Special Needs & Early Intervention

Recognizing autism in young children can be overwhelming but knowing the signs and where to turn for help can make a life-changing difference. South Carolina offers many supportive services to help you along the way.

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Fine motor skills are essential for a child’s academic success, independence, and coordination. Activities like playing with playdough, arts and crafts, buttoning, using tweezers, building with blocks, gardening, and cooking help strengthen hand muscles and dexterity. Encouraging these activities supports skill development for everyday tasks and school activities.

Health & Safety

Emergencies like fires and natural disasters can happen without warning. For families in South Carolina with children who have disabilities, having a well-thought-out emergency plan is crucial. This article highlights the importance of such planning and offers practical tips to ensure your family’s safety during unexpected events.

Health & Safety

Good brushing habits and regular dental visits help keep your child’s teeth strong and healthy. Learn why daily care prevents cavities, builds lifelong habits, and supports overall health. Simple tips can help protect your child’s smile and set them up for a lifetime of good oral hygiene!

Parenting & Family Support

Potty training is a significant step for both parents and children, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By watching for signs of readiness, being patient, and using positive reinforcement, you can help your child navigate this important milestone with confidence.

Parenting & Family Support

Discover fun, educational indoor activities for kids on cold days using South Carolina’s public resources, from virtual story times to DIY science and art projects.

Parenting & Family Support

Looking for fun and enriching things to do with your children this holiday season? Holiday activities can foster creativity, curiosity, and family bonding, whether it’s exploring nature or enjoying festive parades. These events combine holiday excitement with developmental benefits, making them perfect for creating lasting memories with your little ones.

Parenting & Family Support

Did you know that talking to your baby, toddler, or young child is one of the most powerful ways to help them grow? Everyday conversations not only build their vocabulary but also teach them how to express emotions and connect with others.

Health & Safety

A living room can look like the perfect place to relax—until you set a curious toddler down on the floor. In just minutes, an active child can reveal more hazards than you ever imagined. That’s where childproofing can come to the rescue. Taking steps to remove risks around your home can prevent injuries, important as children become mobile—around the 6-month mark.

Food & Nutrition

Don't make mealtime a struggle. These easy tips and tricks for setting a good example to making food fun help families discover simple ways to make healthy eating exciting for your family.

Food & Nutrition

WIC provides monthly benefits for buying nutritious foods, breastfeeding support and guidance to improve participants’ health and nutrition.

Parenting & Family Support

Parents who have a child with a disability may want to learn more about Supplemental Security Income , also called SSI. SSI is a federal program that provides monthly payments to children and adults who have a significant physical or mental disability and little or no income and resources.

Health & Safety

Janice is going back to work after maternity leave. She’d like to express and store her breast milk for her baby, so her husband, mother, and child care provider can all feed the baby breast milk when she’s not there. Like a lot of new moms, she has questions about how to make sure she’s storing breast milk so it’s safe for her little one to drink.

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Are you a parent who’ll be sending your first child to school? Or maybe you know a parent who isn’t sure about what to do or when to get started. Answers to these frequently asked questions can help, no matter where you live in South Carolina.

Parenting & Family Support

Any sign of sickness or injury in a child can make you worry, especially if you’re a first-time parent or caregiver. You don’t want to overreact. But even more critical, you want to be sure your child gets the care they need. Here’s some good news: Not every health-related issue needs emergency action, and it’s likely you’ll only need to reach out to your child’s pediatrician for advice.

Child Care & Early Education

Not long after their first birthday, most children will start to make marks with a fat crayon or pencil on paper. This is a child’s first step in learning handwriting, an essential skill that promotes better reading and readiness for school. 

Food & Nutrition

It’s always wise to talk to a pediatrician about your child’s reactions to foods, how best to introduce foods, and your specific concerns. With more information about food allergies, you can make better choices that reduce fear, avoid serious risks, and help children tolerate food better.

Parenting & Family Support

Sleep is essential to development from the moment a child is born. Sleep behaviors and patterns shift significantly in a child’s first year, so it’s important for parents to be aware of their baby’s changing needs.

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Ready for kindergarten is more than being the right age by the right date. Years of study have shown that when children enter kindergarten with certain abilities, they are better ready to learn. Starting off well in kindergarten helps children be more successful through their years in school.

Parenting & Family Support

Parents are told all the time that helping children read is one of the most important things they can do for their child’s education. But how does a new parent with a baby or a parent with a toddler who won’t sit still use this advice?

Food & Nutrition

Being able to provide enough healthy food for children is a concern for many families, so if you’re struggling to put food on your family’s table, you’re not alone.

Child Care & Early Education

Many parents with young children face a tough choice. A job or more education can bring in more money to the household. But to go to work, classes, or job training means paying for child care, an extra expense that may be hard to afford.

Special Needs & Early Intervention

While every child develops at their own pace, a parent will often recognize when their child needs extra help, if they know how to look. See how answering some key questions can guide parents, teachers and health care providers to understand and meet a child’s unique needs.

Health & Safety

Teaching young children water safety can help make water play more enjoyable for all.

Health & Safety

Using car seats has dramatically reduced harm to children involved in crashes. Many parents—especially new ones—have questions about how to choose the right car seat and what type of seat to use as children grow.

Child Care & Early Education

The right child care fit for your family may depend on a lot of factors, including the age and needs of the child, what’s available in your area, and the type of care you feel most comfortable with.

Food & Nutrition

A lot of us grew up with the food pyramid. Its wide base represented the foods we should eat in the largest amounts. The pointed top showed foods we should eat less of.