Collaborating with other entities, Lancaster County First Steps helps Lancaster County 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.
Increase the reach of First Steps services throughout Lancaster County Increase the number of children enrolled in high intensity programs funded by First Steps
Focus on the child. Support the family. Collaborate for impact. Build on strengths. Embrace diversity. Be accountable.
Provide programs and resources to strengthen families and ensure children arrive at school ready to learn. Provide comprehensive services for vulnerable children and families to ensure children arrive at school ready to learn. Increase community awareness and collaborations on the importance of early education and school readiness.
121 South Wylie Street, Lancaster SC 29720 | 803-286-8000 | scfirststeps.org/lancaster
3
4
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Leann Malone
Executive Director Lancaster County First Steps
Every Lancaster County child will enter school ready to succeed. This vision has compelled us at Lancaster County First Steps since we started our work in 1999. We enter our 23rd year poised to reach more children and families, more effectively than ever. I am thrilled and honored to be a part of this work and to call Lancaster County home. What a wonderful community! The past 18 months have been an enormous struggle and every nonprofit has been challenged to adapt their service model. From going virtual with EHS and parenting programs, to moving in-person home visits and creating outdoor learning spaces, we have redefined our “classrooms” to ensure the safe delivery of uninterrupted services. Looking ahead, we are excited about our First Steps 4K in Kershaw. In early 2022, the 110-year-old Bank of Kershaw building will ring with children’s voices as a new generation takes their “first steps” toward a bright future. We also are elated about the newly funded Promise Neighborhood project, “The Hill.” First Steps is a programmatic partner and I look forward to co-chairing the Baby Blocks Subcommittee as we prepare to fully embark on this transformational journey with our community. Recently, First Steps reconnected with Stephany Perez-Sanchez, a 2008 alumna of Countdown To Kindergarten. Although she was afraid and she could not speak English, Stephany bravely walked into her class on the first day of school in August 2008, wearing a pink Disney Princess backpack filled with brand new school supplies. Stephany graduated this past June as Valedictorian at the top of her Lancaster High School class. She delivered an eloquent speech in beautiful English to her fellow graduates, and she now studies neuroscience at Duke University, the first step in her dream of becoming a neurologist. This is why we do what we do. So that every Lancaster County child will enter school ready to meet their highest potential – just like Stephany. Thank you for joining us in this work. None of it happens without you.
5
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR
Jennifer Wright
Chair Lancaster County First Steps Board of Trustees
Amid all the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the year’s bright spots was welcoming our new Executive Director, Leann Malone, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and remarkable enthusiasm, to our organization. We look forward to her leadership and vision as we continue our work to increase the quality and accessibility of early childhood education in our community. First Steps has served Lancaster County for more than 20 years. We are proud to be part of a collaborative, caring network of local government agencies, strong nonprofits, generous businesses, great schools, engaged community leaders and dedicated volunteers. In partnership with the Town of Kershaw, our new First Steps 4K Program will open in early 2022, and we are thrilled to be a part of the exciting Promise Neighborhood initiative. Our collaborative approach will ensure the children and families living in some of the most under-resourced areas of our community can count on high-quality early childhood education and family services. We are firmly committed to growing and strengthening our connections and our impact in Lancaster County. We are proud of our new Executive Director and we are especially grateful to our dedicated staff and childcare partners who worked so hard this last year. Throughout the pandemic, they remained focused on our mission and continued to serve our children and their families. We invite you to join us as we begin a new and exciting chapter in our work to ensure every child in Lancaster County is ready for school.
6
Every Lancaster County child will enter school ready to succeed.
7
28
224
5
Early identification and intervention can better prepare families, healthcare, and education professionals to support the development, inclusion, and active participation of children with learning disabilities or developmental delays. Our Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership program regularly assesses all children in our partner centers to ensure those with special needs and their families get the support and resources they need as early as possible.
8
1,647 15,063 Books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are 100% free to Lancaster County’s children because Lancaster County First Steps raises funds to pay the annual cost of enrollment for every child.
Sponsor a child’s imagination for just $40 a year.
9
11
70
420
Not even a global pandemic could stop Countdown to Kindergarten 2020! Teachers, students and families met at school playgrounds, on front porches, in local parks, and even via FaceTime to get ready for the big first day. Along the way, we learned the true meaning of dedication as we watched our kindergarten teacher-heroes find a way to make school readiness a priority and goal for some very special children.
