South Carolina Grandparent Raising Grandchild Financial Help
The Money Nobody Tells You About
Taking in a grandchild or a relative's child is an act of love that hits the budget hard — extra food, school supplies, doctor visits, a bigger utility bill. South Carolina has several financial assistance programs for relative caregivers, but they're spread across different agencies and nobody hands you a checklist when the child walks through your door.
Here's what's available, organized by whether SCDSS is involved in the placement.
If SCDSS Is Not Involved (Informal Kinship Care)
Most grandparents and relatives raising a child are in informal arrangements — no court order, no child welfare case, just family stepping in. Programs worth checking include:
TANF Child-Only Grant (Family Independence). Ask your county SCDSS office or SC Thrive (scthrive.org) whether a child-only grant is available for the child's situation and which income rules apply.
Healthy Connections Medicaid. In informal kinship arrangements, eligibility is based on the child's own income and financial resources, not yours. SCDHHS determines eligibility. You can apply as the child's authorized representative at benefits.sc.gov without having legal custody.
SNAP (Food Stamps). In an informal kinship arrangement, the child is counted as a member of your household, and total household income is evaluated. Ask SCDSS or SC Thrive how to include the child when applying.
Free School Meals. Children receiving SNAP or TANF, in foster care, or identified under McKinney-Vento are directly certified for free meals — no separate application. Otherwise, file a Free and Reduced-Price Meals Application through the school.
LIHEAP (Energy Assistance). Low-income households with children may qualify for utility payment assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
If SCDSS Is Involved (Formal Kinship Foster Care)
When SCDSS places a child in your home through the child welfare system, a different tier of support opens up:
Foster Care Maintenance Payments. Licensed kinship foster parents receive monthly foster care stipends while the child is in SCDSS custody. The amount varies by the child's age and needs.
Automatic Medicaid. Children in formal foster care receive Medicaid automatically — no application or income test.
KinGAP (Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program). Under Act S.380, if reunification and adoption are ruled out, licensed kinship foster parents can exit the foster care system by becoming the child's legal guardian through Family Court while continuing to receive monthly state financial assistance and Medicaid coverage until the child turns 18 or 21. This requires at least six months of licensed foster care placement first.
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The SCDSS Kinship Navigator Program
Whether the arrangement is formal or informal, the Kinship Navigator Program connects relative caregivers to benefits, peer support, and community resources. They can help you figure out which programs you qualify for, assist with applications, and connect you to local support groups.
Contact SCDSS directly or reach out to SC Thrive (scthrive.org) for a benefits screening — they'll walk through all available programs based on your household.
Free Legal Help for Custody and Benefits
South Carolina Legal Services (1-888-346-5592) provides free civil legal representation to low-income caregivers. Their attorneys can help with Family Court custody petitions and, through Rule 3(b)(2), can get your court filing fees completely waived.
The School and Medical Consent Guide for South Carolina includes a benefits quick-start chapter that walks through TANF, Medicaid, SNAP, and kinship payments with the specific steps for relative caregivers in informal arrangements.
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