Countdown to Kindergarten is a home visitation program pairing the families of high-risk rising kindergartners with their future teachers during the summer before school entry. Teachers complete six visits with each family, centered upon classroom and content expectations.

Reach Out and Read promotes daily reading and provides other engaging language-rich activities for young children. Reading together promotes healthy brain development, furthers language acquisition, and helps families build meaningful bonds.

Recognizing that a parent is a child’s first and most important teacher, Newberry County First Steps provides parenting programs that promote child health, wellbeing, and learning. Services are free and provided at levels that meet the family’s needs, from group and peer support to in-home coaching and home visiting. 

High-quality child care hinges on high-quality professional development that meets the needs of the local child care workforce.