When her 5-year-old son refused to eat his pudding cup, Alazaey Washington’s first instinct was to insist: “If I put this on the table, you’re going to eat it.” While that approach worked when he was very little, as he got older, Alazaey’s son started pushing boundaries, getting in trouble at school, and talking back at home. That's why she reached out to Triple P through Newberry County First Steps.

C.A.R.E. Academy, in Charleston County, was born from one mother’s dream to create a safe, nurturing environment where all children can thrive. As a single parent, Cushan Brown remembers the fear and uncertainty she felt when enrolling her one-year-old daughter in preschool for the first time. Those early emotions, along with her daughter’s positive experience in an in-home preschool from ages 1 to 5, ultimately shaped Cushan’s vision for the kind of environment she wanted for all children.

For many first-time parents, a flailing, crying, full-blown toddler tantrum can feel unpredictable, explosive, and impossible to manage, especially when a child is also navigating a developmental delay.  That was the case for Davianna Hicks and Joshua Stewart, whose three-year-old son, Dallas, was having frequent outbursts. Unsure how to help him, they reached out to Newberry County First Steps, where they were connected to Triple P.