About Us

Learn about our mission, values, and who we are. Meet our Board Members, who are crucial to our success, along with the Dorchester County First Steps staff!

Mission

Collaborating with other entities, Dorchester County First Steps helps families and caregivers in our county prepare their children for school success by maximizing public and private community resources to deliver, enhance and expand high- quality early childhood services.

Values

The years of early childhood are a critical window of development during which much of human potential is shaped.
Families are the single most important influence on the development of their young children.
The work of supporting families and caregivers is a collaborative effort between state and local stakeholders within the public, private and faith sectors.
School readiness is the result of a child’s development in many areas, with each contributing to the child’s success.
Services must be individualized and adaptable to meet the unique needs of children and families.
We value, and demonstrate in our collaborative work and advocacy, diverse perspectives in the development of public policy and programs.
To achieve desired results, services must be high-quality and grounded in strong evidence. First Steps operates within a culture of accountability.

Meet the Board

Name	Position	Board Category
Trimeka Johnson	Chair	Parent of a Child (Birth – 5)
Tracy Jackson	Title One Coordinator	DD4 School Representative
Ronda Simmons	Little Fish Academy	Child Care Director
Teresa Kelly	Parenting Coordinator	DD2 School Representative
Kathy Sanders	Dorchester County Library St. George	Library Appointed
Crystal Rouse	A. Philip Randolph Institute Greater Charleston	Community
Travis Schaffer	Family, Advocacy, Mediation, Intervention Services	Business Community/ Technology
Almarie Scroggins	Secretary	Faith Based
Lisa Hart	Vice Chair	Community
Sharon Bennett	DHEC	Health Community Appointed
Elenora Brown	High School Nurse	Community