News & Resources

As the new school year begins, South Carolina First Steps is reminding families that regular attendance in preschool is one of the most important ways to support their child’s early learning and long-term success.

South Carolina First Steps has received a $2.25 million grant from The Leon Levine Foundation to pilot a new approach to ensure more children start school ready to learn.

South Carolina First Steps is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 First Steps 4K program, which provides free, full-day preschool for eligible four-year-old children across the state.

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.

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.

June 28, 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the creation of South Carolina First Steps.

The statewide platform has earned national recognition for helping families find and enroll in programs and services for children ages 0-5.

South Carolina First Steps today announced the kickoff of Countdown to Kindergarten, an annual initiative focused on preparing young children for success in school.

South Carolina First Steps, the state's early childhood agency, today announced the resignation of Georgia Mjartan as executive director, effective June 30, 2024. The Board of Trustees has appointed Mark Barnes, the agency's current director of administration, as interim executive director while a national search is conducted to identify a permanent successor.