South Dakota
Working families in South Dakota need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in South Dakota. But too many working families in South Dakota are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the South Dakota economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 72k children ages 5 and under in South Dakota
71% of these children have all available parents in the workforce
The typical annual cost of child care in South Dakota is around $6,700
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 9% of eligible families. This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care
South Dakota’s economy loses $329M annually due to child care challenges
South Dakota: In The Headlines
‘We can’t exist without child care’: Rural towns use state funding to open local centers
South Dakota Searchlight | April 26, 2024
It’s been over six months since two in-home child care providers closed in Highmore. The town of over 600 in central South Dakota has a few other in-home providers, but all are full and have waitlists months out.
Nationwide child care could be getting much needed financial boost
KEVN | November 8, 2023
Child care is expensive… At the same time, child care workers are paid too little which means higher out-of-pocket costs, fewer options for care, and more women leaving the workforce.
Child care on the cusp of being a crisis
KELO | December 6, 2023
“If I were to have two kids at that in-home daycare that still would have been cutting it very close. I truly don’t know what families do to afford child care, especially for those of us kind of in our like in the middle average.”
South Dakota Resources & News
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