Upcoming Events

Dillon County First Steps is offering child care training to all child care providers. There is a nominal fee for trainings. Registration is required one week prior to each event. Click here to register for the event. Sessions will open 30 minutes prior to the scheduled time. No late entries allowed. For more information, call (843) 774-0061.

Training Title & DateSession Description & HoursTrainer
Bloodborne Pathogens for Child Care
Saturday, January 21, 2023 
(9am – 10am)
(1.0 Health & Safety) This workshop is a requirement based on OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). It will provide an overview of a BBP Exposure Control Plan and teach how bloodborne pathogens are spread, how to avoid exposure and what to do if exposed to infectious material. After taking the workshop, participants will complete a short assessment that will fulfil their obligation of BBP annual training.

Registration Fee: $5.00
Registration Deadline: January 14, 2023
Dr. Anita Kieslich
Health & Safety Practices in the Child Care Setting
Saturday, January 21, 2023 
10:15 am – 11:45 am
(1.5 Health & Safety) This workshop offers the basics in health and safety practices in the classroom and playground. Participants will examine their role in identifying how illness is spread and suggestions for preventing or reducing illness in the classroom.  In addition, they will review their role in reducing injury on playground equipment, such as swings, slides, horizontal ladders and bars, and climbing structures. 

Registration Fee: $7.50
Registration Deadline: January 14, 2023
Dr. Anita Kieslich
Brain Studies and Learning
Saturday, January 21, 2023
(12:15 pm – 2:45 pm)
(2.5 Growth & Development) The study of children has changed over the years and the new research s is brain studies. In this workshop, participants will learn the importance of brain growth and how the wiring of the brain affects learning. Heredity and environment play essential roles in learning and specific windows of opportunity give teachers the best times for learning certain skills. Teachers will understand how to prepare children in a knowledge-based economy.

Registration Fee: $12.50
Registration Deadline: January 14, 2023
Dr. Anita Kieslich
Enhancing Curriculum with Props and Other Activities
Saturday, February 25, 2023 
(9am – 11:30am)
(2.5 Curriculum) There is evidence that props support meaningful play and learning experiences. Participants will receive an overview of the different types of props, such as prop boxes, file folder props, storytelling props, and fingerplay props. They will examine how to use props in their classroom, their benefits, and will have the opportunity to create a prop for in their early learning setting. 

Registration Fee: $12.50
Registration Deadline: February 17, 2023
Dr. Anita Kieslich
Motor Growth and Development of Toddlers
Saturday, February 25, 2023 
(12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
(2.5 Growth and Development) Children grow and develop rapidly in their first five years across the four main areas of development. These areas are motor (physical), communication and language, cognitive, and social and emotional. This workshop will concentrate on the physical growth and motor development of toddlers (12 months -3 years). A child’s motor development falls into two categories: fine motor and gross motor. Participants will have a better understanding of the difference between large muscle and fine muscle development.  As a result of understanding physical structure and physical development, participants will be able incorporate the SC Early Learning Standards and motor milestones to create experiences for enhancing toddler motor skills.

Registration Fee: $12.50
Registration Deadline: February 17, 2023
Dr. Anita Kieslich
Physical Fitness Through Movement and Activity
Saturday, March 4, 2023 
(9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
(2.5 Curriculum)
This workshop examines the benefits for physical movement and emphasizes the need for moderate and vigorous movement in daily specific times. Participants will be offered a list of physical activities that can be integrated with routines and all aspects of the classroom. They will then join in with games, dances, or activities that provide active movement.

Registration Fee: $12.50
Registration Deadline: February 24, 2023
Dr. Anita Kieslich
Using Learning Centers In the Curriculum
Saturday, March 4, 2023 
(12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
(2.5 Curriculum) Children are all affected by their environment. Their physical surroundings affect how they feel, how comfortable they are, and how they relate to others. This workshop provides information on the importance of learning centers in early childhood classes and how the centers are linked to children’s learning.  
Using a hands-on approach participants will review the steps in setting up learning centers and receive descriptions of nine centers and their benefits to early childhood learning. Participants will have the opportunity to develop a center using the information provided. 

Registration Fee: $12.50
Registration Deadline: February 24, 2023
Dr. Anita Kieslich
Program Management: SC Child Care Standards
Saturday, March 18 (9am – 11:30am)
(2.5 Program Administration)

Description:The purpose of childcare regulations is to establish that protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of children receiving care in the facility. Staff: Child rations and well-trained consistent caregivers are critical factors in childcare. States with higher quality standards in their regulations report better outcomes for children. This workshop provides directors some strategies and games to use in providing training to staff on the SC Child Care regulations/standards while reviewing the standards themselves. Although concentrating on childcare center standards, most information benefits all types of providers for best practices and strategies in making training enjoyable and useful. Directors will be able to replicate this workshop when training staff.

Registration Fee: $12.50
Registration Deadline: March 10, 2023
Dr. Anita Kieslich
Program Management: Recordkeeping
Saturday, March 18 (12pm – 2:30pm)
(2.5 Program Administration)
Description: No matter how good your childcare program is, your business will fail if you’re not bringing in as much money as you’re spending or not utilizing an effective recordkeeping system. This
workshop is twofold; participants will review the importance of having specific forms for an effective program recordkeeping system and the need for an efficient financial recordkeeping system.

Registration Fee: $12.50
Registration Deadline: March 10, 2023
Dr. Anita Kieslich
We Are What We Eat or Do Not Eat!
Saturday, March 25, 2023 
(9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m)
(1.0 Nutrition)

Description: In this session we will look at what healthy meals and meal habits should be in the life of a preschooler. We Will look at food that are healthy versus those that can be unhealthy. We Will also look at some of the side effects of unhealthy nutrition in children.

Registration Fee: $5.00
Registration Deadline: March 17, 2023
Dr. Ja-Novice Greene-Richardson