Every five years, the South Dakota Department of Health conducts a comprehensive Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Needs Assessment to identify and prioritize the health needs of mothers, infants, children—including those with special health care needs—and families throughout the state. This assessment is a requirement of the federal Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant program, which supports efforts to improve health outcomes for these populations.
We extend our sincere gratitude to partners, families, and community members who contributed to the 2025–2030 Needs Assessment. Your valuable insights have been instrumental in shaping our priorities and strategies for the coming years.
To explore the findings and data from the assessment, please visit Maternal Child Health Data.
The South Dakota Department of Health Office of Lifespan Health conducts a statewide needs assessment of the health and well-being of women, children, and youth including those with special healthcare needs, and their families to guide state and local public health work. The goal of the assessment is to gather information to understand the needs facing women, children, and youth including those with special health care needs, and their families across South Dakota, and assess the state’s capacity to provide services. Information gathered from this process will help Office of Lifespan Health staff to focus efforts to positively impact the lives of women, children, and youth including those with special health care needs, and their families.
- Office of Lifespan Health (OLH) Program Staff
- Population served by OLH programs: Parents, families, children, including underserved and disparate populations, such as tribes, rural, low-income
- Partner organizations whose reach includes populations served by OLH programs across the life course
The needs assessment will assess factors that affect the health of women, children, and youth including those with special health care needs, and their families. Factors will include health risk behaviors and disease outcomes, income, disability status, gender, geography, race/ethnicity, and educational level. Assessing these factors is important to consider because different strategies require varying levels of individual or community effort and resources to achieve health and wellness for all.
The resulting priorities will affect what issues state and local public health professionals address across OLH programs. Prevention and health promotion programs and strategies will be developed and implemented to optimize the health and well-being of the women, children, and youth including those with special health care needs, and their families across South Dakota. Prevention and health promotion programs and strategies will be developed and implemented with the aim of optimizing health and well-being.
Input from OLH partners and South Dakota women, children, and youth including those with special health care needs, and their families served by the OCFS programs is integral to support the needs assessment process and understanding the needs facing these populations. Individuals are invited to share their voices and participate in focus groups, community forums, and additional opportunities to identify needs.
For More Information
Email us at DOHMCHBG@state.sd.us or call 605-773-3361.