Schema: Article + FAQPage
Internal links (5): South Carolina inmate search, send money, South Carolina reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub
Voice: Plain, honest, practical. No false comfort. No condescension. She made a choice. Honor it and give her what she needs.
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[NOTE: Count: "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in South Carolina | InmateAid" = 64 chars. Too long. Shorten: "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in SC | InmateAid" = 52 chars. Or "Grandparents & Kinship Care in South Carolina | InmateAid" = 57 chars. Use: "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in South Carolina" = 52 chars without brand. With brand pipe: 52 + 12 = 64. Too long. Use: "Raising Grandchildren in South Carolina | InmateAid" = 51 chars. Or match other states format: try abbreviated. Per series standard: "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in South Carolina | InmateAid" -- this is 64 chars. The series has used full state names throughout even at 60 chars. Review: "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in New Hampshire | InmateAid" was 60 chars. "South Carolina" = 14 chars vs "New Hampshire" = 13 chars = 1 over. So SC meta title would be 61. Close enough -- Poorwa verifies. Flag it.]
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in South Carolina | InmateAid
South Carolina Medicaid does not require grandparents to have legal custody of their grandchildren to enroll them. You need to prove you are the primary caregiver, that the grandchildren are deprived of parental care, their ages, your relationship to them, and your current living arrangement. Many grandchildren in informal kinship arrangements qualify.
Similarly, a child in kinship care counts as a SNAP household member even if the grandparent does not have legal custody.
For TANF child-only, South Carolina frames it clearly: "A child can be considered a family of one within your home. Since that child has little or no income, they may be eligible for TANF money." The grandparent's income is not counted.
One exception to be aware of: **TANF in South Carolina requires proof of a family relationship**. It is not available to fictive kin -- people who are close to the child but not related by blood or marriage. If you are a neighbor, a godparent, or a family friend who stepped in, TANF child-only is not available to you. Medicaid, SNAP, and the Child Care Scholarship may still be.
**SC Thrive** is the statewide nonprofit that helps South Carolinians navigate benefits applications. Contact Center: **800-726-8774** | scthrive.org. They assist with TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and many others, and can connect you to local direct-service organizations.
About 7% of all children in South Carolina live in households with a relative and no parent present. More than 28% of children in formal placement in South Carolina are in licensed kinship care settings. In September 2024, DSS launched a statewide Kinship Navigator Program and the KinGAP (Kinship Guardianship Program) -- both new additions to South Carolina's kinship infrastructure.
You did not plan for this. You raised your children. You got to the other side of it. And then your child was incarcerated and the grandchildren needed somewhere to go. You said yes.
The Decision You Already Made
You already made the hardest decision. The grandchildren are with you. Everything else in this article is about making that workable.
A few things to understand about your position in South Carolina right now:
**Apply for Medicaid and SNAP immediately** -- neither requires legal custody. Prove you are the primary caregiver and the child lives with you.
**Call SC Thrive first for benefits navigation**: 800-726-8774 or scthrive.org. They assist with TANF, Medicaid, SNAP, and more, and connect you to local organizations.
**If you are 55 or older**: contact your local Area Agency on Aging about the Family Caregiver Support Program -- flexible financial assistance for respite, childcare, and academic support. Find your local AAA at getcaresc.com/about/area-agencies-aging or dial 2-1-1.
**Get a notarized POA from the incarcerated parent** through SCDC (South Carolina Department of Corrections) notary services. Contact the facility case manager.
**If DSS placed the grandchildren**: ask your DSS Kinship Care Coordinator about licensed kinship care, KinGAP, and guardianship assistance options.
Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in South Carolina
**Power of Attorney**
A notarized parental POA from the incarcerated parent gives you authority for school enrollment and medical care. SCDC facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager.
**Legal Custody (Family Court)**
Legal custody through South Carolina Family Court gives you the rights and responsibilities to care for the grandchildren long-term. With legal custody, you have full authority for education, medical care, and daily decisions.
South Carolina Legal Services (sclegal.org) provides free civil legal help to income-eligible South Carolinians. Charleston Legal Access (charlestonlegalaccess.org) provides sliding-scale legal services for kinship families in the Lowcountry.
**Kinship Guardianship**
Kinship guardianship in South Carolina is a judicially created relationship between a child and a responsible adult that is intended to be permanent. The guardian assumes many of the rights and responsibilities that would customarily reside with the child's parents.
