Stephanie Webster was deeply concerned when some of her students didn’t know their own names. Her time in both the public school system revealed profound gaps in academics, self-awareness, and identity development. That realization led her to leave public education and pursue her passion: supporting young learners at a foundational level.

Last week, nearly 1,000 early childcare educators across South Carolina laced up their boots and set out on an adventure for the annual First Steps 4K Academy, a multi-day professional development conference hosted by South Carolina First Steps.

When Olivia Piene found out she was pregnant again after losing twins in 2021, she felt both joy and fear. That's when she decided to join Nurse-Family Partnership through Greenville County First Steps, which helped ease her anxiety and supported her as a first-time mom. See how Nurse-Family Partnership is helping moms like Olivia find strength and hope.