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    • Home
    • Our Programs
    • Our History
    • First 5 SC
    • More About First Steps
    • Anderson County Resources
    • School Readiness Tips
    • ACFS Newsletter 2025
  • Home
  • Our Programs
  • Our History
  • First 5 SC
  • More About First Steps
  • Anderson County Resources
  • School Readiness Tips
  • ACFS Newsletter 2025
Anderson County
 First Steps Partnership

Raising A Reader News

I just wanted to say thank you for running the Raising A Reader Program at Wren. My daughter is in K4 and enjoying it, and as a bonus, our younger son is benefiting as well. He is so excited each week to see what Lyla will bring home. She shows him all the books and makes up the story until my husband or I can read to them. It is so fun to witness. This is a picture from when she came home today. She went straight to the couch to read to him, and her baby sister joined in too. Thank you so much!   


Other parent quotes:

Such a cool program for the kids! They have really enjoyed it.


Exciting books that all children in our family get involved in equals more encouraged readers! Really has helped our family stay bookworms!


My daughter's confidence has grown so much! She even read a book out loud to her classmates, which made me incredibly proud. Seeing her develop a love for reading has meant everything to me, and I truly believe the Raising a Reader Program played a big role in that journey. 

September, 2026

ACFS Board Meeting TBD

9:15 am

-

10:15 am

Zoom

September, 2026

ACFS Board Meeting TBD

9:15 am

-

10:15 am

Zoom

     

See information from your local district to enroll your child in 4K or Kindergarten for the fall.


  • District One

 864-847-7344


  • District Two 

864-369-7364


  • District Three 

864-348-6196


  • District Four

 864-403-2000


  • District Five 

864-260-5000 


And for parents interested in Adult Education Programs:

Anderson Adult Education

 Districts 1, 2

   864-947-9311 


Anderson Adult Education

Districts 3,4  

 864-260-5075

  • Executive Director's Message


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  

    Message from our Board Chair 


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  

  



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