Orangeburg County First steps

Services

Early Education

Early education programs seek to emphasize research-based instructional models and target students at-risk of early school failure through:

Increase first grade readiness and pre-literacy skills of children through quality early education intervention
Increase ongoing 4K documentation, reporting and evaluation of results;
Increase the number of at-risk children served in quality 4K environments, public and private;
Increase the qualifications, professional development and access to training for personnel teaching public and private 4K programs;
Reduce the number of at-risk 4-year-olds on waiting lists for the public school Child Development program.

Family Strengthening

Orangeburg County First Steps works collaboratively with its agency partners, the faith community and private sector to support parents and families in their own efforts to maximize the school readiness of their children. Through family strengthening strategies such as Parents as Teachers and early and family literacy programs OCFS seeks to:

Increase effectiveness of parenting related to child nurturance, learning and interaction, language, health and safety;
Increase successful parenting/family literacy program targeting, service integration, and results documentation;
Increase early parent involvement in 4K-12 education settings.

Child Care Quality and Affordable Child Care

Particular emphasis is placed on assisting providers in their own efforts to maximize the learning environments they provide for young children. Through child care quality programs, OCFS seeks to:

Increase availability of quality child care choices for parents, as measured by increasing numbers of child care providers operating at higher levels of quality;
Increase the number of child care vouchers available to S.C. families for quality child care;
Increase school readiness focus in child care settings;
Increase the leverage of federal and private resources to serve the state’s most at-risk children;
Increase the number of child care workers achieving progress toward early education certification and continued professional development;
Improve the quality of the physical and learning environments in child care settings of all types; and
Expand public and private partnerships in 4K.

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	Parent Information Services Early Education Early education programs seek to emphasize research-based instructional models and target students at-risk of early school failure through: Increase first grade readiness and pre-literacy skills of children through quality early education intervention Increase ongoing 4K documentation, reporting and evaluation of results; Increase the number of at-risk children served in quality 4K environments, public and private; Increase the qualifications, professional development and access to training for personnel teaching public and private 4K programs; Reduce the number of at-risk 4-year-olds on waiting lists for the public school Child Development program. Family Strengthening Orangeburg County First Steps works collaboratively with its agency partners, the faith community and private sector to support parents and families in their own efforts to maximize the school readiness of their children. Through family strengthening strategies such as Parents as Teachers and early and family literacy programs OCFS seeks to: Increase effectiveness of parenting related to child nurturance, learning and interaction, language, health and safety; Increase successful parenting/family literacy program targeting, service integration, and results documentation; Increase early parent involvement in 4K-12 education settings. Child Care Quality and Affordable Child Care Particular emphasis is placed on assisting providers in their own efforts to maximize the learning environments they provide for young children. Through child care quality programs, OCFS seeks to: Increase availability of quality child care choices for parents, as measured by increasing numbers of child care providers operating at higher levels of quality; Increase the number of child care vouchers available to S.C. families for quality child care; Increase school readiness focus in child care settings; Increase the leverage of federal and private resources to serve the state’s most at-risk children; Increase the number of child care workers achieving progress toward early education certification and continued professional development; Improve the quality of the physical and learning environments in child care settings of all types; and Expand public and private partnerships in 4K.