-ACFS Needs Assessment -Planning for the Future
Needs Assessment Our ACFS team recently completed a comprehensive Needs Assessment, informed by a survey shared with educators, families, community members, and local leaders. This work marks the first major step toward developing our Strategic Plan for 2027–2029, which will be finalized in February 2026 and submitted to SC First Steps.
After an in-depth review of the data, three priority areas clearly emerged. These priority areas will guide the goals and strategies we build into the Strategic Plan:
- Improving Access to Health Care
- Expanding Basic Needs Support
- Promoting Kindergarten Readiness
We’re energized by the direction this assessment provides and look forward to shaping meaningful, community-driven goals that strengthen outcomes for young children and families.
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