FREE SC First Steps 4K

Ensure your child is prepared for school with this FREE program! 

Want to ensure your child is ready for kindergarten? Enroll in First Steps 4K!

What is First Steps 4K?

First Steps 4K is a FREE high-quality, full-day, four-year-old kindergarten open to qualifying children in South Carolina.

The goal of the First Steps 4K program is to help prepare children for success in kindergarten and beyond. The program emphasizes:

  • School readiness
  • Brain development
  • Strengthening families
  • Lifelong benefits of early childhood

What is the Program Length?

  • First Steps 4K provides a full 8-hour instructional day, 5 days a week, throughout the year.
  • Demand often exceeds our available classroom space, so we encourage families to enroll early to secure their slot.

Who is Eligible for First Steps 4K?

  • Children eligible for Medicaid, free/reduced-price lunch, or SNAP/TANF 
  • Experiencing homelessness or transiency
  • In foster care
  • Child must be 4 years of age on or before September 1 of that school year
  • Must be a South Carolina resident

How Do I Enroll in First Steps 4K?

The following is required by First Steps 4K to register your child:

  • Child’s birth certificate.
  • Proof of South Carolina residency (current SC driver’s license, state-issued ID, current utility bill, or signed rental/mortgage agreement).
  • Income verification (child’s Medicaid card or letter of eligibility, family SNAP card, or household income documents).

To learn more, and to apply online, visit: www.scfirststeps.org.

Pre-K classes are filled on a first-come basis. Call or email us to reserve your spot today!

Contact a School Near You

Find a Sunshine House Near You!

Contact a school today to reserve your child’s spot in our FREE First Steps 4K program!