SCDSS v. Jessica Croucher

THIS OPINION HAS NO PRECEDENTIAL VALUE. IT SHOULD NOT BE
CITED OR RELIED ON AS PRECEDENT IN ANY PROCEEDING
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY RULE 268(d)(2), SCACR.

THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
In The Court of Appeals

South Carolina Department of Social Services,
Respondent,

v.

Jessica Croucher, Nicholas Togno, Christopher Croucher
(deceased), Sandra Reddick, Christopher Reddick,
Defendants,

of whom Jessica Croucher is the Appellant.

In the Interest of Minors Under the Age of 18.

Appellate Case No. 2025-000886

Appeal From Laurens County
Joseph C. Smithdeal, Family Court Judge

Unpublished Opinion No. 2025-UP-308
Submitted September 3, 2025 – Filed September 5, 2025

AFFIRMED

Timothy M. Ray, of Spartanburg, for Appellant.

Karissa Marie O'Keefe-Young, of the South Carolina
Department of Social Services, of Laurens, for
Respondent.
John Marshall Swails, Jr., of Greenville, for the Guardian
ad Litem.

PER CURIAM: Jessica Croucher appeals the family court's permanency planning
order directing custody of her minor children (Children) to remain with Children's
maternal grandparents, authorizing the South Carolina Department of Social
Services (SCDSS) to forego offering further reunification services, and closing the
case. See S.C. Code Ann. § 63-7-1700(C) (Supp. 2024) ("At the permanency
planning hearing, the court shall approve a plan for achieving permanence for the
child."); S.C. Code Ann. § 63-7-1700(G)(1) (Supp. 2024) (stating the family court
may award custody to a fit and willing relative when a child cannot safely be
returned to his or her parents and termination of parental rights is not in the child's
best interest); S.C. Code Ann. § 63-7-1640(C) (Supp. 2024) (setting forth
situations in which a family court may authorize DSS to forego reasonable efforts
at family reunification). Upon a thorough review of the record and the family
court's findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Ex parte Cauthen, 291
S.C. 465, 354 S.E.2d 381 (1987), we find no meritorious issues warrant briefing.
Accordingly, we affirm the family court's ruling and relieve Croucher's counsel.

AFFIRMED.1

MCDONALD, HEWITT, and TURNER, JJ., concur.

1
We decide this case without oral argument pursuant to Rule 215, SCACR.