Kinship guardianship can be a permanency option for children in DSS kinship foster care when reunification and adoption are not feasible.
**KinGAP (Kinship Guardianship Program)**
Launched in 2024, KinGAP is South Carolina's new subsidized kinship guardianship permanency option for youth with an open DSS foster care case:
- When reunification with parents or public adoption is not feasible
- Provides monthly financial support to licensed caregivers
- Supports youth exiting foster care until adulthood
- Medicaid eligibility depends on type of subsidized legal guardianship
Contact DSS for KinGAP eligibility: dss.sc.gov/child-well-being/kinship-care/kin-gap/
**Adoption**
Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. Contact DSS or SC Thrive for information on adoption assistance.
Money: What South Carolina Offers Kinship Caregivers
**TANF Child-Only Grant**
TANF provides temporary cash assistance. The child-only option:
- The child is considered a family of one in your home
- The grandparent's income is not counted
- Requires proof of a **family relationship** (blood or marriage) -- not available to fictive kin
- Apply through DSS; call 1-854-444-3716 or contact SC Thrive at 800-726-8774
**SC Medicaid**
Children in kinship care generally qualify based on income. Grandparents **do not need legal custody** to enroll grandchildren. You need to show:
- You are the primary caregiver
- The grandchild is deprived of parental care
- Proof of the grandchild's age
- Your relationship to the grandchild
- Your current living arrangement
Apply through DSS or SC Thrive (800-726-8774).
SC Medicaid covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision.
**SNAP (Food Assistance)**
A child in kinship care counts as a household member for SNAP even without legal custody. Apply through DSS or call 1-854-444-3716. The grandchildren's presence increases your household food benefit.
**Child Care Scholarship Program**
South Carolina's child care subsidy. Key features:
- Helps relative caregivers pay for child care while working
- Payments can cover **52 weeks or more** for children living with relatives who are receiving a Child-Only TANF benefit
- A co-payment may be required
- Also available to families with an open CPS case
- Find local child care and voucher availability: scchildcare.org
**Family Caregiver Support Program (Age 55+)**
Through your local Area Agency on Aging: flexible financial assistance that can be used for respite, childcare, academic support, and other caregiving needs. For grandparent caregivers aged 55 or older.
Find your local AAA at getcaresc.com/about/area-agencies-aging or dial 2-1-1.
**KinGAP Monthly Payments (Foster Care Cases)**
Monthly financial support for licensed kinship caregivers who take guardianship through KinGAP. Contact DSS.
**Head Start**
Children in kinship care may be eligible for Head Start, the free early childhood education program. Ask your local DSS office or SC Thrive.
**WIC**
For pregnant women and children under 5 in the household. Free healthy foods and support.
**BabyNet**
South Carolina's early intervention program for infants and toddlers under 3 with developmental delays. If the child is involved with DSS, they should be automatically referred. If not, contact your pediatrician or DSS for a BabyNet referral.
**Social Security**
If the incarcerated parent was working before arrest, the grandchildren may be eligible for Social Security dependent benefits. Call 1-800-772-1213. SSI may be available for grandchildren with disabilities.
SC Thrive: The Benefits Navigation First Call
SC Thrive is a statewide nonprofit helping South Carolinians navigate benefits applications and connect to local resources.
**Contact: 800-726-8774 | scthrive.org**
What SC Thrive provides:
- Benefit applications assistance for TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and many others
- Connection to local direct-service organizations for other types of support
- Statewide Contact Center staffed by trained navigators
For any grandparent who does not know where to start with benefits, SC Thrive is the first call. They know the systems, know what requires legal custody and what does not, and can connect you to local organizations.
DSS Kinship Resources
**Statewide Kinship Navigator Program (2024)**
DSS launched a statewide Kinship Navigator Program in 2024. Contact DSS at dss.sc.gov/child-well-being/kinship-care/ for current navigator information and contacts.
**DSS Kinship Care Coordinators**
If the grandchildren are in an open DSS case, each DSS region has Kinship Care Coordinators who help answer questions, find resources, and advocate for kinship families.
**HALOS**
A nonprofit organization supporting kinship and foster families in South Carolina, particularly in the Lowcountry region. HALOS provides support groups and resource connections for kinship caregivers.
**Kinship SC**
kinshipsc.org -- a statewide kinship information and resource organization. Tracks kinship news, resources, and navigation providers across South Carolina. Find local kinship navigation providers at kinshipsc.org/local-resources.
**SC Kinship Advisory Council**
A membership group of caregivers and multisector partners formed in 2016 that has worked with DSS to improve kinship care in South Carolina, including the creation of DSS's internal Kinship Advisory Panel.
South Carolina's Tribal Context
South Carolina has one federally recognized tribe: the **Catawba Indian Nation**, headquartered in Rock Hill (York County, Piedmont South Carolina). The Catawba Nation has its own social services and tribal government.
ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) applies when child welfare proceedings involve children who are enrolled members or eligible for membership in a federally recognized tribe. If the grandchildren are Catawba Nation enrolled members or eligible, confirm ICWA applies and contact Catawba Nation tribal social services.
The School Question
With a POA, legal custody, or guardianship, school enrollment in South Carolina is straightforward.
Without legal authority: use the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. South Carolina schools must immediately enroll children in unstable housing, including children living with relatives due to a parent's incarceration. Ask the school district's McKinney-Vento liaison.
For children with IEPs, you will need legal authority or signed parental authorization from the incarcerated parent to participate in planning meetings. SCDC facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager.
Medical Authorization Before Court Paperwork Is Done
Get a notarized parental POA from the incarcerated parent through SCDC notary services. Contact the facility case manager.
Apply for SC Medicaid immediately. As noted above, legal custody is not required. You need to prove primary caregiver status and deprivation of parental care.
South Carolina's Geographic Reality
South Carolina spans the mountains of the Upstate (Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson), through the Midlands (Columbia), to the coastal Lowcountry (Charleston, Beaufort, Hilton Head) and the Pee Dee region (Florence, Marion, Williamsburg Counties) in the northeast. The Pee Dee and parts of the Lowcountry are among the most economically challenged regions in the state, with high poverty rates, limited local services, and significant kinship care populations.
SCDC prisons include Kirkland Correctional Institution (Columbia, Richland County -- reception center), Lee Correctional Institution (Bishopville, Lee County, rural Midlands), Perry Correctional Institution (McCormick County, western SC), and Leath Correctional Institution (Greenwood). For a Charleston family visiting Lee CI in Bishopville: about 2 hours northwest.
Dial 2-1-1 for county-specific local resources. SC Thrive's Contact Center at 800-726-8774 also connects families statewide.
What She Is Carrying That He Cannot See
You did not plan for this stage of your life. The grandchildren arrived and with them came school forms, doctor appointments, someone to be home, someone to sit with a child who is afraid.
South Carolina's opioid crisis hit rural counties -- Anderson, Oconee, Pickens in the Upstate; Marion, Williamsburg, Dillon in the Pee Dee -- particularly hard. The incarceration that followed drug-related offenses put South Carolina grandparents in this situation at rates that outpaced the support infrastructure.
You are also carrying your feelings about your child who is incarcerated. Those feelings do not have to resolve. You can love your child and be furious. You can hope for the release and fear what comes after.
The support groups through HALOS, the AAA Family Caregiver Support Program, and the kinship navigator providers listed at kinshipsc.org/local-resources exist to put you with other people doing what you are doing. Find them. You should not carry this alone.
Talking to the Grandchildren About Where Their Parent Is
The children know something is wrong. Silence does not protect them.
Use honest, age-appropriate language. For a young child: "Your dad made a mistake and he has to stay somewhere else while he learns from it. You are safe and I am here." For an older child: "Your mom is in prison. She did something against the law and a judge decided she needs to be there for a while. She loves you. She is not in danger."
Do not make promises about when the parent will be home that you cannot keep. Let the children have their feelings. Keep the parent present in appropriate ways: photos, letters, phone calls.
SCDC phone calls go through ICS Corrections / GTL. You control which numbers are approved. The grandchildren's relationship with their incarcerated parent is theirs.
SC Medicaid covers mental health services for children. If the grandchildren are struggling, ask the school counselor for a referral or the child's Medicaid primary care provider.
Your Relationship With Your Incarcerated Child
Your feelings about your child are complicated. You are raising their children because they cannot. Both things are true.
What the grandchildren need: to see that you are not punishing their parent through them.
What you need: a place to hold the complicated feelings that is not in front of the grandchildren. The kinship support groups, the Family Caregiver Support Program through your local AAA, SC Thrive's connections to local organizations -- any of these is better than carrying it alone.
What to Do First: A Practical Checklist
Call SC Thrive at 800-726-8774 or visit scthrive.org. They will help with TANF, SNAP, and Medicaid applications and connect you to local services.
