COLUMBIA, S.C. – 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.

First Steps 4K is a statewide, curriculum-based early education program designed to prepare children for kindergarten and future success. It is part of state-funded Child Early Reading and Development Education Program (CERDEP).

With more than 300 participating child care centers, private schools, and charter schools, First Steps 4K allows families to choose the preschool setting that best meets their needs. Most classrooms offer eight-hour instructional days for 220 days, including summer school.

Through a partnership with the SC Department of Social Services’s Child Care Scholarship Program, First Steps 4K students may also receive child care scholarships to help cover before- and after-school care. Families may qualify for additional child care scholarships for siblings aged 0-12.

To be eligible for First Steps 4K, children must be four years old on or before September 1, 2025, and meet income requirements.

Families are encouraged to check their eligibility and apply online at Free4KSC.org.

Topics: First Steps 4K, Early Care and Education