First Steps 4K provides a quality pre-K experience for your four-year-old, plus child care for the whole family. With First Steps 4K, your child can attend a free full-day four-year-old kindergarten program at one of over 250 locations in South Carolina. Options include licensed child care centers, charter schools, and private schools. First Steps 4K also qualifies your family for child care scholarships through the SC Working Families Child Care Scholarship. These scholarships cover extended care for your 4K student, as well as child care and afterschool programs for siblings up to age 12, at any child care or after-school program in the ABC Quality program. To apply, first complete the First Steps 4K application. You'll receive the scholarship application after your First Steps 4K application is approved. First Steps 4K is part of South Carolina's state-funded Child Early Reading Development and Education Program (CERDEP).

Click here to complete your online application for the 2026-2027 school year.

Click here to complete your online application for the 2025-2026 school year.

For more information, please visit the SC First Steps website.

Head Start is a federally-funded program that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and parent-family-community engagement services to low-income children and their families. Head Start centers are operated by non-federal entities across the state. Many Head Start programs offer traditional school-day programs. Extended-day programs may be available in your area. Transportation is not a universal offer, so please check with your local Head Start programs regarding availability of transportation.

Public School 4K is funded from federal, state and local sources with varying eligibility criteria. These educational programs housed in elementary schools as well as early childhood development centers include full-day, half-day and summer options. Public schools offer bus transportation.

NOTICE: The pause on accepting child care applications through the Child Care Scholarship Program will affect applications submitted for child care effective 12/01/2025 forward with the exception of applicants that fall within a protected category. The protected categories are families with open TANF cases, those transitioning off of TANF, 4K Plus Siblings, all child welfare cases, families that are in domestic violence situations, families experiencing homelessness, Head Start, and families with children with documented special needs.