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Lack of affordable childcare costs SC $1.4 billion. ‘Without childcare, parents can’t work.’

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Lack of affordable childcare costs SC .4 billion. ‘Without childcare, parents can’t work.’


Madalynn Warnken struggled to find affordable childcare in Greenville as a single mother of a two-year-old boy, Emmett.

“The whole process of the waiting list and touring and finding an open spot could take up to a year or more,” Warnken said. “It was really hard to find childcare.” 

She’s not alone. 

LaVonda Paul, director and owner of Small Impressions Child Development, says daycare programs often have waiting lists before children can be enrolled. 

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“Without question, programs have long wait lists and a huge need for increased workforce. My program is currently licensed for 139 children, but we only have 65 enrolled due to lack of staff,” she said.  

42% of South Carolinians live in a childcare desert, where there are more than three children under the age of five for each licensed care slot, according to a study from business leader member group ReadyNation. 

ReadyNation’s National Director Nancy Fishman along with Bob Morgan, president and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, and Jack McBride, CEO of Contec, a manufacturer in Spartanburg, presented a report titled “The Growing, Annual Cost of Infant-Toddler Childcare Crisis in South Carolina.” 

Presented Thursday morning at Small Impressions Child Development Center in Taylors, the report documented the financial impact the childcare crisis has on South Carolina families, businesses and taxpayers. 

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The report found the childcare crisis costs the nation $122 billion in lost earnings, productivity and revenue each year. In 2018, a similar study found the crisis cost $57 billion a year. 

In South Carolina, the lack of reliable childcare for working parents costs the state $1.4 billion in annual costs. 

“Without childcare, parents can’t work. The childcare workforce is the workforce behind every other workforce,” Morgan said Thursday morning. 

The study found businesses lose an average of $1,640 per working parent in reduced revenue and in extra hiring costs. 

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Not only does it affect businesses and taxpayers, but the cost of childcare can also be burdensome for parents. The study found infant care in a center in South Carolina averages $9,048 per year, representing 9% of the median annual income of a married couple family in the state. 

Childcare can also be important for not only a working family but for the child itself. For example, Paul told the story of a child who was not talking. When she let the parent know of the developmental delay, she was able to connect the child to resources. Paul says the child “soared like an eagle.” 

“This is the foundation,” Paul says. 

Despite all the work that goes into daycare, the mean wage for childcare providers in South Carolina is $25,050 annually, equating to about $12 per hour. Preschool teachers earn $33,520 annually and kindergarten teachers earn $52,960 annually, according to the report. 

This often means a higher turnover rate for daycare staff, worsening a crisis within accessible childcare. 

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The study also called on South Carolina policymakers to promote access to affordable infant and toddler care. 

“We know businesses play a role in solving the childcare crisis through onsite childcare, financial support for employees to access childcare,” Morgan said. But he also acknowledged businesses cannot do it alone, which is why ReadyNation is calling on policymakers to address the childcare crisis in South Carolina.  



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South-Carolina

Priority South Carolina target, top-100 prospect reclassfies to 2026

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Priority South Carolina target, top-100 prospect reclassfies to 2026


One of South Carolina’s top targets in the class of 2027 has reclassified to 2026. Elite Indian Land High School athlete Sequel Patterson will graduate early to get a jump on his collegiate career. At this time, it is unclear if he will be a winter or spring graduate.

Patterson is a big-time talent on both sides of the ball, hence his designation as an “athlete” by the recruiting industry. He has the talent and physical makeup to be an impact player at wide receiver or cornerback at the next level. The Gamecocks and receivers coach Mike Furrey want him on offense.

Listed at 6-0 and 170 pounds, Patterson is explosive and versatile. On offense, he logged over 1200 yards of offense as a receiver, rusher, and passer, and on defense, he was a lockdown player on the outside of the Indian Land defense.

Stay on top of all things Gamecocks for just $1 for 7 days—lock in this special offer today!

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Tennessee has seemed to be the major competition for South Carolina in Patterson’s recruitment. Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Arkansas, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan State, Maryland, NC State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, and West Virginia are the other power conference programs with offers in for the talented Palmetto State native. Clemson hasn’t offered yet but has been (and will be) involved.

Ahead of his reclassification, On3’s industry ranking listed Patterson as the country’s No. 79 overall prospect. He was also No. 2 in South Carolina and No. 3 nationally among athletes. 247Sports had him firmly in 5-star territory as the No. 18 overall player in America. If his current rating of 92.13 doesn’t change, he would rank as the No. 141 player in On3’s industry ranking.



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Potential 2028 presidential hopefuls Moore, Walz steal show at South Carolina Democratic weekend

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Potential 2028 presidential hopefuls Moore, Walz steal show at South Carolina Democratic weekend


South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn’s annual fish fry is a must for Democrats seeking local and national office and this year was no different, even if Gov. Wes Moore and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz insist they’re not chasing the 2028 presidential nomination.



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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's next move: Energizing Democrats in South Carolina and California

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's next move: Energizing Democrats in South Carolina and California


MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will seek to energize activists at Democratic state conventions in South Carolina and California on Saturday, as the party’s 2024 vice presidential nominee works to keep up the high national profile he gained when Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate.

Walz, a former schoolteacher who went to Congress and then became his state’s governor, will keynote the South Carolina gathering in Columbia, traditionally a showcase for national-level Democrats and White House hopefuls. Another leader who often appears on those lists, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, spoke Friday night at the party’s fundraising dinner.

South Carolina held the first Democratic presidential primary of the 2024 campaign, and the party hopes for a repeat as first in line in 2028. But the national party organizations haven’t settled their 2028 calendars yet, and party officials in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada are also vying to go first.

”From the classroom to the governor’s office, Tim Walz leads with compassion and common sense,” the South Carolina party posted on social media earlier this month when it announced his appearance. ”He’s proof that you can govern with both heart and backbone, and he’s bringing that message to South Carolina.”

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Walz, who’s on a long list of potential 2028 candidates who have been traveling to early-voting states, will also be a featured speaker as California Democrats gather in Anaheim on Saturday.

”We’re fired up to welcome Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to the Convention stage in Anaheim,” state chair Rusty Hicks said in a statement. ”He’s a former teacher, a veteran, and a trailblazer who’s spent his career fighting for working families and standing up for the values we all share — fairness, dignity, and opportunity for all.”

Democrats have been debating since Harris lost to President Donald Trump in November over which direction the party should take. That self-examination reflects deep frustrations among Democratic voters that their leaders are failing to put up enough resistance against Trump, who has taken a much more aggressive approach to his second term in the White House.

Walz hasn’t officially said if he’ll seek a third term in 2026, but acknowledges he’s thinking about it. He said in a recent interview with KSTP-TV that he would probably wait to decide until July, after he calls a special session of the closely divided Minnesota Legislature to finish work on the state’s next budget. Those negotiations have gone slowly despite his frequent meetings with legislative leaders.



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