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 70K children ages 5 and under in South Dakota – 72% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in South Dakota is nearly $8,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 10% of eligible families in South Dakota. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in South Dakota earn just $26,350 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
South Dakota’s economy loses $329M annually due to child care challenges.
South Dakota: In The Headlines
Opinion: Bipartisan solutions needed to fix child care crisis
The Dakota Scout February 23, 2025
“As the owner of a talent recruitment firm focused on rural communities, I understand the importance of safe and affordable child care in small towns. “
Opinion: South Dakota cannot afford to ignore the child care crisis
South Dakota Searchlight | mARCH 20, 2025
The ability of South Dakota families to access quality, affordable child care directly impacts workforce participation, economic productivity and long-term growth.
South Dakota’s child care crisis: Challenges & solutions
SDPB | December 10, 2024
Parents across the state struggle to find affordable and adequate child care in their communities.
South Dakota Resources & News
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How a Lack of Affordable Child Care Impacts the Economy
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FFYF Analysis of 2025 State of the State Addresses
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Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care and Early Learning
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2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets
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FFYF Analysis of 2024 State of the State Addresses
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Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022
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FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets
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New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program
New analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia from First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows that while the nation’s main federal child care program – the Child …
How CCDBG Benefits Families in Your State
The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …
Analysis: Majority of Governors Highlight Child Care As Key to Workforce Growth
Analysis of 2023 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found one issue in particular cut across state and party lines: the importance of fixing child …
FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets
Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …
South Dakota — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Learn About the Positive Impact of MIECHV in Your State
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …
2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding
FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …
South Dakota — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes
This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …
South Dakota: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
South Carolina: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States
On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state. As in previous years, CAP’s …
See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care
Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …
South Dakota: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
South Carolina: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
