South Carolina has 2,300 childcare centers and homes in its state licensing records, across 234 cities, with about 153,000 licensed seats at the 1,357 centers that report capacity. South Carolina Department of Social Services, Division of Early Care and Education handles licensing. This guide covers how to check a license, how subsidy works, and how to find a center in your city.
Data updated October 1, 2026 · Source: South Carolina Department of Social Services, Division of Early Care and Education (opens in a new tab) public records · How we compile this →
Centers and homes listed per city, of 2,300 in South Carolina.
All 234 South Carolina citiesJump to a letter, or open a group below.
Open Provider Search (opens in a new tab) and look the center up by name and city. Confirm the license type and that its status is active.
Open the center’s record and read whatever inspection or compliance information the state posts for it.
Our page shows the license type and capacity next to the hours and programs the center lists, so you can weigh the state’s record beside what the center offers.
Each Clear Day center page in South Carolinalinks to that center’s state record when the state publishes one, so step 3 starts one click from step 1.
South Carolina child care subsidy. Administered by: South Carolina Department of Social Services
Since December 1, 2025, new applications are paused except for families in protected categories, such as TANF and homeless families.
South Carolina pre-K. Administered by: South Carolina Department of Education
About Child Early Reading Development and Education Program (opens in a new tab)
Federal programs for families with low incomes, from pregnancy through age five.
0%accept Head Start0 of 1,357 centers reporting
South Carolina has 2,300 childcare centers and homes in the state licensing records Clear Day reads, across 234 cities. Columbia has the most, with 202, followed by Florence (115) and Greenville (106).
Look the center up in Provider Search, the state's public license lookup. Confirm the license is active, then read whatever inspection or compliance information the state posts for that center. Clear Day center pages link to the state's record for that center when the state publishes one.
Yes. South Carolina's child care subsidy program is Child Care Scholarship Program. Since December 1, 2025, new applications are paused except for families in protected categories, such as TANF and homeless families. Public pre-K is a separate option: Child Early Reading Development and Education Program.
ABC Quality Rating & Improvement System is South Carolina's quality rating program for child care. The ratings are the state's. Clear Day does not rate or review centers.
Center records come from South Carolina Department of Social Services, Division of Early Care and Education public records. Every share on the page names the number of centers it is counted over, and the methodology page explains how.
The state records on this page were last imported October 1, 2026. Each center page shows its own record date. See the methodology for details.
Your center is already listed here, built from state records. Claim it free and get a free enrollment website built from your listing.
South Carolina is one of 35 states in the directory: 173,070 centers and homes across 13,878 cities. Each state has its own guide with its own rules, agency and license lookup.
Center records come from South Carolina Department of Social Services, Division of Early Care and Education public records. Every percentage on this page names the number of South Carolina centers it is counted over. This page is a guide, not legal advice. Clear Day does not rate, rank or review centers.
This information is sourced from public records and may be incomplete or out of date. For the most current and accurate details, please verify directly with South Carolina Department of Social Services, Division of Early Care and Education or contact the center directly. Clear Day does not rate, rank or endorse any center.
Data updated Oct 1, 2026 · Source: South Carolina Department of Social Services, Division of Early Care and Education public records · South Carolina license lookup (opens in a new tab) · How we compile this →