S.C. First Steps FY2008 Annual Report

About this report

This report is being published in an online-only version, eliminating all printing and design expenses. Should you have questions about the report, please contact Lisa Michals, South Carolina First Steps Public Information Officer, at (803) 734-0867 and lmichals@scfirststeps.org.

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First Steps Legislation
“There is established South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness, a comprehensive, results-oriented initiative for improving early childhood development by providing, through county partnerships, public and private funds and support for high-quality early childhood development and education services for children by providing support for their families' efforts toward enabling their children to reach school ready to learn.”
--SECTION 59-152-10

Purpose
“The purpose of the First Steps initiative is to develop, promote, and assist efforts of agencies, private providers, and public and private organizations and entities, at the state level and the community level, to collaborate and cooperate in order to focus and intensify services, assure the most efficient use of all available resources, and eliminate duplication of efforts to serve the needs of young children and their families.”
--SECTION 59-152-20

Goals
“The goals for South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness are to:

provide parents with access to the support they might seek and want to strengthen their families and to promote the optimal development of their preschool children;
increase comprehensive services so children have reduced risk for major physical, developmental, and learning problems;
promote high quality preschool programs that provide a healthy environment that will promote normal growth and development;
provide services so all children receive the protection, nutrition, and health care needed to thrive in the early years of life so they arrive at school ready to learn; and
mobilize communities to focus efforts on providing enhanced services to support families and their young children so as to enable every child to reach school healthy and ready to learn.“

--SECTION 59-152-30

Our Work
First Steps is preparing South Carolina’s young children for school. Founded in 1999, First Steps provides both state- and community-level early childhood services to young children and their families in five key areas:

Family Strengthening
Healthy Start
Quality Child Care
Early Education
School Transition

Each of South Carolina’s 46 counties focuses its early childhood investments with the assistance of a non-profit First Steps County Partnership, overseen by a local board of trustees. Local county partnerships determine their program investments through needs and resources assessments, and evaluate results on an annual basis. State programs are directed by the legislature or state board of trustees.

To learn more about the First Steps Partnership, programs, and results in your county, CLICK HERE.