News & Resources

Countdown to Kindergarten, a statewide initiative developed by South Carolina First Steps, helps rising kindergarteners and their families prepare through a series of six weekly, one-on-one visits with the child’s future teacher. Marquita Kennedy, a Kindergarten teacher at Brooklyn Springs Elementary School and a dedicated Countdown to Kindergarten educator, has worked with more than 30 children and their families. Her passion for the program is clear. 

Child Trends report finds SC First Steps Home Visiting program reduces child maltreatment, boosts kindergarten readiness, and strengthens parenting, especially for families who stay enrolled longer COLUMBIA, SC – South Carolina First Steps is releasing the results of a landmark five-year independent evaluation of its Parents as Teachers home visiting program conducted by Child Trends in partnership with the Parents as Teachers National Center.

A free guide to help South Carolina families get ready for kindergarten. Includes registration info, tips, activities, and a form parents can share with teachers about their child’s early learning and needs. Available in English and Spanish.

Rebekah Andrews drives nearly an hour every morning to get her youngest daughter, ZaMarii, to school. The commute is long, but she said it’s worth it for the quality education ZaMarii receives. With the support of First Steps 4K, ZaMarii attends free, full-day preschool at Small Impressions, an A-rated early learning center in Greenville County. 

Where 4-year-old Kyson Tanner once got flustered trying to identify letters, he now excitedly shouts, “Look Mom, it’s a K!” whenever he spots the letter on license plates, billboards, or signs at stores and plazas. At first, letter practice at home was frustrating. To make learning more playful, she turned practice into simple games, an idea she got from Small Impressions, a First Steps 4K center in Greenville County. 

Chandler Wendel lives in Columbia, South Carolina, with her husband of five years and their two children, 2-year-old Jordan and 9-month-old Walker. After earning her master’s degree from the University of South Carolina and beginning her career, Chandler believed she could handle anything. But parenthood, she admits, was the hardest challenge she’d ever faced. 

Few people know the First Steps 4K program like April Hayes. She’s led it, taught it, and even trusted it with her own child. After serving as a 4K center director, April returned to the classroom as a First Steps 4K teacher at Rehoboth Baptist Child Development Center in Richland County. As both an educator and a parent, she understands early learning from every angle. 

My name is Kylie Cordell and for the past year, I’ve had the privilege of sharing stories about families, educators, and communities across South Carolina. Telling your stories has been one of the greatest joys of my life, so it is with a heavy but full heart that I must leave you to pursue a new adventure. To everyone who trusted me with their story, and to everyone who took the time to read them, thank you. It’s people like you who will change the world.

At first, Hanna Vasquez thought her son, Jase, was just shy. When he began refusing to get out of the car for preschool drop-off, she realized something more serious was happening. Jase’s separation anxiety made mornings stressful for both of them. Looking for help, Hanna turned to Lexington County First Steps to help Jase enter school ready to learn.