South Carolina, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 44 percent (225,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200 percent FPL (2022). This number represents a decrease from 50 percent (261,000) in 2017.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Growing
South Carolina’s fiscal 2026 budget became effective in June 2025 following eleven line-item vetoes by the governor. The total state budget, authorized by the fiscal 2026 appropriation act, is $39.2 billion, a decrease of 2.7 percent, or $1.1 billion, compared to fiscal 2025. This decrease includes a downward adjustment to federal funds of $1.1 billion. The general fund portion is $13.2 billion, an increase of 6.7 percent, or $825.8 million, over fiscal 2025. The May 2025 revenue forecast for fiscal 2026 is $13.7 billion in net general fund revenues, an increase of 0.23 percent over fiscal 2025. The General Reserve Fund, or rainy day fund, was required to be 6.0 percent of the general fund revenues of the most recently completed fiscal year for fiscal 2025; the formula was fully funded for fiscal 2025 at $739.6 million.3
Key Revenue Sources (after federal transfers):4
South Carolina uses all major state and local taxes. Charges are public payments connected with a specific government service, such as tuition paid to a state university, payments to a public hospital, or highway tolls.
State Budget Rules:4
South Carolina uses an annual budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget and it is prohibited from carrying a deficit over into the following year. South Carolina further limits spending with a budget rule based on personal income growth. The rule requires a special vote to override the limit. South Carolina also limits authorized debt and debt service.
South Carolina is the only state that provides funding for early care and education from dedicated sales tax revenue. In 1984, the state instituted a 1 percent sales tax to improve the state’s education programs. A portion of these funds now go toward improving the school readiness of at-risk four-year-olds by providing free early care and education. In 2021, the state dedicated over $50 million from sales tax funds to expand pre-K services.
Political Alignment: Aligned Republican
During the legislative session, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Republican.6
Types of Ballot Measures Available:7 One
Key State Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:8
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:9
Our lead ally in South Carolina, South Carolina First Steps (First Steps), is the statewide initiative for school readiness. It operates as both a state agency and a nonprofit organization, with a network of 46 subsidiary nonprofit partnerships. These local partnerships leverage state funding to fill gaps in services, connect children and families to services, convene local stakeholders around the needs of young children, and support state school readiness priorities. The First Steps state office also administers the state’s mixed delivery, full-day 4K program in private settings.
South Carolina First Steps is working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
Preschool and Pre-K
Early Intervention 0-3
Infant and Child Health
Maternal Health
Home Visiting
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Data systems
Early Childhood Governance
Your Voice Matters, South Carolina’s centralized community feedback initiative, is showing impressive family response rates, shaping policies, and engaging and educating state legislators on the impact of supporting early childhood programs and services.
NOTES:
1 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, January, 2024.
2 National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 through 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, October 2024, NCCP analysis of ACS 5-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2018-2022.
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2025.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, June 2024.
5 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2024 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, April 29, 2024.
6 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved July, 2024.
7 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.
8 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2024; and 2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, July, 2024.
