S. 770, a bill that, according to its own summary, is supposed to help working families with low incomes cover the cost of childcare.
“TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 13 TO CHAPTER 13, TITLE 63 SO AS TO ESTABLISH EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS APPLYING FOR FEDERALLY FUNDED CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES WITH LOW INCOMES TO HELP COVER THE COSTS OF CHILDCARE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.”
Sounds wonderful, right?
Please keep reading.
S. 770 takes South Carolina’s childcare subsidy system and writes it into state law. It creates a new Article 13 in Title 63 and gives DSS greater power to decide who qualifies and what the eligibility criteria are.
S.770 builds a larger handout structure in state law. The bill covers eligibility, work and school requirements, income rules, copayments, recertification, changes in circumstances, and transition payments for families who go over the income limit.
It also ties the SC Child Care Scholarship Program directly to federal child care rules. S. 770 cross-references multiple federal statutes and regulations throughout. Two relevant ones are 42 U.S.C. Section 9858c and 45 C.F.R. Section 98.21, which appear in proposed sections 63-13-1420(B)(3), 63-13-1470(C)(3), and 63-13-1480(E). The first is the federal statute that underpins the Child Care and Development Fund, the block grant program that sends federal funds to states to subsidize child care for low-income working families. The second governs how states determine and redetermine eligibility for those subsidies.
Why is this a problem? Every time the legislature embeds federal law into our state statutes, it ties those funds to federal rules. The state must adhere to those rules to receive the funds. When federal policy changes (and it will), SC’s codified program changes with it.
Does this bill grow government? Yes.
S. 770 creates a new statutory article, gives an agency more power, and builds a permanent expense.
And all of this comes while the current program is already under strain.
DSS has paused the SC Child Care Scholarship Program for new Working Families applications since December 1, 2025, except for protected categories such as TANF families, special-needs families, homeless families, and child-welfare cases.
The state’s program paused because COVID-19 relief funds ran out, the federal shutdown delayed replacement funding, and DSS is also waiting on state funds. ($20 million General Assembly request)
The program is already underfunded, and now the state wants to impose an additional tax burden.
Keep reading.
Reading, reading, definitions, calculations, data collection, threats to individual freedoms, and more government control.
Oh, wait, what’s this?
Section 63-13-1430(A)(3).
To qualify for this subsidy, a child must have “a current immunization certificate showing that the child is immunized.”
Don’t miss this if you plan to apply. Your child must be fully vaccinated unless they have a religious or medical exemption.
Then in Section 63-13-1430(A)(3)(b).
The bill exempts children already attending a licensed childcare center, a registered family childcare home, a public school, a Head Start program, or another entity that already requires immunization records.
But for children not covered under the listed settings, S. 770 ensures that these families will still need to comply with the immunization requirement.
Think about a homeschooling family applying for help to cover part-time care while a parent works. Under current law, that family has no reason to interact with the state’s immunization tracking system. But under S. 770, applying for a childcare subsidy means proving the kids are up to date with their shots.
(Worth noting: the immunization requirement is baked into federal rules governing CCDF funding, specifically 45 C.F.R. section 98.41. But S. 770 doesn’t cite section 98.41. It cites section 98.21, which governs eligibility determination processes. That’s either a drafting error or a deliberate choice to embed the immunization condition inside the eligibility gate rather than the health and safety framework.)
Overall, S. 770 is yet another bill that codifies a federal government program that cements in dependency, weakens state sovereignty, and restricts individual choices.
Before supporting this bill, read it carefully. Read it as someone who would have to agree to the conditions in it, and the ones that come later. Read it as someone who will pay for it, even if you never qualify. Read it as someone who knows how government uses money to control behavior.
One more thing to think about. Subsidies have a proven track record of making the very services they fund more expensive. Childcare won’t be any different.
Current bill status: The Senate Child and Welfare Subcommittee will have a hearing on it Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 12 pm. We encourage you to watch the hearing and follow this bill. It’s a sleeper.
isclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not constitute legal or professional advice. ConservaTruth assumes no liability for any actions taken based on this content. Readers are encouraged to review the bill text themselves. Read more.
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