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.

Portions of this report have been created using Adobe Flash. To download the free player visit http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer

Child Development Education Pilot Program (CDEPP)
4-Year-Old Kindergarten

Created in 2006 in response to the court ruling in South Carolina’s school equity funding lawsuit, the Child Development Education Pilot Program (CDEPP) provides high-quality pre-kindergarten to children in the plaintiff communities. During the 2007-2008 school year, First Steps has expanded 4K access to nearly 500 South Carolina children through a network of more than 40 private providers who meet high quality standards.

To learn more about First Steps' role in CDEPP, click here.

Centers of Excellence

Providing comprehensive services to at-risk children aged 0-4, the First Steps Centers of Excellence (COE) model provides scholarships, parenting and health services within early care settings receiving ongoing technical assistance and intensive professional development. Expanded by the South Carolina General Assembly in June of 2006, the Centers of Excellence model currently operates with dedicated funding in 17 centers across 11 counties, and with County Partnership and/or philanthropic funds supporting nine additional sites.

To learn more about Centers of Excellence, click here.

Early Reading First

In July 2007, First Steps launched The South Carolina Early Reading Collaborative with the support of a highly-competitive Early Reading First grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Designed to enhance early literacy practices throughout Lee and Darlington Counties, First Steps’ project is currently providing enhanced services and intensive classroom coaching within six public and private sites.

To learn more about the South Carolina Early Reading Collaborative, click here.

Nurse-Family Partnership

During 2008, First Steps played an integral role in enabling the pending launch of six Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) sites across South Carolina. Braiding First Steps’ own $1 million public investment with additional support from The Duke Endowment and other partners, these projects are projected to provide as much as $21 million in service to low-income, first time mothers across South Carolina.

To learn more about the Nurse-Family Partnership, click here.

Child Care Workforce Development Pilot
Advancing the Early Care and Education Workforce

An innovative project unique to South Carolina, this project uses U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Investment Act funds to increase the enrollment of child care teachers -- particularly those in high-need, rural areas -- in post-secondary courses designed to increase their early childhood credentials. This pilot project is a companion to S.C. First Steps' Centers of Excellence (COE) initiative, targeting the 180 staff members of the 17 COE sites.

To learn more about the Child Care Workforce Development Pilot, click here.

Early Steps to School Success
South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness and Save the Children -- an international non-profit working to improve the odds for children in poverty around the world -- have entered into a partnership to implement the nationally-acclaimed literacy program, Early Steps for School Success (ESSS). The program provides education and literacy services to families with children under 5 years old, including regular visits by literacy specialists to families at home-instilling critical building blocks for reading in their young children. Recognizing the shared goal of promoting school readiness for children most at risk, South Carolina First Steps and Save the Children provided matching grant opportunities for First Steps County Partnerships and partner rural school districts.

To learn more about Early Steps to School Success, click here.