The mission of Lexington County First Steps is to support families in Lexington County so that all children enter school ready to learn.
1. 2. 3.
4. • • • • •
The years of early childhood are a critical window of development during which much of human potential is shaped. Families are the single most important influence on the development of their young children. School readiness is the result of a child’s development in many areas, with each contributing to the child’s success. Services must be individualized and adaptable to meet the unique needs of children and families. We value, and demonstrate in our collaborative work and advocacy, diverse perspectives in the development of public policy and programs.
5.
Increase the reach of First Steps Services Increase the number of children enrolled in high intensity programs funded by First Steps Increase the availability of high-quality early care and education opportunities offered by First Steps More children arrive at kindergarten ready for success Reduce the racial/ethnic gap in kindergarten readiness
Parents as Teachers
Early Identification & Referral
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Child Care Training
BOOST
Four-Year-Old Kindergarten
101 West Columbia Ave., Batesburg-Leesville, SC 29006 | 803-532-6861 | http://lexingtonfirststeps.org/
3
4
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
James H. Riddle, Jr. MHA Executive Director Lexington County First Steps
Lexington County First Steps (LCFS) began in 2001 and it has been defined as filling gaps, enhancing and enlarging services and serving the most at-risk children through the collective wisdom of collaborations and partnerships across Lexington County. There is a particularly strong relationship between LCFS and each of the county’s five school districts. Lexington County School District 3 has provided in-kind space for LCFS since 2004 and the District processes our payroll and benefits. We are indebted to Lexington 3 for this extraordinary partnership. Parents as Teachers (PAT) is an evidenced-based home visitation model used by LCFS since inception of First Steps. It is the flagship of our county services and is the largest PAT program in South Carolina, partnering with each of the five school district’s parenting centers.
Another long-standing home visitation program is Countdown to Kindergarten; a summer transition program for 5K students-to-be in the fall. Due to COVID restrictions, this program was not offered in the summer of 2020. It will return in the summer of 2021, FY22. Other Program Services include PASOS, an outreach for all immigrant families needing to navigate available services in Lexington County, This service is an outreach to Latino families specifically. Also, child care providers’ training is coordinated thru Palmetto Shared Services Alliance. We also work with SCFS in 4K expansion to childcare centers.
5
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR
Mary Brooks, M. ED Chair Lexington County First Steps Board of Trustees Director of Parenting/Family Services/CERDEP Early Childhood Coordinator Lexington School District Two
Countless research supports the urgency with which preschool aged children must be surrounded by rich experiences, not only in literacy and numeracy, but they must also have ample opportunities for motor development and social/emotional development in order to be ready for school. Lexington County First Steps strives to support families across the county in order to provide these types of experiences for parents and children. Through programs such as Parents As Teachers, Lexington County First Steps provides highly qualified personnel to work with children and families prior to entering school. Our trained parent educators play a vital role in assisting parents with creating engaging experiences that are developmentally appropriate. They also provide valuable resources to promote school readiness as well as connections to local organizations that help support a child’s development. Providing group connections across Lexington County in partnership with all five school districts builds community and strengthens protective factors for our children and their parents. Examples include: Riverbanks Zoo, Saluda Shoals, Edventure, and Kids Day in Lexington. The Countdown to Kindergarten program in Lexington County allows for educators to develop relationships with families of the youngest learners in our community. This program assists with the successful transition of these children into the school environment. It is a true privilege to serve on this board as I am confident that Lexington County First Steps is committed to making a difference in school readiness for our children.
6
Collaborating with other entities, First Steps helps South Carolina families and caregivers prepare their children for school success by maximizing public and private community
resources to deliver, enhance and expand high-quality early childhood services.
7
104
81
13
"From little seeds, grow mighty trees" -Unknown
8
PAT GOES VIRTUAL Due to COVID-19, Parents as Teachers (PAT) National provided guidance for affiliates to deliver virtual services via
PAT IN LEXINGTON COUNTY 2020-2021
100
families served
interactive video conferencing and phone calls. South Carolina PAT affiliates rose to the occasion by engaging families in creative and
2152
total home visits
meaningful ways while continuing to meet the Essential Requirements of implementing a quality PAT program during the pandemic.
119
Children 0 – 5 served
9
186 1473 Books are 100% free to children in Lexington County because Lexington County First Steps secures the funds to cover the cost of books and shipping fees.
