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Quality Enhancement Mini
Grants were recently awarded to
various local childcare centers
by the Bamberg County First
Steps to School Readiness
Board. Both Baby Bear Daycare
Center and First Baptist Church
Daycare Center received $1,500.
Progressive Family Life
Daycare Center received the Full
Day 4K contract at $4,018 per
student and the DSS material
and supplies grants at $7,500
for being a Level B childcare
center of excellence.
Each center will utilize
funding to purchase
developmentally appropriate
materials and supplies based on
the (ECER-R) Early Childhood
Environmental Rating Scales-Revised assessment tool.
Additionally, each program will
receive monthly technical
assistance from a South Carolina
certified Technical Assistant to
focus on the following areas of
importance: Space and
Furnishings, Personal Care
Routines, Language and
Reasoning, Activities,
Interaction, Program Structure
and Parents and Staff.
Research has shown that
quality childcare helps
determine a child’s readiness for
school. Therefore, Bamberg
County First Steps works
diligently to assist local
childcare providers maximize
and enhance the learning
environments that they provide
for the children in their care.
To date Bamberg County
First Steps has awarded
childcare mini grants to the
following centers: Baby Bear
Daycare, Doodle Bugs Daycare,
First Baptist Church Daycare
Center, Little Precious Angels
Daycare, Progressive Family
Life Daycare, Voorhees Early
Head start, and Wee Care
Daycare.
Other quality childcare
services are also provided by
Bamberg County First Steps,
including ABC Childcare
Scholarships, Childcare Center
Staff Training and Development,
Full Day 4-K, Monthly Story
Time/Family Group meetings in
the First Steps Play Center, and
the Parents as Teachers
Parenting Program. These
programs help Bamberg County
First Steps in achieving its
mission: That every child
arrives at the first grade healthy
and ready to succeed in life.
Anyone interested in
learning more about First Steps
may contact Pauletta Plowden,
Executive Director, at 803-245-
6513. |
