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DSS seeks to align rules for child-placing agencies with foster-care and group-care standards
Summary
The Department of Social Services presented a strike-all rewrite proposal for rules governing child-placing agencies (CPAs) to align definitions and expectations with foster-care and group-care regulations; the package was carried to the full committee by voice vote.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services asked the Senate subcommittee to advance a substantial rewrite of regulations governing child-placing agencies, saying the changes would update definitions, align expectations with foster‑care and group‑care rules, and reflect statutory reorganizations since 2008.
Mister Gaddy and Conley Ann Ragley described document 5308 as a strike‑all replacement that updates citations, modernizes definitions (including therapeutic foster care, caseworker, and certified adoption investigator), and aligns child‑placing agencies’ standards with those of group homes and foster parents. Ragley said the department worked with the Palmetto Association for Children and Families (PAFCAF) and accepted most stakeholder suggestions. "We were happy to work with them over the summer," Ragley said.
The department told the panel the rewrite primarily clarifies requirements rather than changes operating obligations, noting the regulation had not been reviewed in about 18 years. Ragley said the goal was consistency across providers because many organizations function as both child-placing agencies and group-care providers.
Committee members asked whether the rewrite would change how agencies operate; Ragley responded it was intended for clarity and consistency rather than substantive operational shifts. The subcommittee moved the regulation package to the full committee by voice vote.
