Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership
Richland County First Steps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, established in 1999 by South Carolina legislation, that delivers free early-childhood education programs — including Home Visitation, Early Head Start Child Care, and Parents as Teachers — to Richland County, SC families with children ages 0–5.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersColumbia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership does
Richland County First Steps to School Readiness Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in June 1999 by the South Carolina General Assembly as one of 46 county-level partnerships within the statewide SC First Steps to School Readiness initiative. Headquartered at 1800 St Julian Place Suite 406 in Columbia, SC, the organization delivers free early-childhood education and family support services to Richland County families with children ages 0–5. Its core programs are Home Visitation (weekly in-home support), Early Head Start Child Care (full-time care for infants and toddlers), and Parents as Teachers (an evidence-based home-visiting curriculum), supplemented by the ExCEL technical assistance program for childcare providers, the Step Up to School Readiness monthly educational spotlight, and Richie's School Readiness Campaign.
Underlying technology consists of nationally recognized, evidence-based early-childhood curricula aligned with SC Early Learning Standards, delivered by credentialed staff (including Montessori-trained educators, early interventionists, and specialists in early childhood special needs). No proprietary software platform is described; service delivery is human-mediated via in-home visits and two physical Early Head Start center locations operated in partnership with Virginia Wingard United Methodist Church and Ridgewood Missionary Baptist Church.
The organization is funded through a portfolio of grants rather than service fees: a federal Head Start grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Grant #04CH012515), Community Development Block Grant funding administered through HUD for facility improvements, state allocations from the SC General Assembly, and charitable donations via the Midlands Gives platform. Since inception, the organization reports leveraging $24,848,826 from non-state sources — equivalent to $3.17 for every state dollar invested. A 2019 USC evaluation found participating children were 74% more likely to score at the highest level on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment and 34% less likely to be chronically absent. Elizabeth Kabalka became Executive Director in April 2025.
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership
- Legal name
- Richland County First Steps to School Readiness Partnership
- Website
- https://richlandfirststeps.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Richland County First Steps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, established in 1999 by South Carolina legislation, that delivers free early-childhood education programs — including Home Visitation, Early Head Start Child Care, and Parents as Teachers — to Richland County, SC families with children ages 0–5.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Education Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244), Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH), Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK), Mental Health & Infant/Early Childhood Consultation (0–5) (EDACAFAO)
Keywords
Where Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Federal Head Start Grant: Grant funding from the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Grant Number 04CH012515).
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG): Federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant Program for facility improvements at child care facilities.
- State Funding: State allocation from the SC General Assembly. The organization has leveraged $24,848,826 from sources outside of state government since inception.
- Donations: Charitable donations through Midlands Gives platform and direct donations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free programs for eligible Richland County families |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Richland County First Steps provides free early childhood education and school readiness programs for Richland County, South Carolina families with children ages 0-5. Core service lines include Home Visitation (weekly in-home parent support), Early Head Start Childcare (full-time care for infants and toddlers at two centers), and Parents as Teachers (evidence-based parent education). Supporting offerings include ExCEL technical assistance to childcare providers and the Richie's School Readiness awareness campaign.
Product overview
Richland County First Steps is a nonprofit early childhood education organization offering a portfolio of programs focused on preparing children ages 0-5 for school readiness. The core service offerings include Early Head Start Child Care (full-time care for infants and toddlers), Home Visitation (weekly in-home family support), and Parents as Teachers (evidence-based parent education). Supporting these are the Excellence in Care and Early Learning (ExCEL) technical assistance program for childcare providers and the Step Up to School Readiness monthly educational spotlight initiative. The organization also operates Richie's School Readiness Campaign as a community awareness vehicle. All programs are developed in accordance with nationally-recognized, evidence-based models.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Early Head Start Child Care Full-time, high-quality child care program for infants and toddlers that promotes brain development, health, and social-emotional growth. Delivered free of charge to eligible Richland County families through the federal Early Head Start framework.
- Home Visitation Weekly, in-home support program that empowers parents with tools to foster development, strengthen relationships, and detect potential delays early. Targeted at Richland County families with children ages 0-5.
- Parents as Teachers A research-based program that equips families with knowledge and guidance to raise healthy, safe, and school-ready children starting from birth. Provided free to Richland County families.
- Richie's School Readiness Campaign A school readiness initiative promoting early childhood development and preparation for kindergarten through educational resources and community engagement activities.
- Excellence in Care and Early Learning (ExCEL) Technical assistance program providing guidance to classrooms on school readiness goals and helping children progress toward educational objectives. Targeted at childcare providers and educators across Richland County.
- Step Up to School Readiness Monthly spotlight program highlighting specific school readiness goals from SC Early Learning Standards, providing activities and resources for classrooms, families, and child care providers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Children receiving services were 74% more likely to score at highest level on Kindergarten Readiness Assessment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SC First Steps to School ReadinesscoreState-level initiative established by SC General Assembly in 1999. Richland County First Steps is one of 46 county-level partnerships in the statewide network, working across agency lines to develop strategies addressing community issues that impact children's school readiness.
