Giving Tuesday is upon us, and if you’re looking for an organization where your donation will make a difference, here we are!  Beaufort County First Steps is a 501 C(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.

Your donations go a long way towards helping serve children and families!  Your support helps us reach our mission that every child will arrive at Kindergarten ready to succeed.

How your support helps children in Beaufort County:

• $25 provides a young child with one book per month for one year!
• $50 feeds dinner to low-income families attending a Parenting Group Connection meeting
• $65 provides a car seat to keep children safe on the highway
• $500 helps a low-income family afford quality child care for one month

HOW TO GIVE:

• Send your tax-deductible donations to:
  Beaufort County First Steps
  P.O. Box 6421
  Beaufort, SC 29903
• OR YOU CAN VOLUNTEER!  Call us for more information: 843-379-7837

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING BEAUFORT COUNTY’S CHILDREN!

We’ve had a great week at the NAEYC Annual Conference in Nashville, TN.  We explored Nashville’s deep history of music and entertainment, while attending extremely informative and innovative sessions, and networking with our colleagues from across the country. We are excited to bring back this knowledge and implement it into our programs. Check out NAEYC’s instagram page for more highlights from the conference!

Solimar Abbott & Betty Washington

Early Child Educator Sheryl Newton, Parent Educator Lucette Brown, Community Health Worker Solimar Abbott, and Executive Director Betty Washington

Today we celebrate the hard work done every day to ensure families across South Carolina receive high quality home visits. One parent shared with us about her experience, saying, “Attending the monthly sessions helps me have a closer relationship with my kids. We learn new things I can do to better my parenting skills. The [Parents as Teachers] program has helped in everything my family has needed.” ⁣
⁣
Happy National Parents as Teachers day to all the providers and parents that work hard to make this program successful!⁣

Getting vaccinated during pregnancy can save mom and baby from life-threatening disease.  Both influenza and whooping cough can be fatal, and a newborn baby is most vulnerable during the first two months of life.

Vaccination rates among pregnant women are alarmingly low across the nation.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant women receive a flu shot at any time during their pregnancy and receive a whopping cough vaccine, also known as Tdap, early in their third trimester (more information here). Not only does it provide protection for the pregnant mother, but also, through passive immunity, the newborn will be protected. However, the rates of vaccination for both are low among pregnant women in the US.

Below is detailed info on the ready kindergartner, including necessary support networks and developmental abilities. Learn more at www.scfirststeps.org.