Childcare CPR & first aid requirements
First Aid & CPR South Carolina
If you work in childcare in South Carolina — whether at a daycare, preschool, home-based care, or camp — first aid and CPR certification is not optional. It's a licensing requirement, and for good reason: children are among the most vulnerable to choking, allergic reactions, and injuries. Being prepared to respond can mean everything.
What South Carolina requires
South Carolina child care licensing, enforced by the Department of Social Services under Regulation R.114-503(g), requires at least one person trained in pediatric first aid to be present in the center at all times children are in care — including group outings and field trips. That training must cover rescue breathing, CPR, and clearing a blocked airway, and it must be delivered by an instructor certified through a recognized health care organization. There is no gap in the rule: the moment a child is in the building or on an outing, a certified caregiver has to be there too.
Anaphylaxis and medication administration
Before staff may give any medication — prescription or over-the-counter, including a child's own epinephrine auto-injector — South Carolina requires written parental consent that is signed, dated, and valid for no more than one year. For a child with a known severe allergy, that means keeping a current consent form on file and the prescribed auto-injector ready long before it is ever needed. Reviewing each child's emergency plan at enrollment, and refreshing it yearly, keeps the center both compliant and prepared.
How our courses meet these requirements
A recognized, standards-based certification — online theory paired with a hands-on skills check — meets South Carolina’s requirement and keeps your team ready to act.
Don't wait for renewal day
When a child stops breathing or a throat swells shut, help cannot wait for an ambulance — the caregiver already in the room is the emergency response. Certification turns those first frightening seconds into confident, practiced action, and it is exactly what families trust you with when they leave their child at your door. A recognized, standards-based course that blends online learning with a hands-on skills check meets South Carolina's expectation and leaves your team genuinely ready.