South Carolina H 4632: Childcare Facilities

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4632 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4632

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH 
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "CASH BERRY CHILDCARE SAFETY AND QUALITY 
RATING ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 63-13-220 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF 
SOCIAL SERVICES TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A CHILDCARE FACILITY SAFETY AND 
QUALITY GRADING SYSTEM AND TO PROMULGATE APPLICABLE REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT 
THE SYSTEM; TO REQUIRE LICENSED CHILDCARE FACILITIES TO POST THEIR GRADE ON A 
PLACARD IN A PROMINENT LOCATION AND TO PROHIBIT TAMPERING WITH THE PLACARD; TO 
REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH A SEARCHABLE ONLINE DATABASE WITH CHILDCARE 
FACILITY GRADES AND INSPECTION HISTORY; TO ALLOW CHILDCARE FACILITIES TO 
REQUEST REINSPECTIONS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR 
CHILDCARE FACILITIES THAT FAIL TO DISPLAY THEIR ASSIGNED GRADE; AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Cash Berry Childcare Safety and Quality 
Rating Act."

SECTION 2. Article 1, Chapter 13, Title 63 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
63-13-220. (A) For purposes of this 
section, "grade" means a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F assigned by the 
Department of Social Services to reflect a childcare facility's compliance and 
performance based on inspection and data criteria.

 (B)(1) The department shall develop and 
implement a childcare safety and quality grading system for all licensed 
childcare facilities in South Carolina.

 (2) 
The grading system must:

 (a) 
assign each licensed childcare facility a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F, 
reflecting the overall performance of the childcare facility;

 (b) 
be based upon objective, measurable data collected during department 
inspections, reviews, and reports; and

 (c) 
include, but not be limited to, the following factors:

 (i) 
compliance with department regulations and safety standards;

 (ii) cleanliness and sanitary 
conditions of the childcare facility;

 (iii) completion and accuracy of 
mandatory incident and injury reports;

 (iv) number and severity of 
substantiated violations or citations within the prior thirty-six months;

 (v) 
background check compliance and staff credential verification;

 (vi) record of any criminal activity 
occurring on or near the premises;

 (vii) child-staff ratios and 
supervision policies;

 (viii) emergency preparedness and 
response plans; and

 (ix) documented injuries, accidents, 
or substantiated abuse or neglect incidents.

 (3) 
The department shall promulgate regulations establishing:

 (a) 
the weighting of each criterion used in the grade calculation;

 (b) 
procedures for calculating composite scores;

 (c) 
frequency of reinspection and regrading, which must be no less than annually; 
and

 (d) 
procedures for appeal and correction by the childcare operator.

 (4) 
The department may coordinate with the Department of Public Health, the 
Department of Public Safety, and other state agencies to obtain relevant data 
for evaluation.

 (C)(1) Every licensed childcare facility 
shall post its current grade in a prominent place next to its license or 
registration using a standardized placard provided by the department.

 (2) 
The placard must:

 (a) 
display the childcare facility's current letter grade;

 (b) 
include the most recent date of inspection; and

 (c) 
contain a QR code or website address linking to the department's online portal 
where parents can review the full inspection history and explanation of grading 
criteria.

 (3) 
It is unlawful for any person or childcare facility to alter, obscure, or 
remove the official department grade placard without authorization.

 (D)(1) The department shall maintain and 
update a publicly accessible online database listing each licensed childcare 
facility's:

 (a) 
current grade and inspection date;

 (b) 
violation history for the past three years;

 (c) 
corrective actions taken; and

 (d) 
contact information and capacity of the childcare facility.

 (2) 
The online database maintained pursuant to this subsection must be searchable 
by county, zip code, and childcare facility name.

 (E)(1) A childcare facility receiving a 
grade below a "B" may request a reinspection after submitting proof of 
corrective action.

 (2) 
The department must conduct the reinspection within sixty days of receiving a 
request pursuant to item (1).

 (3) 
The department shall establish administrative appeal procedures for childcare 
facilities contesting their grade.

 (F)(1) A childcare facility that fails to 
display its assigned grade in accordance with subsection (C) may be subject to:

 (a) 
a civil fine of up to five hundred doll