To ensure opportunities for young children and their families in Chesterfield County so that every child enters school healthy and ready to learn.
Community participation is essential to our success. Collaborative partnerships are vital to supporting families and caregivers effectively. First Steps and the community are mutually accountable for the success of all children. Services must be high-quality, grounded in strong evidence, and adaptable to meet the unique needs of children and families.
Chesterfield County: By 2025, the percentage of children who score at the highest level on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment will increase by 2% each year from 27% to 37%. As with all Chesterfield County programming, EQUITY will be a fundamental premise.
1. Families are supported as their child’s first and most important teachers. 2. Families can access and afford high quality early care and education programs that meet the needs of their children and families. 3. Children are healthy and safe.
Street, City SC 00000 | 000-000-0000 | website OR scfirststeps.org/county
PO BOX 553 Chesterfield, SC 29709 | 843-921-1452| scfirststeps.org/Chesterfield
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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Pictured above is the 2020-2021, Chesterfield County First Steps Compass Point 4K class @ Northeastern Technical College. (One child not pictured)
This report reflects our organization’s continued commitment to getting the children of Chesterfield County ready to learn and succeed in school. Through best practices, evidence-based programs and meaningful collaborations with other community stakeholders, Chesterfield County First Steps will continue to expand its efforts to help families ensure the health, well-being and school readiness of every child in our service area. Our board, our staff, our partners, our volunteers, and our donors - in this small, rural county with limited resources - work together to increase the capacity of services. Together with our partners, Chesterfield County First Steps will make every effort to meet our local goals and support the mission and goals of South Carolina First Steps to benefit the children and families we serve.
Karen Martini -Waller Karen Martini-Waller
Executive Director Chesterfield County First Steps
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Every child in Chesterfield County, SC will enter school prepared for success. 6
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Having strong connections in our community is a vital component in helping our McLeod NurseFamily Partnership clients and their families succeed. Chesterfield County First Steps has helped support the developmental growth and development of my clients’ children by providing developmental toys and age-appropriate books over the last few years. We are deeply grateful for our partnership with First Steps and look forward to many more years.
- Sarah Griggs, Registered Nurse, McLeod Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) -Chesterfield
Brysen Rivers playing with toy provided by Chesterfield County First Steps (CCFS). During this home visit, NFP Nurse explained how this activity helps with fine motor and recognition of shapes.
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We have truly enjoyed receiving the monthly books through Imagination Library this year. The books have been great and very age appropriate! Thank you so much for offering this. I’m happy to say that Amelia loves books! At 13 months, she will sit and turn every page with such concentration and even “read.” She has learned so much! -Loretta Tiller, Parent (McBee, SC)
Books are 100% free to children in Chesterfield County because Chesterfield County First Steps secures the funds to cover the cost of books and shipping fees.
Sponsor a child for just $30 a year. 8
FIRST STEPS 4K IN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY 2020-2021
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PREPARING FOR STATEWIDE EXPANSION With First Steps 4K, families are in the driver’s seat. They choose the program that best meets their needs. Families can enroll their child in any of the 244 private, nonprofit, or faith-based child care centers or schools participating in the program. The majority of First Steps 4K providers offer 8-hour day and year-round instruction, including summers, which is at no cost to parents.
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EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM
The Chesterfield County First Steps Compass Point 4K @ Northeastern Technical program is a full day, 4-year-old preschool program that is free to eligible students. Located on the Northeastern Technical College Cheraw campus, it is led by licensed and highly qualified staff. The lead teacher, along with teacher assistants, provides a positive and encouraging environment for student learning. This high quality 4K education program is only possible because of the strong partnership among Chesterfield County First Steps, Northeastern Technical College, Chesterfield County School.
COMPASS POINT 4K BY THE NUMBERS 2020-2021
10 children served
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HEALTH PROGRAM Blessings in a Backpack is a weekend nutrition program that provides nutritious, easy to prepare food for the 4K students and their siblings at Petersburg Primary. Each week during the school year, volunteers will pack backpacks with food for the children to ensure that their nutritional needs can be met over the weekends.
Blessings in a BackPack volunteers from First Baptist Church, (left to right) Barbie Outlaw, Carol Williams, & Linda Melton prepare to transport weekend nutrition bags to Petersburg Primary School. Chesterfield County First Steps’ weekend nutrition program is beginning its nineth consecutive year serving the 4K classes at the Pageland school. Volunteers from First Baptist, First Presbyterian Church, Wolf Pond Baptist Church, High Point Baptist Church, Providence Baptist Church and Sandhill Telephone Cooperative pack the bags at First Presbyterian for the children each week and transport them to the school. The weekend nutrition program is staffed entirely by volunteers and funded with private donations.
BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK BY THE NUMBERS 2020-2021
41
children served
1821 meals provided
156 volunteer hours
For more information call Chesterfield County First Steps at 843-921-1452 or visit us at chesterfieldfirststeps.org/health-backpack.
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Addressing the needs of young children is a shared endeavor. I n addition to p roviding services to families and sup p ort for child care p roviders, Chesterfield County First Step s mob ilizes p artners and community memb ers to ensure all children in Chesterfield County b eg in school ready to succeed. W e serve as a:
Our Local Partnerships: Chesterfield County Schools
Wolf Pong Baptist Church
McLeod Nurse Family Partnership
First Baptist Church- Pageland
Northeastern Technical College
Providence Baptist Church
First Presbyterian Church – Pageland
High Point Baptist Church
Chesterfield County Library System
Sandhill Telephone Cooperative
Chesterfield County DHEC
Petersburg Primary School Malloy Foundation 12
T hroug h p artnership s and collab or a ti ons , as well as financial sup p ort from g rants and contrib uti ons , Chesterfield County First Step s leverag es state dollars to enhance and exp and services to children and families.
FUNDING SUPPORT
Central Carolina Community Foundatio n Eastern Carolina Community Foundation Presb ytery of Charlotte SC First Step s CDEPP Myra Coffey Mary Redferan Omicron Delta Kap p a G amma L oretta T iller W olf Pond Bap tist Sandhill T elep hone Coop era ti ve Roddy Outen SC DSS/ABC Malloy Foundation
$ 1 6 ,0 0 0 .0 0 $ 5 0 0 .0 0 $ 2 ,3 5 0 .0 0 $ 4 7 ,1 8 5 .3 6 $ 1 0 0 .0 0 $ 1 2 0 .0 0 $ 3 0 .0 0 $30 $ 3 9 6 .8 5 $ 2 0 4 .1 6 $ 1 ,2 0 0 .0 0 $ 4 1 ,6 0 0 $700
CCFS BOARD/ST AFF Karen Martini W aller via DPI L FB T ony Nolan via DPI L FB Ernest W inb urn via DPI L FB Michael Kaltwang via DPI L FB Erica Phillip s via DPI L FB
IN-KIND SUPPORT Northeastern T echnical Colleg e Chesterfield County Schools First Presb yterian Church Blessing s in a BackPa c k Volunteers
JOIN US For more informati on on p artnership op p ortunities, contact us at 8 4 3-9 2 1 -1 4 5 2 or karen@ cheste rfiel dfi rsts tep s. o rg
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Expenditures of State Funds by Program Type 6%
Since inception, Chesterfield County First Steps has leveraged $3,228,521.96 from sources outside of state government. That’s $0.81 for every state dollar.
94%
State Funding
Federal Funding
Private Funding
In-Kind Contributions
Total
Nutritional Services
$10,002.66
$
$21,006.65
$3,677.97
$34,687.28
Raising A Reader
$1,787.38
$
$27.17
$
$1,814.55
Nurse Family Partnership
$7,665.00
$
$
$
$7,665.00
$139,919.15
$
$51,131.76
$36,749.47
$227,800.38
Imagination Library
$1,025.83
$
$1,534.00
$
$2,559.83
Partnerships & Community Education
$18,220.36
$1,000.00
$536.00
$
$19,756.36
Administrative Support
$14,111.07
$
$251.53
$
$14,362.60
$192,731.45
$1,000
$74,487.11
$40,427.44
$308,646.00
Full Day 4K- & Extended Day
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Marek Calhoun, Treasurer Melissa Chapman, Secretary Dr. Harrison Goodwin Michael Kaltwang, Vice Chairman Bernice Linton Edwina Moody
Tony Nolan, Chairman Erica Phillips Carrie Turner Dr. Kyle Wagner Tumeka Watson Ernest Winburn
STAFF Kelly Branch, 4 K L ead T eacher Samantha Deese, 4 K Co-T eacher Rochelle Michael, 4 K Co-T eache r Karen Martini-W alle r , Executive Director
CONTACT US 1 2 0 1 Ches terfield H ighwa y , Chera w | 8 4 3 -9 2 1 -1 4 5 2 |ka ren@ c hes ter field fi rs ts teps . or g
Like us on Fa cebook: @Ches terf ield firs ts t eps
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Find us online: www.Ches te rfi eld firs ts te ps .o r g