News & Resources

Discover the inspiring journey of Janice. From her start as a licensed home care provider in Hawaii, she brought her passion to South Carolina 24 years ago to establish MEGA Child Development Center. Dedication and support from SCDSS and First Steps 4K fueled her pursuit of advanced degrees and a lifelong commitment to young learners. Get to know more about Janice, this month’s Leader Spotlight!

A Midlands academy is giving young children a strong foundation before kindergarten, with parents and educators praising its impact. At Northeast Enrichment Academy, children in the First Steps 4K program are thriving. Dalias Ravenell, whose daughter has attended since 4K, says the experience has been life-changing.

Last year, something beautiful happened in church basements, community centers, and school cafeterias across South Carolina. Parents arrived—nervous and exhausted but carrying hope: to be the best parents possible for their children. What they found was First Steps. And that hope starts with A Night to Celebrate Community. The funds raised from this event are distributed equally among all 46 counties, providing critical support that other funding sources can’t cover.

Karen Durand's dedication to early childhood education spans over 30 years, a journey that began with summer camp counseling and Sunday school teaching in her high school years. These early experiences ignited a passion that led her to a fulfilling career shaping young minds. Today, Karen serves as the principal at Saint John Catholic School in North Charleston and is this month’s First Steps 4K Leader Spotlight.

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.

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, South Carolina First Steps today kicked off a statewide reading event for young children. The kick-off event, held at Edventure, marks the beginning of the agency’s fifth annual MLK Week of Service, which is organized annually by the First Steps AmeriCorps program.

Two years ago, Gary and Shamaria Staggers embarked on a journey to provide top-notch childcare in Marion, SC. As passionate educators, they opened Kiddie University with a vision to create a nurturing and stimulating environment for young learners. Their dedication to their community and staff has earned them the well-deserved recognition of this month’s First Steps 4K Leader Spotlight.

Deserae Beard graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education in 2011. Despite advice to take the first job offer, she was determined to work with 4K and 5K-aged children. Today, as the owner and director of Learning on Main in Warrenville, S.C., Deserae’s commitment to innovative, out-of-the-box practices with her staff and families has earned her recognition as this month's First Steps 4K Leader Spotlight.

Families enrolled in Countdown to Kindergarten and Countdown to 4K shared feedback on their experience in the program and say they would highly recommend the summer school transition program.