Important 4K Information
2026-2027 First Steps 4K student application is open
The 2026-2027 First Steps 4K student application for free 4-year-old kindergarten opened on Jan. 20.
South Carolina families can learn more and apply here: .https://www.scfirststeps.org/what-we-do/programs/first-steps-4k/
If you have questions or need assistance with any part of the application process, please call 1-877-621-0865 and choose Option 1 during normal business hours. You can also email free4Ksc@scfirststeps.org for additional assistance.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated partners across the Anderson County School Districts, local community leaders, committed staff, and South Carolina First Steps. As we mark 26 years of serving Anderson County’s youngest learners, we celebrate the continued impact of our mission: to prepare children ages 0–5 for lifelong success.
Since its inception, the Anderson County First Steps Partnership has invested in the community's children and families through collaborations with educational institutions, healthcare providers, and other local agencies. These investments have supported parenting programs, early education classes, school transition initiatives, and services targeting at-risk children and their families.
In 2024-2025, we continued to see strong outcomes across our initiatives, especially in preparing children for a successful start to school. Still, we have much work to do, reflecting our shared commitment to early childhood development.
We are proud of the strides made over the past year and remain deeply appreciative of the ongoing support from our partners. Together, we will continue working to ensure every child in Anderson County enters school healthy, supported, and ready to thrive. Please reach out to me if our organization can assist you with any questions or concerns.
Paige Wall
Executive Director
email: 1stepsac@bellsouth.net
I remain excited to be your Board Chair of Anderson County First Steps. We are more than an organization — we are a community united by hope, fueled by purpose, and committed to the success of every child and family we serve. For over two decades, Anderson County First Steps has stood alongside parents, educators, and community partners with one unwavering goal: to prepare our youngest learners for a lifetime of success.
We know that education is not just preparation for life — it is life. It is the key that unlocks human potential, sparks imagination, and builds stronger futures. That is why everything we do — from early intervention programs to family engagement initiatives, from improving early childhood care to promoting literacy — is designed to plant the seeds of lifelong learning.
In the 2024–2025 year alone, our impact was felt deeply across Anderson County. We reached more children than we have in the history of our program, partnered with multiple local schools and childcare centers, and distributed books and educational materials — resources that open doors and minds alike.
We are endlessly proud to be rooted in this vibrant community — a place where compassion meets action, and where every child is seen, valued, and given a real chance to soar.
Thank you for believing in this mission with us. Together, we are building a brighter tomorrow, one child at a time.
Sheryl McCollum
Board Chair
Anderson County First Steps
107 Broadbent Way
Anderson, SC 29625
Phone: 864-222-0410
email: 1stepsac@bellsouth.net