Renamed in 1972 from the Department of Public Welfare, the South Carolina Department of Social Services is responsible for providing state residents with assistance and protection programs. The Department of Social Services ensures the safety of children and adults who cannot protect themselves and assists families in achieving stability through child support, childcare, financial and other temporary benefits while transitioning into employment.
Daniel's Law was signed into law in 2001 and is named for an infant boy who survived after being buried in a landfill in Allendale County soon after his birth. Nurses named him Daniel as he recovered at a hospital. The Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, now known as Daniel's Law, was enacted to prevent these kinds of dangerous and often fatal abandonments. Under the law, instead of abandoning a baby up to sixty days old in dangerous circumstances, a person can surrender their newborn baby at a designated location and can give their child a chance at a happy, healthy life with a loving family. Since 2009, 73 babies have been surrendered under Daniel’s Law. This updated 2025 brochure provides valuable information about South Carolina crisis pregnancy centers and the requirements for surrendering an infant under Daniel’s Law.
The complete list of July electronic South Carolina state publications is now available. The South Carolina Digital State Documents Depository provides electronic access to state agency publications. These publications provide citizens with crucial information about state government and include statistics, reports, and data on a wide variety of topics related to the state.
For more information about our depository for state publications, visit our online guide.
