South Carolina First Steps partners with licensed child care centers, private schools and charter schools to provide high-quality four-year-old kindergarten programs that prepare South Carolina's children for success in kindergarten and beyond.
When you partner with First Steps 4K, you become part of our mission to ensure that all children start school ready to reach their highest potential. In return, we provide the funding, resources, and support you and your staff need to meet our high-quality standards. The benefits include:
Are you a DSS-licensed center and have been operating for at least one year? OR are you a non-profit independent school? If yes, you may be eligible to partner with First Steps 4K.
Join Martha Strickland, 4K State Director, and First Steps 4K Team members to learn about the opportunities of providing a 4K classroom through our state’s Child Early Reading and Development Education Program (CERDEP) funding.
Registration details for the Virtual interest sessions will be posted here on October 4. Feel free to reach out to Samantha Ingram, 4K Outreach Coordinator, for additional information about becoming First Steps 4K provider.
The 2024-2025 New Provider Application will be released on October 4. All private (non-school district) preschool providers interested in participating in the SC Child Early Reading Development and Education Program (CERDEP) are encouraged to attend an interest session and complete a New Provider application this fall.
All applicants are required to participate in a First Steps 4K New Provider Interest session. The Interest Session registration links will be available starting October 2023, It is important that you familiarize yourself with the requirements outlined in the First Steps 4K Guidelines.
Questions? Contact Martha Strickland, 4K State Director, at (803) 734-0247.
$20K
Grant funding available for materials and supplies
90
Number of hours of free, high-quality professional development for teachers
$8K
Value of provided research-based curircula, materials and trainings
Translation services are available.
