Nearly 1 in 7 South Carolina children are assessed "not ready" for first grade.  In some communities, this statistic is as poor as 1 in 4, or greater.  Research studies repeatedly show that children who arrive unprepared for first grade's challenges have a difficult time catching up and succeeding throughout the rest of their school years.  Many of these students drop out of school or do not find fulfilling productive jobs after high school as a result of their slow start.  These children's entire lives are adversely affected by their lack of school readiness, and our quality of life overall in South Carolina  suffers as well.

• Provide parents with access to the support they might seek and want to strengthen their families & to promote the optimal development of their preschool children.
  
• Increase comprehensive services so children have reduced risk for major physical, developmental and learning problems.
  
• Promote high quality preschool programs that provide a healthy environment that will promote normal growth and development.
  
• Provides services so all children receive the protection, nutrition and health care needed to thrive in the early years of life so they arrive at school ready to learn.
  
• Mobilize communities to focus efforts on providing enhanced services to support families and their young children so as to enable every child to reach school healthy and ready to learn.