Kindred Hearts of SC

2025-2026 Bill 5174: Kindred Hearts of SC - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5174
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Garvin, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Ford, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J.E. Johnson, J.L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lastinger, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, C. Mitchell, D. Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Scott, Sessions, G.M. Smith, M.M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Waters, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow
Document Path: LC-0279HA-GM26.docx
Introduced in the House on February 12, 2026
Adopted by the House on February 12, 2026
Summary: Kindred Hearts of SC
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/12/2026

House

Introduced and adopted (
House Journal-page 30
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
02/12/2026

A
house
RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND
HONOR KINDRED HEARTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA FOR THEIR WORK SUPPORTING KINSHIP CAREGIVERS
IN A COMPREHENSIVE MANNER AND HELPING KINSHIP CAREGIVERS IDENTIFY AND NAVIGATE NEEDED
RESOURCES TO ENSURE SAFE AND HEALTHY LIVING ENVIRONMENTS FOR FELLOW SOUTH CAROLINIANS.

W
hereas, when concerned
members of the South Carolina Citizen Review Panel (SCCRP) realized the need
that kinship caregivers and their families experience would be beyond the scope
of CPR's policy review and public outreach obligations, Dr. Kimberly Janha, in
collaboration with Kayla Mallett, sought to create a more robust and
comprehensive plan to serve kinship communities better; and

W
hereas, Dr. Janha and
Ms. Mallett formed Kindred Hearts of South Carolina (KHSC), a nonprofit
organization, as a service initiative primarily focused on the needs of
caregivers, providing valuable resources and support to those taking care of
their kin. As a kinship navigator program, Kindred Hearts was spawned from the
need to address the gaps in services and resources available to caregivers not
involved in the child protective services system; and

W
hereas, by including
families with both formal and informal placements, KHSC enables families to
navigate systems to obtain resources and ensure a safe and healthy living
environment, which is paramount in the development and wellbeing of both the
children and the caregivers; and

W
hereas, believing that
a deliberate collaboration among state agencies and community organizations and
businesses can offer a network that will reach all identified kinship families,
Kindred Hearts is committed to building and sustaining a community that
intentionally works together to provide resources to kinship care families in
the forty-six counties of South Carolina. To support this mission, KHSC hosts
summits grounded in prevention and awareness designed to engage parents,
kinship caregivers, foster parents, educators, and community stakeholders; and

W
hereas, KHSC serves
whole families but works most directly with caregivers, such as grandparents,
aunts and uncles, and other relatives, to ensure they have access to
information, resources, and services. Kindred Hearts works with members of the
community to raise awareness of kinship caregiving and to support grassroots
advocacy efforts; and

W
hereas, in 2019, pilot
programs started in Clarendon, Dorchester, Laurens, Marlboro, and Richland counties
which allowed for the development of navigation initiatives in rural and urban
areas; and

W
hereas, the South
Carolina House of Representatives appreciates the noble work of KHSC, recognizing
that when kinship caregivers have the right support, they can build a brighter
future for South Carolinians through advocacy, education, and community
engagement. Now, therefore,

B
e it resolved by the
House of Representatives
:

T
hat the members of the
South Carolina
House of Representatives
,
by this resolution, recognize and honor Kindred Hearts of South Carolina for
their work supporting kinship caregivers in a comprehensive manner and helping
kinship caregivers identify and navigate needed resources to ensure safe and
healthy living environments for fellow South Carolinians.

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This web page was last updated on February 12, 2026 at 11:10 AM