Legislative Report

In 2022, the General Assembly allocated $3 million in recurring funds to be awarded to local First Steps partnerships through a grant-making process. This report describes how Resources for Early Acceleration and Development in Youth (READY) funds have been deployed to sustain and expand evidence-based parenting programs, increase the quality of child care, and address pressing workforce and infrastructure challenges.

Every Child Ready, the First Steps' 2020-2025 strategic plan, is our blueprint. This one pager includes the objectives for our strategic plan and how we've done in our first three years of implementation.

Annual Report

57,435 children. That's how many infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are healthier, safe, and better prepared for school thanks to First Steps. Explore our latest annual report to learn how we advanced our mission in 2021-22.

Research and Evaluation

To evaluate program reach and impact, First Steps commissioned an external evaluation of our Local Partnerships' child care technical assistance (Quality Enhancement and Quality Counts) and training initiatives from July 2018 through June 2021.

Research and Evaluation

To evaluate program reach and impact, First Steps commissioned an external evaluation of our Local Partnerships' child care technical assistance (Quality Enhancement and Quality Counts) and training initiatives from July 2018 through June 2021.

Research and Evaluation

To evaluate program effectiveness, SCFS commissioned an external evaluation of the Parents as Teachers program, focusing on the period of July 2016 to June 2019.

Research and Evaluation

To evaluate program effectiveness, SCFS commissioned an external evaluation of the Parents as Teachers program, focusing on the period of July 2016 to June 2019.

Annual Report

Raising children is not easy, and this past year has been especially challenging for parents of young children. At South Carolina First Steps, we know that a brighter future is possible. That is why we pivoted, innovated, and extended our reach to ensure that families could weather this storm.

Annual Report

Our state’s efforts to ensure that every child has the chance to reach their highest potential have never been more critical. In 2019-2020 and throughout this crisis, South Carolina First Steps has done its part by assuring continuity of quality early childhood programs and services, while focusing much-needed attention on the challenges facing young children, families, and caregivers of all kinds.

Research and Evaluation

The South Carolina Early Childhood Advisory Council, the United Way Association of South Carolina, and South Carolina First Steps asked parents and caregivers of young children how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their needs, experiences, and attitudes around child care.