“The best evidence suggests that learning begets learning, that early investments in learning are effective. As a society, we cannot afford to postpone investing in children until they become adults, nor can we wait until they reach school age—a time when it may be too late to intervene.”
James J. Heckman, Ph.D. and Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences | Professor of Economics and Director, Center for the Economics of Human Development, University of Chicago
What We Do
Our Programs
Quality Counts
For more information click here.
Early Head Start
For more information click here.
Nurse-Family Partnership
For more information click here.
The Franklin School
For more information click here.
Vida Y Salud
Spartanburg First Steps is partnering with Upstate Family Resource Center through an SC First Steps READY grant to expand the existing Vida Y Salud program. Vida Y Salud helps build a stronger South Carolina by supporting Latino communities with education, advocacy, and leadership development. For more information click here.
Countdown to Kindergarten
Countdown to Kindergarten is designed to increase family awareness of kindergarten expectations, create positive home-school relationships, and ensure a smooth transition to school. Spartanburg First Steps has partnered with this program since 2019. For more information click here.
What Drives Us
Our Mission
Spartanburg County First Steps mission is to help all young children in our county arrive at school ready to learn and prepared for success. To accomplish that we:
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Support evidenced-based programs that are designed to strengthen families and support children’s growth and development during the first 5 years of life.
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Build trusting relationships with early learning centers using a model of continuous improvement that helps to build and sustain high-quality learning environments.
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Collaborate with community partners to maximize our efforts and to increase our impact positively on school readiness.
Get Involved
Spartanburg County First Steps works with local businesses, nonprofits, churches, and schools to help all children enter school ready to thrive. This means we support events throughout the year in support of school readiness and the importance of a quality early childhood. If you would like to join us at one or more of these events, let us know by clicking here.
Upcoming Events
Board of Directors' Meeting
May 20, 2026
4:00 – 5:00
Our Impact
48
Child Care
Providers Served
6450
Number of children and adults served by Spartanburg County First Steps in 2023 – 2024
For more information about our impact on Spartanburg County check out our
Annual Report.
2604
Number of children 0-5
enrolled in provider classrooms
Donate Today
The prosperity of Spartanburg County depends on our ability to support quality early education for future generations. Help a child enter school ready to learn and grow!
A donation today is a step toward a healthier, smarter, and stronger community tomorrow.
The
Latest
The Power of Playing
The Power of Playing
July 7, 2015
Today on our Facebook page (feel free to “like” us!) we linked to article from NAEYC For Families titled “How to Support Children’s Approaches to Learning? Play with Them!” by Gaye Gronlund.
What caught our attention in article? This fabulous quote: “Did you know that you can help your son or daughter academically by playing with them? Play and learning go together!”
Yeah, they do! And here at Spartanburg County First Steps, we believe in the power of playing.
What seems so obvious to many early childhood experts is often lost on parents who want desperately for their child(ren) to “learn” and “be smart.” And, in turn, the idea of playing as learning is lost on many early childhood educators who need happy parents to have full classrooms. Too often, the concepts of playing and learning are put on opposite ends of a classroom spectrum, instead of side-by-side where we believe they belong.
Gronlund agrues, “ Yes, as they enter kindergarten and the elementary years, children need to have some understanding of letters and numbers. However, if they have not developed solid approaches to learning, they will not be successful in school settings.”
What’s that mean to you as a parent? Here are the highlights from the article:
If you have a toddler, encourage a sense of curiosity in your child.
- Make comments about what s/he is doing
- Ask questions to respond to his/her interests and ease frustration
Gronlund states this type of encouragement fosters perseverance, attention, and initiates problem solving—all pre-requisites to learning.
If you have a preschooler, encourage your child’s imagination or “abstract thinking.”
- Support “pretend play” by pretending with your child
- Accept “scribbles” as real writing and help when your child is mixed-up
- Work with your child on puzzles, trying different solution strategies
Your child is not only learning how symbols stand in for other things, but s/he is developing problem solving skills and persistence as well.
Make sure to read the full article for more details and examples of playing as learning, and most importantly, make time to play with your little one today!
The Power of Playing
The Power of Playing
July 7, 2015
Today on our Facebook page (feel free to “like” us!) we linked to article from NAEYC For Families titled “How to Support Children’s Approaches to Learning? Play with Them!” by Gaye Gronlund.
What caught our attention in article? This fabulous quote: “Did you know that you can help your son or daughter academically by playing with them? Play and learning go together!”
Yeah, they do! And here at Spartanburg County First Steps, we believe in the power of playing.
What seems so obvious to many early childhood experts is often lost on parents who want desperately for their child(ren) to “learn” and “be smart.” And, in turn, the idea of playing as learning is lost on many early childhood educators who need happy parents to have full classrooms. Too often, the concepts of playing and learning are put on opposite ends of a classroom spectrum, instead of side-by-side where we believe they belong.
Gronlund agrues, “ Yes, as they enter kindergarten and the elementary years, children need to have some understanding of letters and numbers. However, if they have not developed solid approaches to learning, they will not be successful in school settings.”
What’s that mean to you as a parent? Here are the highlights from the article:
If you have a toddler, encourage a sense of curiosity in your child.
- Make comments about what s/he is doing
- Ask questions to respond to his/her interests and ease frustration
Gronlund states this type of encouragement fosters perseverance, attention, and initiates problem solving—all pre-requisites to learning.
If you have a preschooler, encourage your child’s imagination or “abstract thinking.”
- Support “pretend play” by pretending with your child
- Accept “scribbles” as real writing and help when your child is mixed-up
- Work with your child on puzzles, trying different solution strategies
Your child is not only learning how symbols stand in for other things, but s/he is developing problem solving skills and persistence as well.
Make sure to read the full article for more details and examples of playing as learning, and most importantly, make time to play with your little one today!
Quality Counts has Super Saturday Success
Quality Counts has Super Saturday Success
June 29, 2015
We are pleased to report that Quality Counts has completed two Super Saturday Seminar Days with more than 200 Quality Counts teachers and directors in attendance! This was an important component in the quality improvement cycle, and we were thrilled by the turn out.
The seminar classes were titled “Foundations of Curriculum” and “Advanced Curriculum.” Presenters included: Nicole Shea, M.Ed.; Virginia Scates, Ed.D.; Julie Hartman, Ph.D.; and Melissa Starker, M.Ed. The classes explored topics such as Milestones and Theory, Planning and the Infant Toddler Guidelines, and Assessment and Writing Lesson Plans.
Quality Counts is an initiative, funded through a partnership between Spartanburg County First Steps and the Mary Black Foundation, that supports continuous quality improvement in early care and education programs with the goal that all children will arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed. The participation and enthusiasm of the early childhood teachers and directors in events such as Super Saturday Seminar Days help to make this program successful.