S 0415 by Young
S 0415
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill amends the South Carolina Code of Laws to improve child welfare services by modifying definitions related to children's code, adoption, and foster care. Specifically, it lowers the minimum age for kinship foster parents to eighteen, allows the Department of Social Services to use different standards when licensing relatives and fictive kin, and removes therapeutic foster care placement limitations from kinship foster care placements. The bill also clarifies the roles and responsibilities of caregivers, including relatives and fictive kin, in the child’s care and development.
Key provisions
- Lowers the minimum age for kinship foster parents from twenty-one to eighteen.
- Allows the Department of Social Services to use different licensing standards for relatives and fictive kin.
- Removes therapeutic foster care placement limits from kinship foster care placements.
- Clarifies the definition of ‘caregiver’ to include relatives and fictive kin.
- Modifies provisions regarding adoption by stepparents or relatives, particularly for children in the Department’s custody.
- Updates definitions related to child abuse and neglect, including provisions for institutional abuse and neglect.
- Addresses emergency protective custody procedures.
- Streamlines the process for kinship foster parent licensure.
Who is affected
- Children in foster care
- Foster parents
- Kinship foster parents
Bill text
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Sponsors
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7 on record
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