Scope: South Carolina First Steps (SCFS) is the state’s comprehensive early childhood initiative, dedicated to ensuring children are ready for school and life success. SCFS fulfills this mission through three primary functions:
• Local Partnerships: SCFS delivers direct services through a statewide network of 46 county-level affiliates, known as local partnerships. These partnerships support parents and caregivers, improve child health and development, enhance childcare quality, and prepare young children for school.
• First Steps 4K: SCFS administers First Steps 4K, part of South Carolina’s publicly funded four-year-old kindergarten program (CERDEP). First Steps 4K provides high-quality, full-day pre-kindergarten to eligible children in non-public school settings by partnering with over 300 childcare centers, private schools, and charter schools across the state.
• Early Childhood Advisory Council: SCFS provides staffing and administrative support to the ECAC, the state’s primary collaborative body for the healthy development and education of children prenatal through age five. As part of its role in aligning and coordinating services across the early childhood system, the ECAC oversees the development and promotion of the online portals First5SC.org and PalmettoPreK.org, helping families find and apply for programs and services in their communities.
KEY CAMPAIGNS
The SCFS Communications Team plays a critical role in advancing the agency’s mission across all three areas of work— local partnerships, First Steps 4K, and the ECAC—by managing a diverse range of marketing, communications, and public engagement activities. Among these efforts are several ongoing, large-scale campaigns:
• First Steps 4K marketing: A statewide effort to increase awareness and participation in the First Steps 4K program (Free4KSC.org), targeting both families and preschool providers.
• First Five SC marketing: Promotion of the First Five SC portal (First5SC.org), which connects families to publicly funded early childhood programs and services across South Carolina, featuring an eligibility screener and unified online application.
• Palmetto Pre-K marketing: Promotion of the Palmetto Pre-K portal (PalmettoPreK.org), which helps families navigate the state’s publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs with an eligibility screener and provider search tool.
• Countdown to Kindergarten: A annual statewide initiative designed to promote kindergarten readiness and support families with rising kindergartners for a smooth transition into school. The initiative includes community-based programming and events, a public awareness campaign, and a dedicated website (CountdownSC.org).
Ad Hoc Tasks
SCFS reserves the right to expand tasks as budget allows. Additional ad hoc tasks that fall within the scope of services requested in this solicitation, but which are not specifically itemized above, may be added to the contract with SCFS approval, subject to budget availability and agreed-upon deliverables. These tasks may be billed at an hourly rate
Due Date: 06/11/2025 11:00 AM EST
Contact: BRYANNA MCCAIN (803)737-0983 bmccain@mmo.sc.gov
