South Carolina Lawyers Weekly
COLUMBIA (AP) — A federal lawsuit says South Carolina’s embattled child welfare agency is endangering kids in its care by failing to provide them with basic health care and the right kind of attention.
The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court faults a shortage of foster homes and excessive caseloads for some of the shortcomings at the Department of Social Services.
The suit was filed by two advocacy groups on behalf of nearly a dozen children in the care of South Carolina’s social services system.
A bipartisan Senate panel has been investigating the agency’s problems for a year. Hearings focused on the deaths of several children, caseloads that climbed above 100 children for some workers and excessive turnover.
DSS and Gov. Nikki Haley’s office did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.
