New Online Resource for Kinship Families Launched KinshipSC Provides Needed Support For South Carolina Kinship Caregivers (South Carolina)

CHARLESTON, SC — HALOS, an organization whose mission is to provide support and advocacy to abused and neglected children and their kinship caregivers, has collaborated with the SC Department of Social Services (DSS) to create the first-ever statewide online resource for South Carolina’s kinship families. 

KinshipSC.org seeks to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children that live in kinship care. The website offers community, state, and national resources for caregivers including connecting website visitors to legal assistance, housing support, and financial assistance.

Kinship care is a temporary or permanent arrangement in which a relative or any non-relative adult who has a long-standing relationship or bond with the child and/or family has taken over the full-time, substitute care of a child whose parents are unable or unwilling to do so. Currently, more than 69,000 children in South Carolina live with a kinship caregiver, many of them grandparents.  Caregivers often take children into care during a crisis or with little notice so it is critical they have the support they need to meet the child’s physical, social and emotional needs. 

“We are excited to launch this new website, a first in South Carolina!” said Kim Clifton, HALOS Executive Director.  “HALOS has worked with caregivers in the Charleston area and regularly receives calls from organizations and caregivers across the state looking for assistance. With the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more caregivers are turning to virtual help and this is one more way to reach families where they are.”

In addition to the website, KinshipSC.org has launched a toll-free number for caregivers looking to connect with services and programs. Staffed by HALOS, caregivers can reach a live person that can provide information and answer questions during regular business hours (Monday – Friday from 8:30am -5:30 pm) at 1-854-444-3716.

“Kinship caregivers play a very vital role in the child well-being system, said DSS Director Michael Leach. “Every day we work with family members who have stepped up, whether temporary or permanent, to be lifesaving support for a child or youth they love. This website will allow us to ensure South Carolina’s caregivers have the support they need to care for our state’s children.”

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About HALOS

HALOS was the first organization to provide comprehensive services to kinship families in South Carolina. For every 1 child placed in foster care, 19 children are placed with grandparents, relatives or family friends outside of the formal child welfare system. HALOS is here to provide these kinship caregivers the support they need to help the children in their care thrive. To learn more, visit www.charlestonhalos.org.