacts.html

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Notes and Sources

Demographics

Total population, 2008: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008, U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of children ages 5-12, 2008: Estimates of the Resident Population by Single-Year of Age and Sex for the United States and States: July 1, 2007, U.S. Census Bureau.

Percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch rate, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Note: Most recent data.

Percent of K-12 students in Title I "schoolwide" schools, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school. Note: Most recent data.

Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal funding source for child care. States receive a funding allocation determined by formula and have broad flexibility to design programs that provide child care subsidies for low-income children under the age of 13 and to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Federal CCDF funding consists of mandatory, matching, and discretionary funds. Federal law requires that states spend at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds as well as additional targeted funds on activities to improve the quality and availability of child care. CCDF administrative data in this and the following sections is from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as reported by States, unless otherwise noted.

FFY09 CCDF Allocation: Funding allocations are based on appropriation and do not reflect any reallotted or redistributed funds that may occur at a later date.

FFY09 state MOE plus match: In order to receive Federal matching funds, a state must expend Maintenance of Effort funds. Note that this does not capture actual expenditures, only the minimum required to draw down all available federal funds.

FFY09 Tribal CCDF Allocation: Federal CCDF Funds are awarded directly to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) appropriates an additional $2 billion in one-time CCDF Discretionary funding available to State, Territory and Tribal Lead Agencies in FY09 as part of the economic stimulus package.

FFY07 total quality expenditures: This data includes FY07 and prior year funds expended for quality from each of the CCDF funding streams (mandatory, matching, and discretionary) and expenditures under targeted funds for infant and toddler, school-age care and resource and referral. This figure provides information obtained from state financial reports submitted for FY07.

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool: Portions of CCDF discretionary funds are targeted specifically for resource and referral and school-age child care activities as well as for quality expansion. (These funds are in addition to the required 4 percent minimum quality expenditure.)

Maximum rate for school-age category: Rates are listed for center-based care, family child care, and license exempt programs; where rates vary by region or county, the rate for the most populated urban area is given.

Standardized monthly school-age rate: Monthly rate for a child, age 8, in care after school during the school year at a center in the most costly district for four hours per day, 20 days per month. Calculated (in the lowest tier of a tiered system) using information from the FY2008-2009 State CCDF Plan, including rate structures, as submitted to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Separate subsidy rates for different age ranges and Tiered Reimbursement Rate Systems: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Bureau. Report of State Plans FY2008-2009.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/data/2007/tanf_2007.html.

Program Licensing and Accreditation Policies

States with separate school-age licensing standards and states with specialized requirements for child care centers serving school-age children: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) and National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2007 Child Care Licensing Study, see: http://www.naralicensing.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=160.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age setting: Data from the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), available at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov.

School-based, school-age programs exempt from licensing: Research conducted by Afterschool Investments, March 2008.

Systems/Quality Supports

School-age credential: NCCIC, State Professional Development System Credentials for Individuals, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/pd-credentials.html.

Statewide quality rating system: NCCIC, Quality Rating Systems: Definitions and Statewide Systems, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/qrs-defsystems.html.

Statewide afterschool network: National Network of Statewide Afterschool Networks, see: http://www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is a state formula grant. Funds flow to states based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. Data from the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Office and the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System as of July 2009.

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The Child Care Bureau awarded a technical assistance contract to The Finance Project for the Afterschool Investments project. The goals of the Afterschool Investments project include:

• Identifying ways that state and communities are using Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy and quality dollars to support out-of-school time programs, and sharing these practices and approaches with other states;
• Identifying administrative and implementation issues related to CCDF investments in out-of-school time programs, and providing information and context (about barriers, problems, opportunities) as well as practical tools that will help CCDF administrators make decisions; and
• Identifying other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF in supporting out-of-school time programs and providing models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors.

Contact Us:

Email:
afterschool@financeproject.org

Web:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/

The Finance Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-587-1000
Web: www.financeproject.org

The Afterschool Investments project’s State Profiles are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of noteworthy State and local initiatives across the country. Inclusion of an initiative in the Profiles does not represent an endorsement of a particular policy or practice.