Apply for SC Medicaid immediately. Legal custody is not required. Show you are the primary caregiver, the child is deprived of parental care, and your relationship to the child.
Apply for SNAP. A child in kinship care counts as a household member even without legal custody. Call 1-854-444-3716.
Apply for TANF child-only if you are a blood or marriage relative. Note: TANF is not available to fictive kin in South Carolina. Call 1-854-444-3716.
Get a notarized POA from the incarcerated parent through SCDC notary services. Contact the facility case manager.
If children are under 3 and may have developmental delays: request a BabyNet referral.
If children are under 5: check WIC eligibility.
Apply for the Child Care Scholarship if you are working. scchildcare.org.
If you are 55+: contact your local Area Agency on Aging about the Family Caregiver Support Program. Find at getcaresc.com/about/area-agencies-aging or dial 2-1-1.
If DSS placed the grandchildren: ask your DSS Kinship Care Coordinator about KinGAP and guardianship assistance.
Start the legal custody or guardianship process. Contact SC Legal Services (sclegal.org) for free civil legal help if income-eligible.
Find local kinship navigation providers at kinshipsc.org/local-resources.
Enroll grandchildren in school using the POA. Use McKinney-Vento if needed.
Take care of yourself. The support groups and navigator programs are there. Find them.
FAQ
**Does South Carolina Medicaid require legal custody for a grandchild?** No. You need to prove you are the primary caregiver, that the grandchild is deprived of parental care, and show proof of their age, your relationship to them, and your living arrangement. Legal custody is not required. Apply through DSS or SC Thrive (800-726-8774).
**Is TANF available to fictive kin in South Carolina?** No. South Carolina TANF child-only requires proof of a family relationship (blood or marriage). It is not available to fictive kin -- people who are close to the child but not related by blood or marriage. Medicaid, SNAP, and the Child Care Scholarship may still be available.
**What is SC Thrive?** A statewide South Carolina nonprofit that helps residents navigate benefits applications for TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and others, and connects families to local direct-service organizations. Contact Center: 800-726-8774 | scthrive.org. The first benefits call for most South Carolina kinship families.
**What is the Child Care Scholarship Program?** South Carolina's child care subsidy. For children receiving Child-Only TANF living with relatives, payments can cover 52 weeks or more. A co-payment may be required. Also available to families with an open CPS case. Find local child care and vouchers at scchildcare.org.
**What is KinGAP?** South Carolina's Kinship Guardianship Program, launched 2024. A permanency option for youth in foster care when reunification and adoption are not feasible. Provides monthly financial support to licensed kinship caregivers. Contact DSS at dss.sc.gov/child-well-being/kinship-care/kin-gap/.
**What is BabyNet?** South Carolina's early intervention program for infants and toddlers under 3 with developmental delays. If the child is in a DSS case, they should be automatically referred. If not, ask your pediatrician or DSS for a BabyNet referral.
**How do I talk to the grandchildren about their parent being in prison?** Use honest, age-appropriate language without promises about when the parent will be home. Let the children have feelings. Keep the parent present appropriately -- photos, letters, SCDC phone calls through ICS Corrections/GTL. SC Medicaid covers mental health services for children; ask the school counselor or primary care provider for a referral.
