Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership

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.

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

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

• Early childhood education
• School readiness programs
• Home visitation services
• Early head start childcare
• Family support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. State Funding: State allocation from the SC General Assembly. The organization has leveraged $24,848,826 from sources outside of state government since inception.
4. Donations: Charitable donations through Midlands Gives platform and direct donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SC First Steps to School ReadinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999State-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 HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard 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 CountiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVice Chair Julius Scott serves as Community Support Services Coordinator. Partnership focuses on school readiness and transition support.
• Richland School District TwocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Quinne Evans serves as Director of Center for Child Development. Partnership supports early childhood education coordination.
• Richland One School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Dr. Cassandra Legette serves as Thrive Richland Coordinator. Partnership supports school readiness initiatives.
• South Carolina Department of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Hong Campbell serves as Assistant Clinic Operations Director. Partnership supports health services coordination.
• South Carolina Department of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Denetra Washington serves as Family Preservation Team Coordinator. Partnership supports family services and child welfare.
• Richland LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Diana Keane serves as Planning and Projects Director. Partnership provides literacy resources and family programming.
• Children's Trust of South CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for child abuse prevention awareness and family strengthening resources. Collaborated on Start Off STRONG community event.
• SC WIC (Women, Infants and Children)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in Start Off STRONG community resource fair to connect families with nutrition and health resources.
• Virginia Wingard United Methodist ChurchcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEarly Head Start childcare center location receiving CDBG-funded facility improvements including window replacements, security features, and accessibility upgrades.
• Ridgewood Missionary Baptist ChurchcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEarly 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

Broad 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

• Xtwitter.com/rcfirststeps
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC69veiiAx2Y0ga_O3hOH56Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/RCFirstSteps
• Instagraminstagram.com/rcfirststeps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richland-county-first-steps

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Richland County First Steps To School Readiness Partnership