Sponsor a child for just $25 a year.
10
COVID-19 and Childcare Outdoor Learning Classroom What is Palmetto Shared Services Alliance Foundations of Guidance Webinar Working with Parents: From Parents to Partners Inquiry Based Early Learning Math for Young Children Childhood Illness, Medication, and Poison Motivation Staff: How to Win their Hearts and Minds Budgets, Projections, Planning
345
345
16
Lexington County First Steps partners with Palmetto Shared Services Alliance to offer virtual high-quality child care training. 11
FIRST STEPS 4K IN LEXINGTON COUNTY 2020-2021
PREPARING FOR STATEWIDE EXPANSION
11
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.
115
12
BOOST Beginni n g Opportuni ties Offered for Student Tra nsition : T he p rog ram is desig ned to eng ag e families with 2 - and 3 - year olds in a Montessori learning environment, and is an interactive classro om setting for p arent and child.
Children exp erience exciting op p ortunities with Montessori materials, develop focus and concentr ati o n , imp rove motor skills and cog nitive develop ment, while p rep aring them for kinderg arten readiness and a p ositive school exp erience.
BOOST: BY THE NUMBERS 2020-2021
9
Children 0 -5 Served
9
Families Served
9
Adult Family Members Served
13
Addressing the needs of young children is a shared endeavor. In addition to p roviding services to fam ilies and sup p ort for child care p roviders, Lexing ton County First Step s mob ilizes p artners and community memb ers to ensure all children in Lexing ton County b eg in school ready to succeed. We serve as a:
430 Children Served Directly
76
Group Connections offered by Parenting Centers
The program was great and my child loves her goodies and all the activities provided. Tamla Craps, Parent
14
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 , L exing ton County First Step s leverag es state dollars to enhance and exp and services to children and families. T he five Lexing ton County School Districts are tremendous p artners with Parent Centers serving families as our p rimary service.
FUNDING SUPPORT State of South Carolina: 593,328 South Carolina Endeavors (formerly CCCCD): 2,000 United W ay of the Midlands Unrestricted: 1040 L CFS Staff & Board of Directors: 370 PASOS L atino Outreach: 50,000
IN-KIND SUPPORT L exing ton One: 129,050 L exing ton T wo: 151,850 L exing ton T hree: 24,000 L exing ton Four: 26,453 L exing ton Five: 86,750 .
JOIN US For more informati on on p artnership op p ortunities, visit our web site at 15
lexingtonfirststeps.org
Expenditures by Program Type 14%
Since inception, Lexington County First Steps has leveraged $8,787,177from sources outside of state government. That’s $0.61 for every state dollar.
86%
State Funding
Federal Funding
Private Funding
In-Kind Contributions
Total
Parents as Teachers (EB)
$405,671
$8,000
$3,550
$418,103
$835,324
BOOST (EI)
$31,345
$0
$0
$0
$31,345
Child Care Training (EB)
$24,648
$0
$2,955
$0
$27,603
Countdown to Kindergarten (EI)
$33,789
$18,230
$361
$0
$52,380
Dolly Parton Imagination Library (EB)
$1,835
$0
$700
$0
$2.535
$0
$1,651
$50,778
$0
$52,429
$0
$0
$65,287
PASOS (EI) Partnerships & Community Education Core Functions
$63,104
Administrative Support
$41,674
$0
$0
$0
$41,674
$602,066
$28,063
$58,344
$418,103
$1,106,577
Total Expenses
$183
16
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mary Brooks, Chair Mike T aylor, Vice Chair, Ada Jane Setzler , Secretary Crystal G rimes Jennifer Felkel Marla Hamilton Beth Houck Ang ie Rye Leslie Hig htower Rob in Jackson
Kelly Poole Sharvon Banks Yolanda Boozer Mary Kennerly Deb b ie Poole Dan Reider Jeanette Samuels Amy Brant Sheri Stewart
STAFF James H. Riddle, Jr., Executive Director Pat Smith, Prog ram Coordilna t or Deb b ie T eer, Director of Childcare Quality Sandy Butler, Community Health Worker
CONTACT US 101 West Columbia Avenue Ba tesburg Leesville, SC 29006 803 422 -9 1 8 0
17