[SPEC NOTE: Folder 1mWUamVufeanK-LZbmcw4rbPb7yRIWRSP. Internal CTAs: South Carolina inmate search, send money, South Carolina reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. NOTE ON META TITLE: "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in South Carolina | InmateAid" is 64 chars -- 4 over the 60-char limit. Poorwa: verify count and shorten. Options: "Raising Grandchildren in South Carolina | InmateAid" (51), "Grandparents Raising Grandkids in South Carolina | InmateAid" (60 -- count it), or other solution. Series standard is "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in [State] | InmateAid" -- South Carolina won't fit. Adjust accordingly. SOURCING: kinshipsc.org/statewide-resources (SC Medicaid no legal custody required prove primary caregiver grandchildren deprived parental care proof ages relationship current living arrangement; many grandchildren qualify Medicaid; grandparents do not need public assistance grandchildren receive Medicaid child-only grant; SNAP child kinship care counts household member even without legal custody; TANF child-only option child family of one within home little or no income eligible TANF; 1-854-444-3716 TANF SNAP; Child Care Scholarship helps families pay child care relative caregivers work; 52 weeks more children living relatives child-only TANF benefit co-payment may be required CPS case; scchildcare.org; Head Start eligible; WIC women infants young children child under 5; BabyNet infants toddlers under 3 developmental delays automatic referral DSS; SCThrive Contact Center 800-726-8774 scthrive.org statewide nonprofit benefit applications TANF SNAP Medicaid local organizations; Area Agencies on Aging caregivers 55+ minor kin children Family Caregiver Support Program flexible financial assistance respite childcare academic support getcaresc.com/about/area-agencies-aging; 211 sc211.org; South Carolina Kinship Advisory Council formed 2016; DSS Kinship Care Coordinators open DSS case each reach help answer questions find resources advocate); dss.sc.gov/news/2025-september-recognized-as-kinship-care-month-in-south-carolina September 2025 (7% all children SC relative no parent present; 28%+ children placement formally licensed kinship care; Kinship Guardianship Program KinGAP permanency option reunification adoption not feasible open foster care case monthly financial support licensed caregivers youth exiting foster care until adulthood; kinship caregivers grandparents aunts uncles neighbors family friends church members sports coaches; Tony Catone DSS State Director community servants strengthen support communities families); dss.sc.gov/news/scdss-recognizes-september-as-kinship-care-month-1 2024 (DSS launched statewide Kinship Navigator Program 2024; KinGAP implemented 2024; 6% children relative no parent 2024; 27% formally licensed kinship care 2024); dss.sc.gov/child-well-being/kinship-care/kin-gap/ (kinship guardianship judicially created relationship permanent guardian assumes rights responsibilities parents; permanency option child youth kinship foster care reunification adoption not feasible; providing kinship guardianship assistance payments caregivers care children long-term permanent stable home; Medicaid eligibility dependent type Subsidized Legal Guardianship; if caring relative other than child under 18 grandchild niece nephew sibling qualifying relative blood marriage adoption may qualify federal TANF cash assistance child basic needs; TANF child-only grants dss.sc.gov/assistance-programs/tanf/); charlestonlegalaccess.org May 2026 (kinship caregivers HALOS SC Thrive DSS Charleston Legal Access public benefits Medicaid TANF SNAP childcare assistance; TANF proof family relationship not available fictive kin; SNAP WIC BabyNet SC Vouchers ABC Vouchers day care preschool); kinshipsc.org/statewide-kinship-news (DSS Kinship Care Coordinators each reach open DSS case help answer questions find resources advocate); sistersofcharitysc.com/kinship-care/ (SC Kinship Advisory Council formed 2016 membership caregivers multisector partners statewide virtual days state capitol tele-town halls research legislative feedback DSS Kinship Advisory Panel); grandfamilies.org SC 2021 (SAFY Empowering Families Network SCDSS; CAPA supports kinship caregivers licensed through SCDSS); SCDC ICS Corrections GTL phone; SCDC notary services facility case manager; sclegal.org SC Legal Services; charlestonlegalaccess.org; kinshipsc.org; dss.sc.gov; scthrive.org 800-726-8774; 1-854-444-3716 TANF SNAP; scchildcare.org; getcaresc.com/about/area-agencies-aging AAA; 2-1-1 SC sc211.org; McKinney-Vento school enrollment; Social Security 1-800-772-1213. NOTE for Poorwa: verify meta title length solution for South Carolina (64 chars as written -- need to trim to max 60); verify SC Medicaid no legal custody required still current kinshipsc.org or dss.sc.gov; verify TANF child-only grandparent income not counted South Carolina; verify TANF not available fictive kin South Carolina still current; verify 1-854-444-3716 TANF SNAP info line current; verify SC Thrive 800-726-8774 scthrive.org current; verify Child Care Scholarship 52 weeks child-only TANF still current scchildcare.org; verify KinGAP launched 2024 still current dss.sc.gov/child-well-being/kinship-care/kin-gap/; verify DSS statewide Kinship Navigator Program 2024 current and how to contact; verify Family Caregiver Support Program age 55+ flexible financial assistance getcaresc.com/about/area-agencies-aging current; verify BabyNet under 3 automatic DSS referral still current; verify HALOS still active South Carolina kinship nonprofit; verify kinshipsc.org current and local resources page; verify sclegal.org SC Legal Services current; verify SCDC ICS Corrections GTL phone provider; verify McKinney-Vento still applicable; verify Catawba Indian Nation only SC federally recognized tribe still current; len/character check before publish.]