When learning begins at home, kids are more prepared for school—making home visiting programs like HIPPY essential. Thanks to the dedication of Cheryl Scales, Gina Beebe, and Iris Ballen-Morant, HIPPY has become a vital part of SC First Steps, shaped by their leadership and commitment.

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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.

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When Olivia Pierce 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.

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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.

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