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First Steps News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 19, 2006
[ link to pdf ]
First Steps and
the United Way Association of South Carolina Convene Early
Childhood Quality Standards Task Force
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina
First Steps to School Readiness and the United Way Association
of South Carolina announced today the formation of the Early
Childhood Quality Standards Task Force, charged with developing
recommendations for quality standards in programs serving
children from birth to age 4. Last June, the S.C. General
Assembly directed First Steps (in proviso 1.80) to convene
the group and report its recommendations to the General Assembly
and the Governor by January 9, 2007.
“Considerable longitudinal research reveals the impact
of high quality care on young children, as measured by both
school and life success,” said First Steps Executive
Director Susan DeVenny. “South Carolina families, child
care providers, employers, and policy leaders must be united
in efforts to increase access to high quality care for our
children, right from the start. As they build their recommendations,
the task force will benefit from the work of many local and
national experts and the voices of South Carolina parents
and industry leaders.”
The task force will develop its recommendations in concert
with state and national researchers, practitioners, parents,
and community leaders. The group will meet five times over
the next three months: October 4, October 18, November 1,
November 15 and a fifth date to be determined.
“A recent report by USC’s Dr. Donald Schunk showed
that the private child care industry alone has a $787 million
economic impact and provides care for over 118,000 young children,”
said United Way Association of South Carolina President Tim
Ervolina. “Higher quality and positive change will only
improve these market forces, leading to better prepared children
and a higher return on S.C.’s annual $100 million investment
in early care and education. Taxpayers and parents have the
expectation that their money is invested in quality programs.
Our task is to figure out how to assure that.”
The 20-member task force is comprised of parents, business
leaders, policy makers, educators, public and private child
care providers, including: Senator Mike Fair (R-Greenville);
Senator Linda Short (D-Chester); Representative Alan Clemmons
(R-Horry); Representative Jimmy Neal (D-Lancaster); Terence
Alexander, faith-based child care provider; Trina Austin,
parent of children in child care; Kim Aydlette, S.C. Department
of Social Services director; Charmeka Bosket, Governor’s
education advisor and former public school teacher; Mary Teresa
Devine, public 4K teacher; Shannon Erickson, private child
care provider; Sal Estrada, parent of children in child care
and business leader; Jim Hart, business leader; Thomas Manigo,
military base child care provider; Susan Marlowe, retired
teacher and Education Oversight Committee member; Ann Robinson,
business leader; Ida Thompson, non-profit child care provider;
Danny Varat, S.C. State Department of Education Board member;
Kathy Woods, Head Start provider; and Task Force Co-chairs
Susan DeVenny, SC First Steps executive director and Tim Ervolina,
United Way Association of S.C. president and CEO.
For more information, go to www.scfirststeps.org/standards.htm.
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