First Steps News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2007
[ link to pdf ]
S.C. FIRST STEPS RELEASES 2006 ANNUAL
REPORT
Report focuses on First Steps’ ability
to improve school readiness of S.C.’s children from
birth to first grade
Columbia, S.C. – S.C. First Steps to
School Readiness today released its 2006 Annual Report to
the General Assembly, public and private partners, and to
the general public. The annual report highlights the 46 First
Steps county partnerships’ local efforts to serve young
children and assist families and they prepare their children
for school. By targeting children at the greatest risk of
early school failure, this year First Steps served over 69,000
children ages 0-5 and their families statewide, through family
strengthening, healthy start, child care quality, early education,
and school transition programs.
The report also notes 2006 milestones for First Steps, such
as Third Circuit Court Judge Thomas Cooper’s historic
ruling that S.C. must improve its early education opportunity
for disadvantaged children, and the Governor and General Assembly’s
reauthorization of First Steps until 2013.
“Though our 2006 annual report highlights First Steps’
successes, child well-being indicators like those found in
South Carolina’s 2006 Kids Count Data Book tell us that
27 percent of South Carolina’s children continue to
suffer the ill-effects of poverty,” said S.C. First
Steps Executive Director Susan DeVenny. “Clearly, there
is much work yet to be done and the renewed vigor for quality
early education spurred by Judge Cooper’s ruling must
continue into future years. We at First Steps firmly believe
that partnerships focused on improving the school readiness
of our state’s children will lead to a better and brighter
South Carolina.”
The report is available on the S.C. First Steps Web site
at: www.scfirststeps.org/annualreports.htm.
In addition, a link can also be found on this Web page to
all 46 First Steps County Partnership 2006 annual reports.
Link to the Annual Report (pdf)
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