COLUMBIA, S.C. \u2013 Governor Henry McMaster today issued Executive Order 2021-19, which directs the S.C. Department of Social Services (DSS) to prevent the federal government from placing undocumented, unaccompanied migrant children from the southern border in South Carolina foster care and group homes.<\/p>\n
The governor\u2019s order comes following correspondence with DSS on the state child welfare system\u2019s capacity to accommodate an influx of minors.<\/p>\n
In a letter dated April 8, DSS Director Michael Leach informed Governor McMaster of the federal government\u2019s preliminary inquiries to transport an unknown number of unaccompanied migrant children from the southern border and place them in South Carolina foster care and group homes licensed by DSS.<\/p>\n
Fearing the ultimate displacement of South Carolina\u2019s most vulnerable children in an already-strained system, Governor McMaster responded to Director Leach: \u201cSouth Carolina\u2019s children must always be given first priority for placement into foster care and the State\u2019s strained resources must be directed to addressing the needs of its children. Allowing the federal government to place an unlimited number of unaccompanied migrant children into our state\u2019s child welfare system for an unspecified length of time is an unacceptable proposition. We\u2019ve been down this road with the federal government before and the state usually ends up \u2018on the hook.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The governor also requested that the agency determine any potential risks posed to our state\u2019s child welfare system and to provide him with potential avenues to mitigate them.<\/p>\n