10
For many L ancaster County p arents – p articularl y those attending school – the cost of quality child care is out of reach. I n p artnership with USC L ancaster , L ancaster County First Step s help s elim inate that b arrier. T he Child Ca re Acces s Mea ns P a rents In School (CCAMP IS) P rogra m p ays for childcare during the school year so elig ib le p arents can p ursue p ost-second a r y education. W e contrac t with and make p ayments directly to local childcare p roviders, s upporting our loca l economy a nd loca l j obs.
T o b e elig ib le for the CCAMPI S Prog ram, students must b e PEL L G rant elig ib le and maintain at least half-time enrollment at USC L ancaster. I n addition, gra nt recipients mus t complete the La nca s ter County Firs t Steps Incredible Yea rs ® P a renting P rogra m and maintain satisfact o r y academic p rog ress.
CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIPS BY THE NUMBERS 2020-2021
4
number of children served
4
number of providers served
4
number of parents served
2020 marked the inaugural year of our CCAMPIS program partnership with USC-Lancaster. The program, which will continue for the 2021-22 school year, provides up to $150 per child per week for childcare each semester so that USC-L student parents can attend classes. CCAMPIS funds go directly to local approved and licensed providers and support our local workforce and economy.
11
THE INCREDIBLE YEARS ® PARENTING PROGRAM
T he I ncredib le Years ® Parenting Prog ram is an evidence-b ased p rog ram that s trengt he ns pa rent-c hild intera ctio ns and attachment , reduces ha rs h dis cipline and fosters p arents’ ab ility to promote children’s s ocia l, emotiona l, a nd la ngua ge development. Parents also learn how to b uild school readiness skills and are encourag ed to collab o r at e with teachers and childcare p rofessional s so they can s upport children’s emotiona l regula tio n a nd s ocia l s kills in the cla s s room . The Incredible Yea rs ® is provided free of cha rge to a ll pa rticipa nts . I n addition to community- wide op en enrollment, we serve p arents of children in our Early Head Start and CCAMPI S Childcare Scholarship p rog rams, and we p artner with SCDSS to help p reserve families and p revent children from b eing p laced in foster care.
THE INCREDIBLE YEARS ® BY THE NUMBERS 2020-2021
14
families served
20
total parenting group sessions
“I have taken other parenting classes and meetings. First Steps has BY FAR the best one I have ever done! I learned more, made new friends, came out of my shell and am a better parent today because of this class.” NR, Program Graduate
12
EARLY HEAD START
Our Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Prog ram (EHS-CCP) p rovides comprehens iv e child development s ervices for low-income fa milies with children from birth to a ge 3 , a nd pregna nt women. W e p artner with local child care centers to p rovide 7 2 L ancaster County children and families with high qua lity y ea r-round ea rly childhood educa tion. Exp ectant families receive prena ta l s upport, pa rent tra ining a nd ba by ca re coa chin g , wrap -ar ound case manag em ent, and a reserved childcare slot for their b ab y. All families receive comp rehens ive s upport s ervices including develop menta l assessments, health, nutrition, and dental services, as well as referrals to community resources.. Childcare p artners receive high qua lity progra m ma teria ls , facilities imp rovements , outdoor lea rning equipment, evidence-b ased curricula , p rofession al education and training for staff, and much more.
EARLY HEAD START BY THE NUMBERS 2020-2021
34
children served
2
providers served
The health and safety of children, families, and staff are paramount at First Steps, and our COVID-19 policies and procedures follow the latest DHEC and CDC guidelines. Partner centers remained closed until September 2020, when they reopened at 50% capacity. COVID-related federal funding is being used to increase and upgrade outdoor learning space and to install HVAC air purifiers and other safety equipment at EHS partner centers.
13
WEEKEND BACKPACK PROGRAM
For many children, school p rovides the p rimary source of healthy meals during the week. Food ins ecurity ha s increa s ed throug hout our community over the p ast year, p articularl y for families of students at Clinton and Brookly n Sp ring s elementary schools. T he First Step s W eekend Backp a c k Prog ram, funded b y the Sp ring s Close Foundation , p rovides ba ckpa c ks from Second H a rves t Food Ba nk tha t a re filled with child -frie nd ly , nonperis ha bl e , ea s ily cons umed a nd vita min-forti fied food for children at these schools. W e also include informati on on p arent resources, nutrition, health and fitness tip s, and fun, family-orien ted education al activities and community events.
WEEKEND BACKPACKS BY THE NUMBERS 2020-2021
425 children served
11,225 meals provided
We LOVE our volunteers! Each week, teams of dedicated individuals add resource information and flyers to the backpacks and then help deliver them to the schools. When schools are closed, volunteers help distribute backpacks from central pickup locations. If you would like to join Team First Steps, please call us at (803) 286-8000.
