South Carolina Kinship Care vs Foster Care: Benefits, Payments, and Key Differences

Why the Distinction Matters So Much

A grandmother raising her grandchild after a parent's arrest might receive $229 a month — or $783 a month — depending entirely on how her caregiving arrangement is classified. In South Carolina, the financial support available to a kinship caregiver is determined not by the relationship or the need, but by the legal and administrative category of the placement.

There are three main tracks, and the differences between them are dramatic.

Track 1: Informal (Private) Kinship Care

This is the most common arrangement. A relative takes in a child through a family agreement. No court order, no SCDSS involvement.

Monthly financial support:

• TANF Child-Only (Family Independence): $229 for one child, $308 for two, $388 for three
• Caregiver's income is completely excluded from the TANF calculation
• No work requirements and no time limits on the child-only grant

Health coverage:

• Partners for Healthy Children (Medicaid) covers children up to 213% FPL gross income
• If the caregiver doesn't claim the child as a tax dependent, only the child's own income counts

Food assistance:

• SNAP counts the caregiver's income when meals are shared — this is the program where the caregiver's finances matter

Child care:

• Standard SC Voucher / Child Care Scholarship eligibility includes income at or below 85% of State Median Income and at least 15 hours per week of work, education, or training, but general applications were paused effective December 1, 2025; ask SCDSS whether priority pathways are currently accepting referrals

Track 2: Licensed Kinship Foster Care

This happens when SCDSS removes a child from their home and places them with a relative (or fictive kin) who becomes a licensed foster parent under S.C. Code § 63-7-2320.

Monthly financial support:

• Foster care maintenance payments: $670/month (ages 0–5), $783/month (ages 6–12), and $27.92–$32.00/day for special circumstances
• Foster board payments are excluded from TANF and Medicaid income calculations; check each program's rules for other benefits

Health coverage:

• Automatic full Medicaid coverage through the foster care placement

Food assistance:

• SNAP household rules still apply; ask SCDSS how foster-care maintenance payments are counted in your household

Child care:

• SC Voucher priority access for some child-welfare placements, with family income tests and copays waived; confirm current referral availability with SCDSS

Additional:

• SCDSS covers legal costs related to the placement
• The child's caseworker coordinates services
• The caregiver must complete licensing requirements: background checks, home study, training hours

Track 3: KinGAP (Subsidized Guardianship)

KinGAP is the exit ramp from foster care into permanent family care. It requires a very specific sequence:

1. The child enters SCDSS custody
2. The kinship caregiver becomes a licensed foster parent
3. The child lives with the licensed caregiver for at least six consecutive months
4. Reunification and adoption are ruled out
5. A written KinGAP subsidy agreement is signed before the guardianship order
6. Family Court grants legal guardianship

Monthly financial support:

• Negotiated subsidy up to the foster care maintenance rate ($670–$783+/month)
• Up to $2,000 reimbursement for legal costs of establishing guardianship
• Payments continue until the child turns 18 (or 21 in some circumstances)

Health coverage:

• Automatic Medicaid retention

Key advantage over foster care:

• The child exits state custody permanently — no more caseworker visits, court reviews, or SCDSS oversight
• The caregiver has full legal authority as guardian

Side-by-Side Comparison

The Gap That Catches People Off Guard

The biggest financial gap in South Carolina kinship care is between informal and licensed placements. A grandmother caring informally for one grandchild receives a maximum of $229/month in TANF child-only. A licensed kinship foster parent caring for the same child receives $670–$783/month in foster maintenance — roughly three times more — plus automatic Medicaid and a priority pathway to child-care support, subject to current referral availability.

The catch is that becoming a licensed foster parent requires the child to be in SCDSS custody. A relative who takes in a child privately and later wants access to foster-level payments can't simply "upgrade" the arrangement. The child would need to be removed from home and placed in SCDSS custody by court order, then meet the foster-care licensing requirements; an informal private placement alone does not establish foster-care or KinGAP eligibility.

This is not a decision to make lightly, and it's one that deserves a conversation with a family law attorney. South Carolina Legal Services provides free legal help to eligible low-income families, and the SC Bar Lawyer Referral Service can connect you with attorneys who handle kinship cases.

For a detailed walkthrough of every benefit available under your specific arrangement — including application steps, required documents, and what to bring to each agency — our South Carolina guide covers the full landscape.

See more South Carolina guides →