Colleton County First Steps

Colleton County First Steps is a local nonprofit that works collaboratively to ensure that all children start school ready to reach their highest potential. We achieve this goal by engaging families, caregivers, and community partners in high-quality programs and services that improve early childhood development, from before birth through age five. We also serve as a connector and convener of all early childhood stakeholders in Colleton County.

Colleton County First Steps is a local partnership of South Carolina First Steps, the state’s dedicated early childhood initiative. As with each local partnership, we operate as an independent nonprofit with a local board and staff. Because our community has unique needs and resources, we tailor our offerings to best meet the needs of local families.

Colleton County First Steps’ staff and entire partnership board work through-out our county with non-profits, faith based organizations, businesses, and government organizations to implement programs for children pre-natal to 5 years old. One of our

outreach programs is books that have been provided to all collaborating organizations by our partnership. Another of our outreach programs is the Fill the Stocking Project. We served 500 children and 243 families this year. This program has become a community
project with the help of individuals, civic organizations, and businesses. Our board is always looking at the needs of families in our community. As a small rural community, our families do not always have the needs and resources available to them that larger metropolitan areas may offer, but our board and staff work diligently to streamline services with other agencies to meet the needs of all of our families.

Screen Shot 2018-12-13 at 10.16.33 PM — Cindy Riley, Executive Director

Through partnerships, volunteers, and collaborations, as well as financial support from grants and contributions, Colleton County First Steps leverages state dollars to enhance and expand services in Colleton County to children and their families. Without the in-kind support we receive, Colleton County First Steps would not be so successful. We want to thank the Colleton County School District, the SC Department of Social Services, Bethel Presbyterian Church, the Colleton County Board of Disabilities, Coastal Electric Cooperative, the Colleton Baptist Association, and Colleton County Adult Education just to name a few of our fantastic partners. We also want to thank our parents and children who allow us to work with them and serve them!

Our partnership board is always looking at ways to expand our services. We hope that over the course of the next three years, that we will be able to expand our Parents as Teachers Program to better serve our at risk families in our community.

Cindy Riley

Executive Director