Young children are inherently nonpartisan. When they hear the word “party” they aren’t thinking of Republicans or Democrats; they just want to know if there will be ice cream with the cake. They may favor red or blue, but they are usually referring to Lego® blocks not voting blocs. So why is it that so many decisions impacting their well-being are made along party lines? It doesn’t matter to us which party holds the leadership in the Legislature or resides at the Governor’s Mansion, Richland County First Steps and our fellow county partnerships around the state will continue to maximize our resources by working cooperatively with others to improve outcomes for young children.
We stand in partnership with our fellow advocates from United Way, Children’s Trust, the Institute for Child Success and others in helping to develop and endorse South Carolina’s Early Childhood Common Agenda. Its basic tenets of accountability, support for strong care-giving relationships, and focused investment on what yields proven results are things that we think all of our elected officials should join us in endorsing. The agenda’s recommendations show how we can build a path out of poverty for many children, and by so doing allow the next generation to lead us into greater prosperity for our state.
Download South Carolina’s Early Childhood Common Agenda
More on the release of the report and the coalition who drafted it
You can help. Contact your state elected officials and tell them to endorse the Common Agenda and act on its recommendations starting this legislative session.
More on the response to the release of SC’s Early Childhood Common Agenda | Post and Courier
