Child Care Scholarships Available Through First Steps

Siblings of four-year-olds enrolled in the First Steps 4K program now qualify for childcare scholarships thanks to a partnership between SC First Steps and the SC Department of Social Services.

First Steps 4K provides free four-year-old kindergarten to eligible children in more than 200 private child care centers in South Carolina. The new scholarship program, called "First Steps 4K Siblings", will extend free child care and after-school scholarships to any sibling, age 0-12, of an enrolled student.

Families can apply for both First Steps 4K and First Steps 4K Siblings at free4ksc.org.

Sibling scholarships can be applied toward enrollment at any licensed child care center that participates in ABC Quality, the state's voluntary quality rating and improvement system. 

First Steps 4K currently serves 2,209 children in 211 centers across 40 counties. Based on these enrollment numbers, First Steps estimates that more than 1,300 families will benefit from the new scholarship program during the 2021-2022 academic year. Scholarships will go into effect starting August 16, 2021.

"This is a transformative opportunity for families," said Georgia Mjartan, executive director of SC First Steps. "With First Steps 4K Siblings, parents will be able to fully return to work or school, knowing that all of their children are learning and growing in a safe, nurturing environment."