News & Resources

It’s only by helping all children to thrive — which starts with helping parents prepare their children to learn and then providing those children with more and better teachers who know the best ways to teach them and are teach them — that our state will become the place we want our children and grandchildren to call home.

State and local officials joined community leaders to open the Highland Early Learning Center on Tuesday. The new child care center, located in Spartanburg’s Highland community, will provide free, quality care and education to eligible children.

Register today for the 2021 SC Summit on Early Childhood. With “From the Start” as our theme, keynote speakers and breakout sessions will focus on the earliest years of childhood, from prenatal to age three. All events, including networking opportunities and an interactive expo hall, will be presented virtually December 2-3, 2021.

This is the year we are launching our inaugural fundraising event, Celebrate Community. Here's how you can get involved.

South Carolina has a head start on this work through First Steps to School Readiness, a combination state agency and nonprofit organization that focuses on parents as children’s first and most important teachers.

South Carolina First Steps and First Steps AmeriCorps invite you to join us in honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Countdown to Kindergarten Teacher Survey was administered online to 248 participating teachers, of which 248 (100%) responded, from May 10th to September 6th, 2021. These teachers were from 28 counties across the state.

The Countdown to Kindergarten Family Satisfaction Survey was administered online to parents/caregivers, of which 444 responded, from June 16th to September 14th, 2021. These families were from 22 counties across the state.

What service looks like at South Carolina First Steps: The First Steps AmeriCorps program, a blog by First Steps Trustee Shelley Canright, and more.