8.4 Public-Private Partnerships

Lead Agencies must demonstrate how they encourage partnerships among other public agencies, Tribal organizations, private entities, faith-based organizations, businesses, or organizations that promote business involvement, and/or community-based organizations to leverage existing service delivery (i.e., cooperative agreement among providers to pool resources to pay for shared fixed costs and operation) to leverage existing child care and early education service delivery systems and to increase the supply and quality of child care services for children younger than age 13. 8.4.1 Lead Agency public-private partnerships Identify and describe any public-private partnerships encouraged by the Lead Agency to leverage public and private resources to further the goals of CCDF: The Lead Agency has forged several public private partnerships across a unique array of audiences to include sports teams, the business community, and the medical community. The Lead Agency partners with the University of South Carolina’s Athletics to promote children’s health and wellness, the importance of a high- quality early childhood education, and to highlight the good work that child care providers do. Through our partnership we sponsor their Official Kids Club and receive year long promotion about the ABC Quality program. We are able to leverage free membership slots for the Kids Club to incentivize participation in ABCQ Club by providing a limited amount of free memberships to children attending ABCQ programs. The ABC Quality logo is branded on all t-shirts provided to the kids clubs approximated 1500 members. We also receive 70 network radio spots throughout the Athletic year and social media posts advertising ABC Quality to their 577,000 followers, as well as a web presence on the Jr. Gamecock Club website. We also host an on-site exhibit space at the Jr. Gamecock Club’s fall and spring events as well as their Spring Activation Game. Our partnership also includes a Child Care Provider Promotion, where providers who have been recognized as Child Care Heroes are honored with an on-court recognition during 3 women’s basketball games and 3 men’s basketball games. The Child Care Heroes have their story told over a PA announcement, they receive an autographed basketball, and their image and the ABC Quality logo are branded on the videoboard and LED screen during the presentation to be seen by their audience of 16,000 people on average. The child care heroes are also honored with social media recognition on the official Gamecock Athletics page. In addition, we honor other Child Care Heroes, and the children they serve with a visit from Cocky, the University of South Carolina’s mascot. The mascot travels to the child care program to recognize the child care hero and present them with an autographed basketball. The Lead Agency also has a direct partnership with the USC Women’s Basketball team and Head Coach Dawn Staley where we host an Annual Health and Fitness Game. In 2024 we celebrated the 9th Annual Health & Fitness Game, which promotes physical activity, children’s health and wellness, quality child care, and Head Start’s Fatherhood Initiative. We provide 1000 tickets to Head Start fathers and their families to attend the game. We also recognize 8 Head Start superstar fathers who participate in a t-shirt toss with their children on the court. We host several exhibit spaces to include the Lead Agency’s programs, as well as several other partner programs and agencies, where we pass out helpful information on the services our division offers. Children can receive face tattoos from the cheerleaders, and dance and take pictures with Cocky, the University of South Carolina mascot. The Lead Agency also has a partnership with the Columbia Fireflies Baseball team to promote children’s health and wellness, the importance of a high quality early childhood education, and to highlight the good work that child care providers do. Through this partnership, Child Care Heroes participating in the ABC Quality Program are also recognized at the Fireflies games, averaging an attendance of 3,575. They have their story told over a PA announcement, participate in the Ceremonial First Pitch, and their image and the ABC Quality logo are branded on the videoboard and LED screen during the presentation. These programs are also recognized on the Fireflies social media account of 50,000 followers, as well as a presence on their website. Our partnership also includes a Head Start Parent Recognition component, in which an exceptional Head Start Parent is honored with an in-stadium recognition. They have their story told over a PA announcement, participate in the Ceremonial First Pitch, receive a $50 gift card, and receive video board recognition. The partnership includes a skill building component for children, in which selected children are able to participate as a Junior PA Announcer. The children get to announce the next Fireflies batter over the PA, and it is announced that this opportunity is presented by the Lead Agency, and the Lead Agency’s logo is displayed on the videoboard. ABC Quality serves as the Play of the Game Sponsor, in which the ABC Quality logo is displayed alongside a video clip of the play of the game and an announcement is made that ABC Quality is the sponsor. The Play of the Game is also distributed post-game throughout Fireflies social media, with the Lead Agency’s branding. Our partnership also includes a game sponsorship where we provide 1000 tickets to ABC Quality and Head Start programs, as well as foster families and children. We host several exhibit spaces to highlight the Lead Agency’s programs and pass out giveaways, and helpful resources and information on the services our division offers. This sponsorship game also allows for a Specialty Jersey Auction, in which the proceeds from this auction are donated to an exceptional ABC Quality Facility. The Lead Agency has partnered with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce through acquiring a low-level membership. This membership allows us access to the business community and gives us a chance to network and educate them on the important role early childhood education plays in our overall ecosystem - regarding the economic impact on the workforce today and cultivating an educated workforce for the future. With our membership we are able to participate in their Education and Workforce Development Committee, as well as attend chamber events. The Lead Agency was able to attend the SC Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Symposium in September 2024. The Lead Agency partnered with SC CCR&R to collaborate and take part as speakers in a forum hosted at the symposium discussing child care options and affordability, alongside the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Center for Education and Workforce Policy and Programs Director. The Lead Agency also partnered with