- South Carolina Department of Mental HealthcoreBoard Chair Tracy Richardson serves as Director of Transition Programs. Partnership supports mental health and developmental services for children and families.
- School District Five of Lexington & Richland CountiescoreVice Chair Julius Scott serves as Community Support Services Coordinator. Partnership focuses on school readiness and transition support.
- Richland School District TwocoreBoard member Quinne Evans serves as Director of Center for Child Development. Partnership supports early childhood education coordination.
- Richland One School DistrictcoreBoard member Dr. Cassandra Legette serves as Thrive Richland Coordinator. Partnership supports school readiness initiatives.
- South Carolina Department of Public HealthcoreBoard member Hong Campbell serves as Assistant Clinic Operations Director. Partnership supports health services coordination.
- South Carolina Department of Social ServicescoreBoard member Denetra Washington serves as Family Preservation Team Coordinator. Partnership supports family services and child welfare.
- Richland LibrarycoreBoard member Diana Keane serves as Planning and Projects Director. Partnership provides literacy resources and family programming.
- Children's Trust of South CarolinacorePartnership for child abuse prevention awareness and family strengthening resources. Collaborated on Start Off STRONG community event.
- SC WIC (Women, Infants and Children)minorParticipated in Start Off STRONG community resource fair to connect families with nutrition and health resources.
- Virginia Wingard United Methodist ChurchcoreEarly Head Start childcare center location receiving CDBG-funded facility improvements including window replacements, security features, and accessibility upgrades.
- Ridgewood Missionary Baptist ChurchcoreEarly Head Start childcare center location (Ridgewood) receiving CDBG-funded facility improvements including window replacements, security features, and accessibility upgrades.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Head Start Association: National membership organization supporting all Head Start and Early Head Start grantees including Richland First Steps; sets program standards and advocates for federal Head Start funding that underpins the organization's core operations.
- Save the Children (US Programs): Large national NGO operating evidence-based early childhood and home-visiting programs (including Early Head Start partnerships) targeting low-income children ages 0–5 — comparable mission, similar evidence-based model adoption, much larger scale.
- Parents as Teachers: National home-visiting evidence-based model whose curriculum and training infrastructure Richland First Steps licenses to deliver its Parents as Teachers program; comparable in mission of early childhood parent education.
Regional players
- Richland Library: Local public library system partnering with Richland First Steps on literacy and family programming (board member Diana Keane); comparable as a Richland County community-based family resource provider with overlapping early-literacy service offerings.
Direct peers
- Smart Start of North Carolina: North Carolina's statewide public-private early childhood initiative; structurally analogous to SC First Steps as a legislatively created, county-network-based ECD partnership delivering home visiting, child care quality, and parent education services.
- Children's Trust of South Carolina: South Carolina statewide child-abuse prevention and family-strengthening nonprofit that is an active partner of Richland First Steps (co-hosted Start Off STRONG); comparable as a SC-focused child/family services nonprofit operating on state and private funding.
- South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness: Statewide coordinating entity of which Richland County First Steps is one of 46 county-level partnerships; operates the same legislative mandate, program models (Parents as Teachers, Early Head Start), and funding relationships at the state level.
- United Way of the Midlands: Regional United Way affiliate co-located in the same Columbia office building as Richland First Steps and supporting overlapping early-childhood and family-stability initiatives through Midlands Gives and direct grants.
- Greenville First Steps: A sibling county-level First Steps partnership in the same statewide SC network, delivering the same portfolio of Early Head Start, home visitation, and Parents as Teachers programs to Greenville County families.
Others
- South Carolina Department of Social Services: State child welfare agency with overlapping family-support and early-childhood protective services mandates; a board partner of Richland First Steps (board member Denetra Washington) and a likely referral source into its programs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership social profiles
Digital presenceRichland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership
What does Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership do?
Richland County First Steps provides free early childhood education and school readiness programs for Richland County, South Carolina families with children ages 0-5. Core service lines include Home Visitation (weekly in-home parent support), Early Head Start Childcare (full-time care for infants and toddlers at two centers), and Parents as Teachers (evidence-based parent education). Supporting offerings include ExCEL technical assistance to childcare providers and the Richie's School Readiness awareness campaign.
Is Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership a public or private company?
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership founded?
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership based?
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership is headquartered in Columbia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Federal Head Start Grant is the primary driver. The others are community Development Block Grant (CDBG), state Funding and donations.
Who are Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Head Start Association, Save the Children (US Programs) and Parents as Teachers. Richland Library is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Smart Start of North Carolina, Children's Trust of South Carolina, South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness, United Way of the Midlands and Greenville First Steps. South Carolina Department of Social Services is listed as an others.
Does Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership have an API?
No public API is recorded for Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership.
What industry is Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership in?
Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership's product category is Early Childhood Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAA, Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDACAGAH, Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs. Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8300.