Berkeley County
First Steps...

Is A Statewide Initiative To
Prepare Young Children
For School And A Lifetime
Of Learning Beyond

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Berkeley County
First Steps...

We help parents to
become the best teacher
their child will ever have.

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Berkeley County
First Steps...

Our vision is that every
child enters kindergarten
safe, healthy, ready to
succeed and eager to learn.

learn more

Parents as Teachers

Parents who participate in the Parents as Teachers program will improve their knowledge of their child’s readiness for school and prepare their children to reach school healthy and ready to succeed.  We help parents to become the best teacher their child will ever have.

First Steps 4K Program

Four-year-old children of Berkeley County can receive high quality education at no cost at child care centers where Berekely County First Steps provides training and technical assistance for teachers and directors.

Nurturing Parenting Program

The Nurturing Parenting Program is a family-centered trauma-informed initiative designed to build nurturing parenting skills. It is a 16-week comprehensive program held in both group and one-on-one settings. The Nurturing Parent model emphasizes the raising of children in a warm, trusting and caring household. It is based on the belief that children who are cared for develop the capacity to trust, care and respect themselves, other people and more.
Our local program delivers an individualized and evidence-based approach offering flexible meeting times, options to meet virtually, self-care opportunities and wide variety of program incentives. The group meets weekly and offers a chance for parents to learn age-appropriate expectations and responsibilities, alternative methods of disciplining and ways to prioritize their own self-care.

Our Vision…

Our vision is that every child enters kindergarten safe, healthy, ready to succeed and eager to learn. We invite and seek partnerships with community stakeholders who value a bright future for all young children in the Lowcountry. When our vision is fully realized, we will see all young children’s needs being met, including early childhood education, physical and mental health, and family support.

At Berkeley County First Steps We Are Committed To:

  • serving the hardest to reach children and families first and providing them access to the highest quality services.
  • ensuring that resources are sufficiently allocated to provide high quality services for every age from birth to five.
  • all children entering school are healthy and ready to learn.
  • a holistic approach to family and children’s needs.
  • ensuring that family engagement and partnership is integrated and embedded in all early childhood programs and services.
  • striving for an early childhood system that is transparent easily navigated and accessed by the families it is intended to serve.
  • ensuring that all children have well-educated and well compensated teachers.
  • ensuring that the learning and care continuum from birth to third grade is aligned, allows for smooth and effective transitions, and reflects best practices.

Berkeley County First Steps is committed to enhancing, coordinating and expanding programs and services for children birth to five in Berkeley County.