A short, honest guide to South Carolina daycare.
South Carolina daycare is meaningfully less expensive than neighboring North Carolina, with most cities still offering quality center-based care below $1,200 per month for an infant. The Charleston peninsula and Mount Pleasant are the most notable exceptions, where rapid population growth has tightened the licensed-center supply and pushed pricing toward the Atlanta range.
First Steps 4K (CDEPP)
South Carolina First Steps 4K is the state's full-day 4-year-old kindergarten program, funded through the Child Development Education Pilot Program (CDEPP) and administered by SC First Steps in coordination with the South Carolina Department of Education. It funds free full-day 4K for income-qualifying four-year-olds at participating public school districts, registered private centers, and family child care homes. Eligibility is generally at or below 185 percent of federal poverty, with priority for English learners, children in foster care, and children with disabilities. Read our South Carolina First Steps 4K walkthrough.
Source: SC First Steps CDEPP Annual Report, 2024-2025. Approximately 16,400 four-year-olds enrolled in South Carolina First Steps 4K in 2024-2025, with full-day classrooms in participating school districts and approved community-based providers across all 46 counties.
ABC Quality
ABC Quality is South Carolina's voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement System for licensed centers, group homes, and family child care homes, administered by DSS. Programs earn ratings from B (entry level) up through A and A+ based on program assessment, staff professional development, learning environment, and family engagement. A and A+ programs represent meaningful investment above licensing minimums. Filter our directory by ABC Quality level.
South Carolina licensing and ratios
The South Carolina DSS Division of Early Care and Education licenses and inspects every legal child care center, group home, and registered family child care home in the state. Center ratios are 1:6 for infants under twelve months, 1:8 for one-year-olds, 1:12 for two-year-olds, 1:18 for three-year-olds, and 1:20 for four-year-olds. South Carolina ratios are looser than many neighboring states, so program-level staffing decisions matter more here than in states with tighter mandates. Every provider in our directory is cross-checked monthly.
Financial help in South Carolina
The ABC Voucher Program (SC Voucher), administered by DSS, funds subsidized care for working families up to a state-set income threshold, with priority for families in workforce training, education, or employment. First Steps 4K, federal Head Start, and Early Head Start fund additional free seats. All families can use the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, the South Carolina state child care tax credit (a percentage of the federal credit), and a Dependent Care FSA if offered through work. Our tax credit explainer walks through the math.
Where South Carolina parents tend to overpay
- Defaulting to a Charleston peninsula or Mount Pleasant center when an A-rated ABC Quality program in North Charleston, Goose Creek, or Hanahan runs $200 to $400 less per month.
- Skipping the First Steps 4K (CDEPP) application for an income-eligible four-year-old; a full school-day 4K seat is free if your family qualifies.
- Skipping the ABC Voucher application; eligibility extends to many working middle-income households.
Before your first tour, download the free DaycareSquare comparison checklist and the tour questions list.
