South Dakota Foster Care Home Study: What to Expect and How to Prepare

The home study is the most anxiety-producing step in South Dakota foster care licensing — partly because families don't know exactly what the specialist will look for, and partly because it covers both the physical state of your home and a professional evaluation of your family. Understanding what the process actually involves takes most of that anxiety off the table.

Here's how the South Dakota DSS home study works, what the inspector checks, and where rural applicants need to pay extra attention.

What the Home Study Is (and Isn't)

The home study is a professional evaluation conducted by a Family Services Specialist from your regional DSS office, or by a licensing worker from a private child-placing agency like Lutheran Social Services. It is not a surprise inspection — you'll schedule it in advance, and you'll know what's being reviewed.

The purpose is to assess whether your household can provide a safe, stable environment for a child in foster care. It is not designed to find disqualifying flaws; it's designed to build a complete picture of your household and identify anything that needs to be addressed before a child is placed with you.

Two things happen during the home study: a physical inspection of your property, and a structured interview process with household members.

The Interview Component

The licensing specialist will conduct at least one in-home interview with each adult household member. For children living in the home, the worker may observe them rather than conduct a formal interview — the approach varies by age.

Expect questions about:

• Your childhood experiences and how they shaped your parenting philosophy
• How you handle conflict and discipline in your current household
• Your support network (family, community, church)
• Your experience with trauma, medical needs, or behavioral challenges in children
• Your motivations for becoming a foster parent
• How you would handle reunification — supporting a child returning to their birth family

You'll also have submitted an autobiographical statement before the home study. The specialist uses this as a starting point for the interview. Be honest, specific, and reflective in that document — vague answers raise more questions than candid ones.

DSS requires three character references: at least one from a relative and one from a non-relative. These are collected separately and reviewed before or alongside the home study. Choose references who know your household well, not just your professional accomplishments.

The Home Safety Inspection

The physical inspection is governed by ARSD 67:42:05. Every item on this checklist applies to all licensed foster homes in South Dakota:

The specialist will walk through the entire home, including bedrooms, the garage if attached, and any outbuildings if relevant. The inspection is methodical, not confrontational — if the specialist finds something that needs correction, they will tell you what needs to change before they can approve the home.

Rural and Agricultural Property Requirements

A significant portion of South Dakota foster homes are located on farms and ranches. ARSD 67:42:05 includes additional requirements for these properties that suburban applicants won't encounter.

Well water testing: Homes not connected to a municipal water system must have their water tested at least annually for bacterial contamination and chemical hazards like arsenic and nitrates. You'll need to obtain a sterile "Bact" bottle from a certified lab, submit a water sample, and provide the results to your licensing worker. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and SDSU Extension can guide you through the process.

Abandoned wells: Any abandoned wells on the property must be capped and plugged as required by SDCL 46-6-18. An uncapped well is an automatic disqualifying safety hazard.

Septic systems: The system must be functioning and not creating a health hazard. If your system is older and you're not sure of its condition, have it inspected before your home study.

Farm chemicals and fuel: Pesticides, herbicides, fuel canisters, and any other agricultural chemicals must be stored in a locked enclosed cabinet or outbuilding that children cannot access. The licensing specialist has the authority to require removal of any hazardous condition on the property — this includes unsecured machinery and specific livestock handling areas.

Firearms: South Dakota's high rate of firearm ownership for hunting and livestock protection is well understood by DSS. The requirement is clear: unloaded, locked storage, with ammunition locked separately. This applies to pellet guns, BB guns, and cap guns as well as traditional firearms.

Living on a farm is not a disqualifying factor — DSS recognizes that agricultural environments can be excellent placements for many children. The goal is ensuring specific hazards are properly secured.

Bedroom Capacity Rules

Before the home study, understand the household capacity limits:

• Maximum of 6 children total in the home, including your biological children under 18
• No more than 2 children under age 2 in the home (including your own)
• Children of different sexes over age 6 cannot share a bedroom
• Each foster child must have their own bed — no sharing with an adult or other children

If you're a relative applying for a kinship license and need to keep a sibling group together, DSS may grant a bedroom space waiver. This needs to be discussed with your licensing worker before the home study, not during it.

Timeline and What Causes Delays

From initial inquiry to receiving your license, most South Dakota families take 3 to 6 months. The home study itself — scheduling the visit, conducting it, and getting the written evaluation completed — typically takes two to four weeks from the time all background checks and PRIDE training are done.

The most common causes of delay:

• Out-of-state background checks: If any household member has lived outside South Dakota in the past five years, DSS must request records from those states. Some states are slow to respond.
• Scheduling PRIDE training: In rural regions, training may only be offered quarterly.
• Missing documents: An incomplete autobiographical statement, references who don't respond promptly, or a physical exam that wasn't done by an MD or DO (must be a licensed physician) can all add weeks to the process.
• Home corrections: If the specialist finds items that need to be addressed — a missing carbon monoxide detector, medication that wasn't locked — you'll need to fix them and schedule a follow-up visit.

If Your Application Is Denied

DSS must provide a written explanation for any denial. You have the right to appeal through a DSS administrative hearing process. If specific items led to the denial — a home safety issue that can be corrected, or a misunderstanding of your history — working with a private agency like Lutheran Social Services sometimes provides a second pathway, as they conduct their own licensing process.

The South Dakota Foster Care Licensing Guide includes a comprehensive home inspection checklist for both urban and rural properties, a guide to the autobiographical statement, and the full ARSD 67:42:05 safety standards translated into plain language — so you can walk through every room of your home before the specialist does.

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