Family & Child Development

• Pregnancy
  • Expecting a Baby?
    • Healthy Weight Gain
    • Pregnancy Risks
    • Accessing Services
    • Responsibilities of the Father
    • Embryonic & Fetal Development
    • Physician Resources
    • Related Links
  • Pregnancy Help Centers
  • Perinatal Services (Pregnancy Care)
  • Perinatal Hospice
  • Family Planning
  • Bright Start
  • Services
• Newborn
  • Baby Care Program
  • Newborn Screening Program
    • Newborn Hearing Screening Program
      • Parents and Caregivers
        • 1 - Before ONE Month of Age: Hearing Screening
        • 3 - Before THREE Months of Age: Hearing Evaluation
        • 6 - Before SIX Months of Age: Early Intervention
        • Resources
      • Medical Professionals
        • 1 - Before ONE Month of Age: Hearing Screening
        • 3 - Before THREE Months of Age: Hearing Evaluation
        • 6 - Before SIX Months of Age: Early Intervention
        • Resources
      • South Dakota Resources
      • Contact Us
    • Newborn Blood Spot Screening Program
      • For Parents
        • Genetic services
      • For Providers
        • When to Collect a Specimen
        • Collection & Handling
        • Completing the Collection Card
        • Order Supplies
        • Shipping Specimens
        • Resources
      • Resources
    • Newborn Screening Advisory Committee
• Childhood
  • Child Development
  • Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs
  • School Illness Exclusion Recommendations
  • Immunization Program
    • Immunizations Required for SD School Entry
    • Yellow Fever Vaccine Administration Sites / Travel Clinics
    • Request Copy of Immunization Record
    • Recommended Vaccines
    • HPV Vaccine
    • FAQ
    • Links
    • Provider Updates
    • Materials
    • Training Videos for Vaccine Providers
  • Childhood Vaccine Providers
• Youth & Young Adults
  • Adolescent Well Visits
  • Mental Health
  • Suicide Prevention
  • Healthy Relationships
• WIC

South Dakota Pregnancy Information and Services

With the exception of those identified as Department of Health, the department exercises no control over the content of these sites and provides the links for informational purposes only. This information is not a substitute for medical care.

SD State Agency Services

Strong Families

• Strongfamilies.sd.gov offers one-stop access to services and programs that can help you make the best decisions for your family.

Bright Start Program

• Bright Start's free personal nurse visiting program offers support, advice, and information to eligible moms during pregnancy and until the child turns 2.

Department of Health

• South Dakota Pregnancy Care Program (perinatal services) — Monthly visits with a nurse to provide education and support throughout pregnancy and after childbirth.

• Family Planning Program — Provides services to help women and men determine if and when they want to have a child. The program helps keep people healthy and protects their ability to have children in the future.

• WIC — Supplemental nutrition program for eligible women, infants and children. Provides nutrition education and counseling, breast-feeding support (information & breast pumps perinatal education), healthy foods, referral to doctors, nurses, health and social service agencies, and immunizations if needed.

Department of Social Services

• Services include SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), energy assistance, financial assistance for medical services, assistance with transportation, financial assistance with child care, information about adoptions and adoption resources. The department also funds domestic abuse centers.

• Alcohol and Drug Abuse — Funds treatment programs for pregnant women and women with dependent children.

• Mental Health — Provides a variety of services including medical, social, educational, vocational and other support services necessary to meet basic human needs. Services are available through Community Mental Health Centers.

• Adoptions and adoption resources — The goal of adoption is to provide a child with a "forever family," which could be a relative or a non-related family.

• Safe Havens — South Dakota law allows a parent to deliver an infant 60 days of age or younger, who has not been harmed, to an emergency medical services provider* or a licensed child placement agency with the intent of relinquishing permanent custody of the infant. The law is referred to as the Baby Moses law and the specific statute is SDCL 25-5A-27 through 25-5A-35, found at SDCL 25-5A. (*licensed health care facility or clinic, a law enforcement officer, a firefighter, or an emergency medical technician.)

• Child Support — helps parents establish a financial partnership to support their children when they do not live together. Child support staff help locate non-custodial parents, establish paternity, establish or modify child support and medical support orders, enforce support orders, and collect and process support payments.

PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS

Registered Pregnancy Help Centers

• Alpha Center (www.alphacenter.org)
  The Alpha Center is a nonprofit agency that provides a full range of services to women and men involved in an unplanned pregnancy. Our goal is to provide practical support to women and men facing an unplanned pregnancy.

• Black Hills Pregnancy Center (blackhillspregnancycenter.com)
  The Black Hills Pregnancy Center is a nonprofit agency that exists to provide resources and support for all impacted by an unplanned pregnancy.

Bethany Christian Services (www.bethany.org)
Bethany Christian Services is a licensed child-placing agency providing comprehensive, professional pregnancy counseling, free of charge, to women of all ages experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Women can also call the pregnancy counseling hotline (1-800-BETHANY) to speak with trained counselors, 24 hours a day. In addition, Bethany is licensed to provide foster care and adoptive placements for children; adoptive home studies for families seeking to adopt a child; designated adoption services; international adoption services; and post-placement services for families who have adopted. Bethany's Stepping Stones ministry offers support to couples in search of answers, purpose and direction in the midst of their infertility.

Birthright (www.birthright.org)
Birthright provides caring, non-judgmental support to girls and women who are distressed by an unplanned pregnancy. We provide friendship and emotional support, free pregnancy tests, and maternity and baby clothes. We also provide information and referrals to help clients meet legal, medical, financial, and housing needs. Birthright treats each woman as an individual who deserves kindness and respect, as well as personal attention to her unique situation. And all Birthright services are free, absolutely confidential, and available to any woman regardless of age, race, creed, economic or marital status.

Catholic Family Services, Sioux Falls (www.sfcatholic.org/cfs/)
Catholic Family Services provides counseling, adoptions, home studies, foster care, psychological evaluations, and educational programs.

Catholic Social Services, Rapid City (www.catholicsocialservicesrapidcity.com/)
606 Cathedral Drive, Rapid City, SD 57709
605-343-3541
Catholic Social Services offers counseling services, group presentations, parenting classes, adoption services, and free birth parent services throughout western South Dakota.

Lutheran Social Services (www.lsssd.org)
Lutheran Social Services is the largest private non-profit social service agency in South Dakota. Its services include consumer credit counseling, mental health counseling, residential care for youth at risk, employee assistance program, affordable housing, housing resource center, child care, adoption, foster care, school-based mentoring, refugee and immigration, interpreter services, rural ministry, disaster response, and Partners in Caring.

Mother Teresa Endowment Fund (http://www.sfcatholic.org/cfs/endowed-funds/)
The Mother Teresa Endowment is a fund established by the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls and Catholic Family Services to provide financial assistance to individuals or couples experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Catholic Family Services provides free pregnancy counseling and will work with the birth parents to determine the community resources they are qualified to receive. The Mother Teresa Endowment Fund assists with legitimate costs that are not covered by these community resources.

Private Physicians (http://doh.sd.gov/local-offices/child-family-services/)
To find a private physician providing care related to your pregnancy, contact the Community Health Nurse in your area.

OTHER AGENCY SERVICES

Community Health Centers (www.communityhealthcare.net/)
Provide quality primary and preventive health care regardless of ability to pay.

Indian Health Service (www.ihs.gov)
IHS delivers care services to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level.

Local school counselors/nurses
Many local schools have counselors and nurses who may be able to offer assistance in identifying resources and services.