Serving as a state and national model, the Center for the Child will disseminate the best practices in early childhood evaluation and intervention. The Center's ultimate objective will be to improve the academic, social, emotional, and economic future of all children and their families. It will attempt to address the issues in South Carolina that result when:

 - two out of five children are born in single parent homes

 - one of out of five children are born to mothers without a high school education, and

 - one in three children may not graduate rom high school

In creating the Center for the Child, Francis Marion University is committed to providing children of the Pee Dee region and the state with the best chance for a successful future. Faculty members, students, and other professionals will establish a child development evaluation clinic to train professionals and provide direct service to children and their families. A child study laboratory will provide state-of-the-art daycare services for up to 100 children. Further, the concentration of the latest information in early childhood research wil assist decision-makers in developing public policy related to the critical needs of children.

Support for this endeavor will pave the way to a more promising future for all children.