South Carolina Department Of Social Services Short-Term Plan To Address Overnight Stays

On March 4, 2022, the South Carolina Department of Social Services (SC DSS) published this short-term plan to address overnight stays for children in the foster care system. This plan comes as a result of the decision in Coppinger v. South Carolina. The new short-term action plan, which runs for the next six months, requires that SC DSS: update its policies and train its staff; strengthen its practices and incentives for identifying stable placement options; prioritize the placement of children with family members, which is known to have the best long-term outcomes for children’s well-being . . .