South Dakota Refines Policy For Kinship Care Licensing To Encourage Family-Based Foster Care Placements 

The South Dakota Department of Social Services implemented new policies to create a licensing pathway for kinship foster care in the state. Starting on June 1, 2025, kinship caregivers who obtain the license are eligible for foster care maintenance payments from the state at the same rate the state pays to non-related foster families. Currently, about 30% of foster youth in the state are placed in a kinship placement with a relative or a close friend. ;

The goal is to increase the rate of kinship placement for children removed from their families and in state custody due to . . .