Senate committee backs bill lowering kinship foster parent age to 18, easing some licensing requirements

Senate Bill 415, a Department of Social Services priority, received a favorable report from the Family and Veterans' Services Committee after subcommittee testimony and a full‑committee voice vote.

"The opportunity here to bring the kinship relationship closer and being licensed without it at all jeopardizing or putting into jeopardy kids' care seems to be a hallmark of this bill," said Senator Florence, chair of the subcommittee on the measure, summarizing testimony and subcommittee discussion.

The bill would adopt licensing and approval standards specific to kinship foster family homes, lower the minimum age for kinship foster parents from 21 to 18, and remove some requirements the sponsors consider unrelated to child safety. The measure also states that limitations on therapeutic foster care placements would not apply to kinship foster placements.

Mr. Gaddy, presenting the bill to the committee, said SB 415 is designed to "increase the availability of kinship foster family homes by adopting licensing and approval standards for kin that are different from the licensing standards applied to non‑relative foster family homes." Conley Ann Ragley of the Department of Social Services told the committee that testimony from kinship navigator providers – including a Charleston‑area provider that described a 20‑year‑old willing to care for a younger sibling – informed the recommendation to lower the age requirement.

DSS counsel Taryn Davis explained the therapeutic‑placement language. She said therapeutic foster care is designed for children with significant behavioral‑health needs and that therapeutic homes receive special training and Medicaid‑related reimbursement. She said the committee amendment would allow case‑by‑case evaluation so a kin caregiver with appropriate skills could care for sibling groups that include therapeutic‑need children.

Committee materials cited growth in kinship placements: about 28% of children in South Carolina’s foster care system were in kinship family foster homes, up from single digits (below 10%) in 2019. DSS testified the statute change and a corresponding regulation are needed together: the regulation (Senate regulation document 5296) was also moved forward by the committee.

A motion for a favorable report carried in a voice vote; committee members recorded that no opposition was present and several senators cast proxy votes in favor. The committee chair explained the regulation will be placed on the calendar for two weeks, during which members of the full Senate may follow up; after two weeks the matter will return to committee for the remainder of session if required.

The committee did not adopt specific statutory text on waivers for criminal‑history checks or other safety requirements; witnesses and the bill sponsor said criminal‑history checks would not be waived and that the bill narrows, rather than eliminates, safety standards.

The committee’s favorable report sends the bill and the corresponding regulation to the Senate calendar for further consideration.