News & Resources

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, South Carolina First Steps today kicked off a statewide reading event for young children. The kick-off event, held at Edventure, marks the beginning of the agency’s fifth annual MLK Week of Service, which is organized annually by the First Steps AmeriCorps program.

Two years ago, Gary and Shamaria Staggers embarked on a journey to provide top-notch childcare in Marion, SC. As passionate educators, they opened Kiddie University with a vision to create a nurturing and stimulating environment for young learners. Their dedication to their community and staff has earned them the well-deserved recognition of this month’s First Steps 4K Leader Spotlight.

Deserae Beard graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education in 2011. Despite advice to take the first job offer, she was determined to work with 4K and 5K-aged children. Today, as the owner and director of Learning on Main in Warrenville, S.C., Deserae’s commitment to innovative, out-of-the-box practices with her staff and families has earned her recognition as this month's First Steps 4K Leader Spotlight.

Families enrolled in Countdown to Kindergarten and Countdown to 4K shared feedback on their experience in the program and say they would highly recommend the summer school transition program.

Starting kindergarten is a big step for young children and their families. These free, printable guides offer practical tips and activities to support a successful start in school. Designed especially for parents, these resources are also helpful for educators and caregivers.

The Carolina Collaborative for Early Childhood Innovation (CC4ECI) is a funding model designed to provide resources for First Steps local partnership to implement and test innovative programs for children and families in their community.

The Carolina Collaborative for Early Childhood Innovation is a funding model designed to provide resources for First Steps local partnerships to implement and test innovative programs for children and families in their community.

South Carolina First Steps, the state’s public-private partnership for early childhood services, announced today that Ann Vandervliet has been named as its new executive director.

At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, the KRA was administered to 53,354 incoming kindergartners across South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee.