SUMTER, S.C. — News19 received a tip on Friday morning about children in South Carolina Department of Social Service (DSS) custody sleeping in a Sumter County office building that houses DSS and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
We contacted the Sumter Fire Department and Sumter Police Department to find out more information related to this.
A letter from Sumter Fire Chief Karl Ford to the DSS Sumter County Director Robin Holly Morris from Tuesday said that the fire department had been made aware of children sleeping in the offices on Magnolia Street.
“Allowing people to sleep in your facility is not permitted, as the structure is not intended or equipped with the appropriate fire suppression or smoke detection systems,” the letter said.
In the communication, Ford said sleeping or residential-type activities are prohibited “effective immediately.”
In addition to these “life safety issues,” an incident report from the same day shows various code violations involving electrical and housekeeping issues involving receptacle covers and storage.
A second inspection on Wednesday said “removing cots and sleeping arrangement” was discussed.
An additional inspection was performed on Friday, with a report showing three children being served at the facility.
News19 contacted DSS with questions and received a statement.
“Children and youth come into foster care at all hours of the day and night when placed into emergency protective custody by law enforcement or through a family court judge’s order — whether it is 2 a.m. or 2 p.m. Foster care does not cut off at 5 p.m. like traditional state government working hours,” the statement said, in part. “DSS professionals seek foster placement for children and youth around the clock, and at times, a youth will refuse to go to an identified placement and may remain under supervision in an office.”
The department said that since the pandemic, it’s seen an increasing number of older children enter foster care with “escalated challenges and needs that can require higher levels of placement and care, which can be difficult to secure.”
The department said that while it’s not the intention for kids to stay in offices, that can happen if foster parents and organizations that provide licensed group care for children are full or refuse to accept the placement.
News19 also contacted DHEC, which occupies part of the building.
"We operate independently of each other," a spokesperson for DHEC said in an email. "DHEC doesn't have any role/authority with this."
This is not the first time News19 has reported on this topic. In 2015, we reported on children sleeping in office buildings when case workers couldn’t find placements. DSS said they were working on a protocol to make sure children and staff are safe if the need for them to sleep in an office arises.
In 2022, News19 reported on the lack of available placements as children were still sleeping in beds.
On Friday, DSS responded to questions regarding how many students were waiting for placement. The agency said it doesn't have a current number because it “changes hourly as children and youth come into care all hours of the day, every day.”