Mission Statement

The mission of Georgetown County First Steps is to ensure that every child in Georgetown County arrives at school healthy, happy, and ready to learn.

History

First Steps was launched in 1999 by lawmakers with a clear vision: Every child in South Carolina will arrive at school ready for success. A flagship of Governor Jim Hodges, First Steps created partnerships through 2002. Since then, early childhood services have been created or expanded based on local needs, research, best practices, collaboration and innovation.

On the heels of the agency’s re-authorization in 2006, Governor Sanford and the General Assembly asked more of First Steps. With our public school partners, First Steps is helping to expand pre-kindergarten services for children residing in the 37 school districts involved in the state school funding equity lawsuit. Only by harnessing the best in South Carolina’s public and private sectors can we meet the need of all our families.

By transforming six existing centers into Centers of Excellence, First Steps approaches school readiness in five different ways:

• Family Strengthening
• Healthy Start
• Quality Child Care
• Early Education
• School Transition

First Steps collaborates with many organizations in Georgetown County. First Steps main focus is always on the needs of the children in the community. Often to create an effective program, First Steps will support or expand existing services offered by our collaborators. Smart public policy clearly shows that all stakeholders should, and must work together to effectively serve our target population. On our Board, we have representatives from United Way, Georgetown County Public School, Georgetown County Board of Disabilities and Special Needs, Department of Social Services, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the Georgetown County Public Library.