darlington county community action agency

What darlington county community action agency does

Darlington County Community Action Agency (DCCAA) is a public, non-profit community action agency headquartered in Hartsville, South Carolina, established in 1965 under the Economic Opportunity Act as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. Incorporated under South Carolina Act #314 and designated as the county's official poverty prevention agency, DCCAA is governed by a tripartite Board of Commissioners as required by the Federal CSBG Act (42 U.S.C. § 9910), with one-third public officials, at least one-third low-income community representatives, and one-third private sector representatives. The agency's mission is to promote sustainable economic self-sufficiency among low-income individuals and families in Darlington County through partnerships and programs addressing root causes of poverty.

DCCAA delivers a portfolio of federally-funded programs across six locations in Darlington County. Core offerings include Head Start/Early Head Start (two licensed centers with 14 Head Start and 2 Early Head Start classrooms in Hartsville and Darlington), Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) programming, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) with Direct Assistance awards ($200–$850) and Emergency Crisis Intervention (up to $1,000), Youth Leadership Program, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), Emergency Solutions Grant, Project Share, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Both Head Start centers hold South Carolina Department of Social Services licensing and ABC Voucher endorsement. Intake occurs through in-person visits to offices in Hartsville (central), Darlington, Lamar, and Society Hill, supplemented by an online application portal via ChildPlus.net (English and Spanish).

The business model is grant-funded with no fee-based revenue: DCCAA receives funding from the Office of Community Services and Office of Head Start within HHS Administration for Children and Families, with active grant numbers 2502SCCOSR (CSBG), 2502SCLIEA (LIHEAP), and 04CH012025 (Head Start). Executive leadership is provided by Jacquelyn James Slayton, Executive Director. The agency does not offer a proprietary technology product; its only digital tooling is the third-party ChildPlus enrollment portal and a PayPal donation channel. Geographic scope is limited to Darlington County, South Carolina, serving communities including Darlington, Hartsville, Lamar, Oates, and Society Hill.

Name

darlington county community action agency

Legal name

Darlington County Community Action Agency

Website

https://darlingtoncountycaa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Darlington County Community Action Agency is a public, non-profit community action agency in Hartsville, South Carolina, delivering federally-funded Head Start education, LIHEAP energy assistance, and CSBG community services to low-income residents across Darlington County through six office locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child Care Services (6244), Child and Youth Services (62411)

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 industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Community action services
• Early childhood education
• Energy assistance programs
• Poverty prevention services
• Social services non-profit

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Federal Grant Funding: DCCAA operates as a government-funded non-profit receiving federal grants to provide community services. Funding sources include the Office of Community Services, Office of Head Start, and Office of Economic Opportunity. Primary grants include Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and Head Start/Early Head Start funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Darlington County Community Action Agency is a public non-profit community action agency that delivers federally-funded early childhood education and anti-poverty services to low-income residents of Darlington County, South Carolina. Its core offerings include Head Start/Early Head Start childhood education programs operated at two centers with 16 classrooms, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) providing household assistance across education, employment, emergency, energy, health, housing, nutrition, and youth development domains, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) providing Direct Assistance vouchers of $200–$850 and Emergency Crisis Intervention Program awards up to $1,000. All services are provided at no cost to income-eligible participants.

Product overview

Darlington County Community Action Agency operates as a non-profit social services organization offering a portfolio of federally-funded community assistance programs. The core services include Head Start/Early Head Start (early childhood education at two centers), Community Services Block Grant (comprehensive household assistance), LIHEAP (energy assistance with Direct Assistance and Emergency Crisis Intervention components), Youth Leadership Program, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, Emergency Solutions Grant, Project Share, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. An online application portal (via ChildPlus) enables Head Start enrollment. The agency does not offer a technology product platform; all offerings are direct social service programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start/Early Head Start Program Federally-funded early childhood education program for children ages birth to five, addressing educational, emotional, social, and physical well-being, with health and nutrition services. Operated at two centers in Hartsville and Darlington.
• Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Federally-funded program providing an array of services for program-eligible households at or below 200% of Federal Poverty Income Guidelines, including education, employment, emergency, energy, health, housing, nutrition, and youth leadership services.
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Federally-funded energy assistance program providing Direct Assistance awards of $200-$850 and Emergency Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) awards up to $1,000, sent directly to energy suppliers as vouchers. Eligibility based on income at or below 60% of State Median Income.
• Youth Leadership Program (YLP) CSBG-funded local initiative designed to develop leadership skills and empower youth in the community.
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) Free tax preparation service for low-income individuals and families to help them file their taxes correctly and claim eligible credits.
• Emergency Solutions Grant Program Program funded through the Office of Economic Opportunity to prevent homelessness and revitalize communities by providing emergency assistance to qualifying individuals and families.
• Project Share Energy-related assistance program under LIHEAP funding to help eligible families with energy costs.
• Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Federal nutrition program that provides reimbursement for meals served to children and adults in day care settings.
• Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Federal program that provides free meals to children during the summer months when school is not in session.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Various community organizations and agenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDarlington County Community Action Agency's Head Start program has established collaborative partnerships with various community organizations and agencies. These partnerships have helped make existing resources more readily available to children and their families. The agency works with community partners to fulfill its mission of promoting sustainable economic self-sufficiency.
• State of South CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCCAA establishes partnerships with the State of South Carolina to accomplish its mission of alleviating causes of poverty. The agency works with state agencies for programs including Head Start licensing through South Carolina Department of Social Services and ABC Voucher program endorsement.
• Federal GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCCAA partners with federal government agencies including the Office of Community Services and Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These partnerships provide funding and programmatic oversight for CSBG, LIHEAP, and Head Start programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Community Action Partnership (national network): National membership and advocacy organization representing CAAs nationally. Comparable as the umbrella ecosystem connecting DCCAA to peers, training, and federal funders, though it does not deliver direct services itself.
• National Head Start Association: National membership organization for Head Start grantees including DCCAA. Comparable as the federal program-specific peer body, but does not deliver direct services.
• South Carolina Association of Community Action Partnerships: Statewide association of SC CAAs that provides training, coordination, and policy advocacy for member agencies including DCCAA. Directly relevant as the state-level peer network.

Direct peers

• Lee County Community Action Agency: South Carolina CAA providing Head Start, energy assistance, and community services in Lee County under the same CAA/ACF funding framework. Comparable operating model, geography, and scale.
• Orangeburg County Community Action Agency: South Carolina CAA operating Head Start and CSBG-funded community services for low-income residents of Orangeburg County. Comparable in scope, governance (tripartite board), and service breadth.
• Sumter County Community Action Agency: South Carolina CAA providing Head Start/Early Head Start, LIHEAP, and emergency assistance in Sumter County. Strong peer given similar multi-program structure and shared federal funding streams.
• Chesterfield County Community Action Agency: A neighboring South Carolina CAA delivering Head Start, LIHEAP, CSBG, and related anti-poverty services in Chesterfield County. Highly comparable because it operates under the same federal grant architecture and CAA service model in an adjacent rural SC county.
• Marion County Community Action Agency: South Carolina CAA delivering federally funded Head Start, LIHEAP, and CSBG programs in Marion County. Direct structural and functional peer given identical service mix and funding sources.

Broad incumbents

• Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD): One of the largest CAAs in the U.S., delivering Head Start, energy assistance, workforce development, and adult education across Boston. Comparable CAA model and federal funding base, but at materially larger scale and urban footprint.

Regional players

• United Way of Hartsville/Darlington: Local nonprofit addressing poverty-related needs in the same geography through fundraising and grantmaking. Comparable in mission and service population but uses a different funding and delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 darlington county community action agency