South Carolina First Steps is pleased to offer to local First Steps partnerships $650,000 in federal and state funding for Countdown to Kindergarten Summer 2026. The deadline for applications is Friday, February 27, 2026 by 11:59pm. 

Interested partnerships are encouraged to attend an informational webinar on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 11:00 AM. Register HERE.

Countdown to Kindergarten (CTK), first developed by South Carolina First Steps in 2003, supports transitions to kindergarten by connecting incoming kindergarten students and their families to their teachers in advance of the first day of school. This early relationship building strategy is a series of one-on-one sessions between family and teacher during the summer.