SC CCR&R with an exhibit space to provide the 340 employers and other business community participants with information about child care resources available to them in South Carolina. Additionally, in June 2024 the Lead Agency, along with representation from SC CC&R, attended the U.S. Chamber of Commerce National Child Care Innovation Summit. This summit was presented in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. This groundbreaking summit brought together leaders from the public and private sector to discuss the vital role of child care for U.S. economic competitiveness. The summit featured several in-depth panel discussions and keynote speakers, to include representation from The U.S. House of Representatives, White House Council of Economic Advisors, Executive Office of the President, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, The White House Director of Domestic Policy Council of the United States, the Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Gender Policy Council, the Governors of Colorado, Massachusetts and Indiana, as well as leaders from the business community. The business community leaders include the CEO of Etsy, Executive Vice President and U.S. President of UPS, Chairman and CEO of Suffolk Construction, the Executive Vice President of Global Operations from Micron Technology, and several others. The summit also featured representation with the child care provider community as well as other key stakeholders. The event spotlighted the need for investment in child care and explored child care solutions, including creative care models and policies, emerging employer approaches, and dynamic public-private partnerships aimed at tackling the child care crisis head-on. Overall, the summit highlighted child care as a vital component of a thriving workforce and strong economic infrastructure for our nation, and brought together thought leaders from all sectors to discuss potential innovative solutions, and furthering existing ones. This opportunity allowed the Lead Agency to build critical connections, expanding our network on a national scale, to further the mission of advancing affordable, accessible and quality early childhood education for all children. With our chamber partnership we have been able to cultivate meaningful relationships with the business community, fostering opportunities to collaborate on current and future projects. A current project we are working on is our Impact Storytelling Video. The Impact Storytelling Video is a collaborative effort that features prominent voices from the US Chamber, South Carolina Chamber, the business community, parents and child care providers, in which they speak to the important role high quality early childhood education plays in our society and economy. The goal of this project is to further awareness about the landscape of child care systems to critical decision makers, and increase the supply and quality of child care services for children younger than age 13. The Lead Agency has also forged partnerships with the medical community to spread awareness on the roll high quality early childhood education plays on a child’s overall health and well-being. We host an exhibit space at both the Annual South Carolina American Academy of Pediatrics’ Conference and the South Carolina Obstetrical and Gynecological Annual Conference. Attending these events has allowed us the opportunity to get our written materials in a variety of doctor’s offices across the state, as well as opened the door for speaking opportunities with medical staff to further educate the medical community on the importance of high quality early childhood education. The Lead Agency intends to continue partnerships with the University of South Carolina’s Athletics, the USC Women’s Basketball Team, the Columbia Fireflies, the SC Chamber of Commerce, as well as the medical community to get resources out to the public and further awareness about child care and early education service delivery systems. The Lead Agency would like to strategically expand on the ability to collaborate with the medical community, and provide them with resource/consumer awareness kits to provide their patients materials to aid them on their child care search. The Lead Agency will also work to partner with public libraries, community parks and other entities where parents and families congregate, to get resources out to that population and increase awareness about child care and early education service delivery systems. The Lead Agency will explore the feasibility to partner with the South Carolina Historically Black Colleges and Universities to promote the field of early care and education, distribute information regarding child care services and actively engage in partner initiatives to promote child care equity. The Lead Agency provides support through a state level grant agreement with Anderson Interfaith Ministries for the Women & Children Succeeding Program (WACS). The program is designed to give under-resourced women and their children the benefits of educational environments that will enrich their lives with opportunities for success. This program provides families with the tools needed to complete their education to become and maintain self-sufficiency. WACS is a holistic supportive services program to transition participants to self-sufficiency. The program includes financial assistance for quality child care, career and academic advising, financial awareness training, transportation assistance, and other supportive services. The Lead Agency provides support for the provision of child care scholarships for WACS participants. Eligibility for the scholarships align with CCDF requirements. Also, under a state level grant agreement, the Lead Agency provides support to the United Way Association of SC for local community-based afterschool programs, programs that care for children with special needs, and child care availability. Locally funded programs are enhanced or expanded with the support of CCDF funds. Partnerships with SC First Steps and the state 4K+Siblings initiatives provide access to child care for children in evidence-based programs as well as children enrolled in the state 4K program plus their siblings. This is a form of a shared services process; building on the well-established prompt payment structure at the Lead Agency. This helps to maximize resources and avoid duplication of services. The Lead Agency is also exploring the option of partnering with SC Thrive, a local benefits hub, to coordinate the child care application process between the two systems. The Lead Agency has recently started working with the Starlight Program, a program that offers a faith-infused, family-centered, therapeutic community with holistic, evidence-based, trauma informed services. The Lead Agency provides child care so the families can focus on recovery and healing. The Lead Agency also provides support for Palmetto Shared Services.