Spartanburg County First Steps has been awarded a $153,145.00 grant by South Carolina First Steps to expand evidence-based programs for children birth through age 3 in Spartanburg’s rural areas.
Led by Executive Director Barbara Manoski, Spartanburg County First Steps is one of 17 local First Steps partnerships to receive the award.
“Spartanburg First Steps is so excited to partner with the Upstate Family Resource Center,” said Manoski. “This grant will help to expand the PASOS program in our communities. PASOS is instrumental in helping our Latino communities help their youngest learners get ready for school.”
This opportunity is a result of the South Carolina General Assembly’s historic investment in the state’s young children, allocating $3 million in recurring funds to be awarded to local First Steps partnerships like Spartanburg First Steps. READY funds have enabled First Steps to expand evidence-based parenting programs, increase the quality of child care, and address pressing workforce and infrastructure challenges across the state.
“Local First Steps partnerships have a proven record of effectively addressing the needs of young children and their families,” said Derek Cromwell, SC First Steps’ Chief Partnership Officer. “We are incredibly grateful for the General Assembly’s trust in SC First Steps and their remarkable commitment to South Carolina’s young children. With a partnership in each county, our unique structure enables us to distribute these public dollars to the local leaders who know their community best.”
“Spartanburg is experiencing rapid growth and the number of children needing our services has grown dramatically,” Manoski said. “The increase in support from the SC General Assembly is key in helping us close existing gaps and reach more children.”
Barbara Manoski has led Spartanburg First Steps for 5 years, each year having developed a deeper community connection and increased support from funding partners.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to reach out to Spartanburg First Steps to see how READY funds can benefit their family or visit First5sc.org to complete an online application for publicly funded programs Spartanburg County.