Daniel Prince
More than 4000 children in foster care across the state, including 13 in Union County
Governor Henry McMaster has declared the month of May as Foster Care Awareness Month in South Carolina. The SC Department of Social Services recognizes the important role that foster parents, relatives, and kinship caregivers play in working together with families to achieve reunification for children and youth in foster care. This year’s national foster care awareness theme is “Relative and Kin Connections: Keeping Families Strong.”
As of May 1, the DSS Foster Care Dashboard showed more than 4000 children currently in foster care across the state. That total includes 13 in Union County, 5 of which have been in foster care for between 1 and 2 years.
South Carolina and Union County needs additional family-like homes so that whenever possible, children and youth can remain in their counties of origin, sibling groups can stay together, and teens can be cared for in the home of a loving family. DSS is continuing the licensing process for families who have expressed an interest in fostering. The process requires criminal and central registry background checks, home inspections, and trainings, along with monthly follow-ups from the agency. Many steps to begin the process can be completed online, and trainings have been and continue to be offered virtually because of the pandemic.
To become a foster parent or to learn about ways to support foster parents in the community, visit scfamilies.org or call 1-888-828-3555.