Built with purpose, patience, and perseverance.
What began as a local effort to support providers in one community quickly revealed something much bigger: South Carolina’s childcare programs needed practical, high-quality support systems that could save time, save money, and strengthen the work happening every day in early care and education environments across the state.
Today, PSSA strengthens South Carolina's early care and education programs through practical business tools, professional development, workforce solutions, and statewide partnerships that help providers build sustainable, high-quality programs for the children and families they serve.
From a Greenville-based program to a growing statewide nonprofit.
Palmetto Shared Services Alliance began in 2016 as a program of Greenville First Steps. It did not take long to realize that the resources, tools, and supports being developed were simply too good to keep local. Providers across the state were facing many of the same challenges, and the opportunity to serve them in a bigger way became impossible to ignore.
Expanding the vision statewide
In 2017, PSSA became an independent nonprofit organization with a statewide mission. Co-founders Leslie Latimer and Shelley Summer launched this new chapter from Leslie’s dining room table, building the plane as they flew it. Those early years were full of creativity, grit, and a deep belief that South Carolina’s childcare providers deserved better access to practical support.
As a young nonprofit, PSSA worked hard to get noticed by other childcare agencies and to build trust across the early care and education landscape. Every conversation, every partnership, and every step forward required steady determination. One of the phrases that came to define those years, and still reflects the organization today, is patience and perseverance.
Our early years were defined by patience and perseverance, and that same spirit still shapes the way we grow, adapt, and serve.
Milestones that shaped our journey
Every chapter of PSSA’s growth has expanded what became possible for childcare providers in South Carolina and sharpened our understanding of what meaningful support can look like.
The Beginning
PSSA launched as a program of Greenville First Steps, where the vision for practical shared services first took shape. Our earliest support was the Resource Platform, giving providers access to business tools, policies, and practical resources.
Becoming a 501(c)(3)
PSSA became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a statewide mission. We expanded our support by launching professional development and training for South Carolina's early childhood workforce.
A Turning Point
Our partnership with South Carolina Childcare Resource & Referral changed our trajectory and helped expand our visibility, credibility, and reach within the early care and education landscape.
SC DSS Support
Receiving our first major support from SC DSS marked a new chapter, allowing PSSA to move from sustaining the work to expanding what is possible for providers statewide.
Launching Palmetto Childcare Connect
With support from SC DSS, PSSA launched the pilot of Palmetto Childcare Connect, a substitute workforce initiative designed to help providers address one of their greatest staffing challenges.
Our Impact Today
These numbers reflect the growing reach of PSSA's programs and services across South Carolina and are updated regularly as our impact continues to grow.
Resources available
Childcare Programs Served
Early Childhood Professionals Trained
Professional Development Hours Delivered
Our Partners
Collaboration is at the heart of our work. We partner with state agencies and organizations across South Carolina and beyond to strengthen early childhood programs and expand access to high-quality resources and professional development.
Imagining What Comes Next
In 2024, PSSA received its first grant from the South Carolina Department of Social Services. That milestone marked a powerful shift from asking how to sustain the work to asking what more could be done to better support providers across the state.
With that support, PSSA has been able to think bigger, respond more directly to provider needs, and strengthen the tools, training, and systems that help childcare programs operate more effectively. Today, we are on the verge of launching our Substitute Workforce Program with full support from SC DSS, an exciting next step in addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing providers. As PSSA continues to grow, Leslie Latimer, Executive Director, and Shelley Summer, Director of Operations, remain deeply committed to listening, adapting, and building the kind of support childcare providers truly need.
We are still building, still listening, and still growing!
What began at a dining room table with a statewide vision has become a support system rooted in service, resilience, and a lasting commitment to South Carolina’s childcare providers.