South Carolina kinship care payments range from $263 a month through a TANF child-only grant up to $863 a month for a licensed kinship foster parent, with a separate guardianship subsidy available later through KinGAP. Which figure applies to you depends on two things: whether the state placed the child in your home, and whether you complete foster care licensing. The gap between the lowest and highest payment is roughly threefold, so understanding where you sit changes the math significantly.
TANF Child-Only Grant
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families child-only grant is the most accessible option because it does not require DSS to hold custody of the child. You apply on the child’s behalf, and the grant is based on the child’s situation rather than your household income. If you choose to receive benefits solely for the children, your own income and resources do not affect the amount, though certain income or benefits received on behalf of the children may be counted.1South Carolina Department of Social Services. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Under the South Carolina TANF State Plan effective October 2025, the monthly payment standards are:2South Carolina Department of Social Services. SC TANF State Plan December 2025
- One child: $263 per month
- Two children: $356 per month
- Three children: $449 per month
You must be caring for a relative other than your own child who is under 18. Qualifying relatives include those connected by blood, marriage, or adoption. Payments arrive through the South Carolina ePAY card.3South Carolina Department of Social Services. SC ePAY Card Information To apply, use the DSS Benefits Portal or call 1-800-616-1309 for a paper application. You will need the child’s Social Security number, birth certificate, and proof that the child lives with you.1South Carolina Department of Social Services. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
The amount is modest and rarely covers the full cost of raising a child, but it is the starting point for anyone providing kinship care outside a formal DSS placement.
Licensed Kinship Foster Care Board Rates
If DSS has removed the child and placed them with you, the largest payment available is the standard foster care board rate. South Carolina Code Section 63-7-2320 creates the Kinship Foster Care Program and directs DSS to help relatives and fictive kin through licensing so they can be paid at the same rate as any other foster parent.4South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 63 – Chapter 7 – Child Protection and Permanency
Effective July 1, 2025, the board rates for regular foster homes are:5South Carolina Department of Social Services. Board Rate
- Age 0–5: $700 per month ($23.33 per day)
- Age 6–12: $818 per month ($27.27 per day)
- Age 13–20: $863 per month ($28.77 per day)
Licensed kinship foster parents also receive clothing allowances, Medicaid coverage for the child, and access to training and support that unlicensed caregivers cannot use.
Getting Licensed
Licensing generally takes about 90 days. To be eligible you must be at least 21, though DSS may waive the age requirement if you are 18 to 20 and your spouse or partner in the home is 21 or older. You must be a relative within the first, second, or third degree to the child’s parent or stepparent, or be identified by DSS as fictive kin.4South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 63 – Chapter 7 – Child Protection and Permanency
Every adult 18 or older living in your household must pass criminal, sex offender registry, and child protective services background checks, and each must complete and sign DSS Form 3042, the Affidavit for Kinship Care Placement.6South Carolina Department of Social Services. Kinship Care Brochure DSS conducts a home visit using the Kinship Caregiver Site Visit Form (DSS Form 30212) to check for safety concerns.7South Carolina Department of Social Services. Kinship Care Documents Your DSS case manager or the county Kinship Care Coordinator starts the process.
What You Receive While Unlicensed With a Formal Placement
During the licensing period, an unlicensed relative or fictive kin has the same legal status as a licensed kinship foster care provider, including access to payments and services. In practice, DSS has historically paid unlicensed relative providers about half the foster care board rate, and unlicensed fictive kin providers have historically received no board payments at all. That gap is the main reason to move through licensing without delay.
KinGAP for Permanent Guardianship
The Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program provides ongoing payments after a child exits foster care into your legal guardianship. It is modeled after the adoption assistance program and continues until the child reaches adulthood.8South Carolina Department of Social Services. Kin GAP
KinGAP has narrow eligibility. The child must have an open DSS foster care case. The court must have determined that reunification with the parents and adoption are both not viable. The child must have lived in your licensed foster home for at least six consecutive months with a strong bond established. And the child must continue to benefit from a relationship with their birth family.8South Carolina Department of Social Services. Kin GAP
Payments are not retroactive and begin only after approval. DSS does not publish a fixed KinGAP rate; because the program mirrors adoption assistance, the payment is negotiated based on the child’s needs. Your caseworker initiates the process when the permanency goal shifts to guardianship.
Medicaid for the Child
Children in licensed kinship foster homes are automatically eligible for South Carolina Medicaid, which covers children under 21 who reside in licensed foster homes supported by state or federal foster care board payments. Coverage includes medical, dental, and behavioral health services.9South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Medicaid Eligibility Programs
Children in informal kinship care are not enrolled through the foster care pathway, but they may still qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program based on household income. Apply separately through the DSS Benefits Portal or your local county DSS office.
Federal Tax Treatment
Two federal tax rules matter for kinship caregivers.
Under Internal Revenue Code Section 131, qualified foster care payments are excluded from your gross income. The payment must come from a state foster care program and the child must have been placed in your home by a state agency.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 131 – Certain Foster Care Payments Licensed kinship foster parents generally do not owe federal income tax on the board rate. TANF child-only grants are also not taxable, since they are need-based public assistance.
You may also be able to claim the Child Tax Credit, worth up to $2,200 per qualifying child under 17. The child must live with you more than half the year, be claimed as your dependent, and be your descendant or a qualifying relative such as a grandchild, niece, or nephew. The refundable portion is worth up to $1,700 per child if you have at least $2,500 in earned income. The full credit phases out above $200,000 in annual income, or $400,000 for married couples filing jointly.11Internal Revenue Service. Child Tax Credit If the child does not qualify for the full credit, for example because they are 17 or older, you may still claim the Credit for Other Dependents at up to $500 per dependent.
Choosing Between the Paths
Match your situation to a program:
- Informal care, no DSS involvement: TANF child-only grant of $263 per month for one child, rising with additional children. No background checks, no licensing.
- Formal DSS placement, not yet licensed: historically about half the board rate for relatives, and typically nothing for fictive kin. A temporary status.
- Licensed kinship foster care: $700 to $863 per month depending on the child’s age, plus Medicaid and clothing allowances. Roughly 90 days to complete licensing.
- Licensed foster home for at least six months, with reunification and adoption ruled out: KinGAP, with payments negotiated individually and continuing after guardianship.
For caregivers with a DSS placement, licensing is the decision that changes the numbers most. It roughly triples the monthly payment compared with staying unlicensed and opens the door to health coverage and the guardianship subsidy later on. For caregivers in a private family arrangement with no DSS case, the TANF child-only grant is the main cash benefit available, and applying for the child’s Medicaid or CHIP separately is worth doing at the same time.