Kinship Care in South Dakota: What Relatives Need to Know

When a child is removed from their home in South Dakota, state law requires DSS to look first at family. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, adult siblings, and other relatives are the preferred placement option — and for good reason. Children placed with people they know experience less trauma, maintain more family connections, and have better long-term outcomes than those placed with strangers.

But "kinship care" is not a simple category. The financial support, licensing requirements, and legal status of a kinship placement depend entirely on which pathway the relative pursues. Many relatives receive a child in an emergency without understanding what they're entitled to or what they're required to do.

How Kinship Placements Begin

When a child is removed from their birth parents' home, a DSS caseworker typically calls known family members within hours. The conversation moves fast — there may be a decision window of less than a day. Many relatives say yes without fully understanding what they're agreeing to.

Under SDCL § 26-6-30, South Dakota has a statutory preference for placing children with relatives before non-relative licensed foster families. This preference is strong and applied consistently. The question is not whether relatives will be considered — they will be, first — but whether the relative's home can be approved quickly enough to receive the child.

DSS can make an emergency placement with a relative before full licensing is complete, but the licensing process must begin immediately and proceed without delay. A relative who takes in a child informally — without initiating any licensing or safety review — is not in a stable legal position and may not receive financial support.

Two Pathways: Licensed vs. Unlicensed Kinship Care

Licensed Kinship Foster Home

Relatives who complete the full foster family licensing process — same background checks, same PRIDE training, same home study as non-relative foster parents — receive the same monthly maintenance rates as any licensed foster home:

• Ages 0-5: approximately $685/month
• Ages 6-12: approximately $754/month
• Ages 13+: approximately $823/month

Licensed kinship families are also eligible for the same Medicaid coverage, initial clothing allowance, child care assistance, and Level of Care enhanced rates that non-relative foster families receive.

The full licensing process applies: 30-hour PRIDE training, DCI and FBI background checks, Central Registry screening, out-of-state registry checks for any household member who's lived elsewhere in the past five years, physical exams for all adults, and a home safety inspection.

One significant waiver: Licensed kinship families can apply for bedroom space waivers when placing a sibling group together would otherwise be blocked by the standard bedroom capacity rules. DSS has authority to grant these waivers to keep siblings in the same home rather than separate them.

Unlicensed Kinship Care

Relatives who do not become fully licensed may still qualify for kinship care subsidies from DSS — but these subsidies are generally significantly lower than the full foster care maintenance rate. The exact amount varies based on circumstances and negotiation with DSS.

Unlicensed kinship caregivers typically do not receive Medicaid coverage for the child (the child may qualify separately through their own eligibility, but it's not automatic through the placement), do not receive the clothing allowance, and have more limited access to the support services that come with a licensed placement.

The financial gap between licensed and unlicensed kinship care is real and significant. For relatives who are taking on a child's care long-term, completing the licensing process is almost always worth the additional time and paperwork.

ICWA and Kinship Care

South Dakota's foster care population is approximately 75% Native American, and ICWA establishes kinship placement as the highest preference within the ICWA placement hierarchy. For tribal members, the first placement priority under ICWA is the child's extended family — which in Native communities often includes relationships that don't map neatly onto state definitions of "relative."

In tribal communities, "grandmother," "aunt," and "uncle" can describe people who are not legally related in the Western sense but are culturally integral to the child's family structure. DSS and tribal ICWA coordinators work together to identify these placements, but the process is not always smooth.

If you are a tribal member stepping up for a child in your family or community:

• Contact both your DSS regional office and your tribe's ICWA coordinator simultaneously
• ICWA placement preferences give your extended family claim priority over non-Native licensed homes
• Tribal foster homes licensed through the tribe's own IV-E agreement are also a viable pathway — you don't have to license through the state DSS to provide a ICWA-compliant kinship placement

The financial reality for unlicensed kinship care is particularly stark in Native communities. Many tribal families who informally care for children — at real personal cost — receive minimal or no financial support because they haven't navigated the licensing system. Legal advocacy organizations and tribal social services can help navigate this.

What the Licensing Process Looks Like for Relatives

The steps are the same as for any prospective foster parent, but DSS typically works to move faster on kinship licensing when a child is already in emergency placement with that family:

1. Initiate the application immediately — don't wait. DSS can work more quickly when the urgency is clear.
2. Background checks — all adults in the household must complete DCI, FBI, Central Registry, and any applicable out-of-state registry checks. There are no shortcuts here, even for grandparents.
3. Physical exams — all adults must have a physician-completed physical exam within 12 months of application.
4. PRIDE training — all primary caregivers must complete 30 hours. For relatives in an emergency placement, DSS may allow a temporary license while training is in progress.
5. Home safety inspection — the home must meet ARSD 67:42:05 standards: smoke and CO detectors, locked firearms and medications, appropriate sleeping arrangements, and rural property requirements if applicable.

Bedroom waivers for sibling groups: if you have three siblings placed together and don't have separate rooms by gender, document the situation and discuss the waiver request with your licensing worker at the start of the process.

Support Resources for Kinship Families

Licensed kinship families in South Dakota have access to several support structures:

• South Dakota Foster and Adoptive Parent Association (SDFAPA): Peer support and advocacy, including for kinship families navigating the system
• Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota: Provides kinship support services statewide, including case consultation and 24/7 on-call support for licensed families
• Helpline Center (211): Community resource referrals including emergency financial assistance, child care, and crisis support
• Tribal ICWA programs: For families involved in tribal placements, the tribe's child welfare program can provide direct support and advocacy

Making the Decision

Saying yes to a family member's child in crisis is an act of love. It can also be financially and logistically overwhelming without the right support structure in place. The single most important thing a kinship caregiver can do in the first week is initiate licensing — not because the process is pleasant, but because it unlocks the financial support, Medicaid coverage, and professional caseworker support that makes a sustainable placement possible.

The South Dakota Foster Care Licensing Guide covers the full licensing process for both relative and non-relative foster families, including the specific documentation checklist, home inspection requirements for rural properties, and the ICWA framework that governs placements involving Native American children.

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