Education and Financial Hardship in South Carolina: A Call for Action
We believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed. But financial insecurity is putting that future at risk for more than half of South Carolina’s children. In 2022, 53% of children in the state lived in households struggling to afford basic necessities, including 19% in poverty and an additional 34% in ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households—where hardworking families still fall short of making ends meet.
When families face financial hardship, it affects every aspect of a child’s life. Limited access to essentials like high-speed internet, quality healthcare and stable housing creates barriers to learning and well-being. The disparities are even more severe in communities of color—75% of Black children and 66% of Hispanic children in South Carolina live below the ALICE Threshold, compared to 39% of White children. These challenges make it clear: investing in education means investing in financial stability and health—because all three are deeply connected.
Education is a powerful pathway to financial security, leading to better jobs, higher wages and greater access to healthcare. At Trident United Way, we're committed to breaking down barriers and creating opportunities so that every child—regardless of background—has the resources they need to thrive.
Together, we can build a future where all children have the chance to succeed.
Our Goals and Work
· Identify innovative programs and resources
· Create connections to resources and programs
· Convene stakeholders to tackle these challenges together
Our Partners
· Communities In Schools of South Carolina
· Berkeley County School District
Every child has equal value and promise, and together, we can ensure that all children in the Tri-County area have the resources they need to succeed. Let’s work together to break the cycle of financial hardship and create a brighter future through education for every child.
Current Initiatives
Address Unplanned School Mobility in Berkeley County
Trident United Way is leading a new initiative to address the challenges of unplanned school mobility in Berkeley County. With support from a grant awarded by the Siemer Institute, this program is designed to provide stability for students at Cainhoy Elementary School and Cross High School who face the negative effects of sudden school transitions, such as lower academic performance and increased mental health concerns.
In collaboration with Communities In Schools (CIS) of South Carolina, Berkeley County School District and SC Works, Trident United Way is working to ensure that students and families receive the critical support they need to thrive. Through educational assistance, financial aid, home eviction prevention and job training, this initiative aims to stabilize households and empower students for long-term success.
By focusing on communities experiencing economic hardship, Trident United Way is taking a holistic approach to breaking down barriers to education. Together, we are mobilizing resources, strengthening families and creating pathways for a brighter future.
Completed Initiatives
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
From 2021-2024, Trident United Way partnered with Berkeley County Library System, Charleston County Public Library and Dorchester County Library to promote reading to ages birth to five and improve regional literacy gaps through the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program. This nationwide program encourages families and caregivers to read 1,000 books with their child before they start kindergarten. Reading aloud to children from birth helps strengthen language skills and build vocabulary -- two important tools for learning to read.
Kindergarten Readiness
As the convener for our region’s first Kindergarten Readiness Network, and in partnership with the Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative (TCCC), Trident United Way (TUW) is positioned to provide the expertise and infrastructure necessary to support hundreds of early learning organizations, providers, businesses, local governments, community volunteers and others to collect data for an ambitious common agenda, develop shared goals and milestones and identify and operationalize promising solutions. This move aims to improve academic and developmental outcomes for children from birth through age 5 by creating a cohesive and strategic plan in coordination with community, local and state stakeholders.
Literacy United
Literacy United is a partnership initiative with stakeholders, community leaders, Trident United Way (TUW), and Charleston County School District (CCSD) to provide early reading intervention training to an elementary school on Johns Island, using proven methodology and evaluation implemented by Trident United Way and the University of Florida Lastinger Center. It’s a way to help our students catch up to their peers and ensure they’re able to read at grade level by third grade - a critical point in a child’s education.
Reading by Third
RB3 was focused on teacher professional development in the practice of teaching literacy to young children from the Lastinger Initiative at the University of Florida. During the summer of 2017, a pilot group of local teachers, who work with PK4-2nd grade students, participated in the initial training so that they could begin with this new paradigm as the school year began.
Interested in learning more? Contact Allison Hilton at ahilton@tuw.org or (843) 834-8635.