When Olivia Piene discovered she was pregnant again, she was flooded with both joy and fear. That's when Olivia found the Nurse-Family Partnership, a long-term program through SC First Steps that pairs registered nurses with first-time moms from pregnancy through their child’s second birthday. She said the program helped her anxieties and changed her and her son Ja’dore’s life forever.

The halls of ABC Academy in Saluda County, home to a First Steps 4K classroom, echo with the excited chatter, the clatter of building blocks and art materials, and the sound of students jumping up and down to their favorite Fun Friday song, just like they did when Dakota Chariker was a child herself, when her mother ran the center.  Today, she’s the one behind the desk.

As Outreach Librarian for Newberry County First Steps, Jennifer Polaski partners with local preschools and the Newberry County Library to bring literacy activities to 3- and 4-year-olds. Her goal: get kids excited about reading and give parents the tools to keep that excitement going at home.