14
PUBLIC AWARENESS Comm unity eng ag ement and advoc a c y b eg ins with increa s in g public a wa renes s of the vita l importa nce of ea rly childhood educa tion a nd ins pirin g a commitment to ens ure every child in our community thrives . L ancaster County is our family, and we love seeing g enerations of First Step s “kids” at local events and county festivals. W e p articip a te in bus ines s a nd civic orga niza tio n s , p artner with loca l s chools a nd nonprofits , and are active in state and reg ional profes s iona l a s s ocia tions . Our social media p resence is g rowing on Fa cebook (@lcfirs ts teps ) , and our newsletter will launch in 2 0 2 2 .
PUBLIC AWARENESS BY THE NUMBERS 2020-2021
20,487 materials distributed
10
events held
5,076 total reach
15
Addressing the needs of young children and their families effectively must b e a shared endeavor among community p artners. Our pa rtners hips a nd colla bora tions levera ge orga niza ti o na l s trengt hs a nd ma ximize res ources s o tha t together we ca n a ccomplis h more. Our role in the community is to serve as a:
27
Community Partners
$250,000 Leveraged Value of Partnerships
2020-21 Community Partners A Father’s Way • Arras Foundation • Catawba Mental Health • City of Lancaster • DHEC-Lancaster • Dicabi Consulting, LLC • Dollywood Foundation • HOPE in Lancaster, Inc. • Kershaw Area Community Resource • Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce • Lancaster County Library • Lancaster County School District • Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office • Lancaster County Water & Sewer District • MUSC Health-Lancaster Medical Center • OceanaGold • Partners for Youth • Promise Neighborhood Project • Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina • SC-DHHS • SC-DSS • Springs Close Foundation • Tanya Dennis • The Children’s Council • Town of Kershaw • United Way of Lancaster County • USC-Lancaster • York County First Steps
16
I n addition to p rog ramm ati c p artnership s and collab o r ati o ns , L ancaster County First Step s secures a dditiona l fina ncia l s upport from g rants and individual donations. T his sup p ort leverag es state dollars to enha nce a nd expa nd s ervices to children and families.
2020-2021 FUNDING SUPPORT $1,969,673 Office of H ead Start Unite d Way of Lan caste r Cou nty
$1,854,235 $8,000
The Springs Close Foun dation
$72,963
USC-Lancaster CCAMPIS
$30,000
Give Local Lan caste r
$1,525
Indiv idu al Donors
$1,450
Duk e Ene rgy Fou ndation
$1,000
The South Carolina Children's Trust
$500
17
Expenditures of State Funds by Program Type
Since inception, Lancaster County County First Steps has
24%
leveraged
$15,814,861 from sources outside of state government.
76%
That’s $2.95 for every state dollar invested in our children.
State Funding
Federal Funding
Private Funding
Incredible Years
44,781
6,201
Imagination Library
29,893
25,840
Nutrition Services
19,746
70,553
Countdown to Kindergarten
27,744
13,578
Early Head Start
2,779
Early Identification & Referral
61,282
Core Functions
15,473
Administrative Support
17,495 $ 219,192
Total 50,982
166,522
222,255 90,299
2,992
44,314
22,820
1,603,925
16,571
Scholarship Initiatives
Total Expenses
1,578,326
In-Kind Contributions
$16,571 $61,282
1,000
$ 1,595,897
8,907
$25,380
38,599
$56,094
$ 163,677
$ 192,334
$ 2,171,100 18
2020-2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. Paul N. McKenzie , Chair
Arianna G aither
Denise Pettit, Vice Chair
Celeste G raham
Jackie Harris, Secretary
Reo King
L uke Knig ht, T reasurer
Charlene McG riff
Dr. Carlton Rucker
Saundra Meadows
Crystal Adams
Ashley Melton
Shirnetha Belk
Rita Vog el
Jeffrey Chandler
Jennifer W rig ht
Nathan Coop er
OUR STAFF L eann Malone, Executive Director Anthony Howell, EHS-CCP Prog ram Director L eslie Sinclair, Human Resources and Office Manag er Kim W est, Prog rams Manag er Veronica Reed, EHS ERSEA Manag er Sherry Bradshaw, EHS Education Coordinat o r
CONTACT US 1 2 1 S. W y lie Street, La nca s ter, SC 2 9 7 2 0 | (8 0 3 ) 2 8 6 -8 0 0 0 | 1 s tSteps @compo ri um . net
19