South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees

“Internal finance staff provide all necessary financial data to the contracted accounting firm that prepares the form 990. Once completed, the form 990 first undergoes an internal review by the agency director and senior managers. The finance and administration committee of the south carolina first steps to school readiness board of trustees will then receive the form 990 for its approval. The chair of the finance and administration committee will report the committees approval of the form 990 to the full board of trustees. The board of trustees will then approve the form 990 through their consent agenda process.”

“There is an annual requirement for officers, directors, trustees, and key employees to report any potential conflicts of interest.”

“The finance and administrative committee shall work with the office of first steps on budgetary, fiscal, staffing, and compensation matters, to include the development of the annual office of first steps administrative and program budgets, and an annual performance review of the executive director-all subject to approval by the board. Officers and employees will be paid reasonable compensation, which compensation shall be determined by the committee as follows: (i) the committee determining compensation shall be composed of persons who are unrelated to and not subject to the control of the person whose compensation is being determined; (ii) the committee determining compensation shall contemporaneously obtain and rely upon appropriate data as to the comparability of the compensation package; and (iii) there shall be adequate documentation for the basis of this determination.”

“Same as process described above”

“All records (policies, governing documents, financial statements, and copies of annual form 990) are maintained in the office of first steps and in compliance with the freedom of information act. In addition, the first steps enabling legislation, operations manual, and annual reports are maintained on the agency website.”

“Per south carolina code section 59-152-30: "the goals for south carolina first steps to school readiness are to: (1) provide parents with access to the support they might seek and want to strengthen their families and to promote the optimal development of their preschool children; (2) increase comprehensive services so children have reduced risk for major physical, developmental, and learning problems; (3) promote high-quality preschool programs that provide a healthy environment that will promote normal growth and development; (4) provide 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 succeed; and (5) 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 succeed."”