COLUMBIA, SC — Kimberley Renee Jordan, 56, the former executive director of the Kershaw County First Steps program, was arrested and charged with multiple counts of breach of trust and fraud for allegedly stealing approximately $184,000 from the state-funded school readiness initiative.
According to the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Jordan engaged in a variety of schemes spanning from December 2018 through December 2023, including misuse of a First Steps credit card for personal purchases, falsifying expense reports, submitting fictitious invoices, and duplicating mileage claims. One affidavit highlighted Jordan’s use of the agency-issued card to pay for a vacation to Jamaica.
Jordan faces four counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, including two counts involving more than $10,000 each, as well as six counts of obtaining property under false pretenses, with five counts involving amounts over $10,000.
Despite First Steps receiving nearly $92 million in state budget funds in 2025, recent reports show that 59% of children entering kindergarten in South Carolina are not school-ready, with the figure rising to 66% in Kershaw County. Lawmakers have criticized the program’s long-standing failures; a 2013 audit by the S.C. Legislative Audit Council revealed that the program had not improved readiness rates since its inception in 1999.
FITSNews has previously called for the program’s elimination, citing its ineffectiveness and costliness.
Jordan was booked at the Kershaw County detention center. The case will be prosecuted by the office of S.C. Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty or until any plea agreement is made.
SLED launched the investigation following a request from the South Carolina First Steps office.
