RAPID CITY, S.D. – Children’s Home Society of South Dakota celebrated a major milestone Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for new Life Skills and Family Engagement rooms at its upcoming Rapid City campus.
Funded through a humanitarian grant from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the new spaces are designed to help youth in residential care build independence while strengthening family connections. The Life Skills room will allow children to practice everyday tasks like cooking and baking, while the Family Engagement rooms provide a comfortable setting for therapy sessions and family visits.
Children’s Home Society President and CEO Michelle Lavallee says family involvement is a critical part of healing from trauma, noting that about 90 percent of children leaving residential treatment move on to a lower level of care and return to family or foster placements.
The new campus, located along Mount Rushmore Road in Rapid City, spans 110,000 square feet on 29 acres and represents a $51 million investment, the largest project in the organization’s 135-year history. In addition to residential treatment services, the facility will include an alternative day school, a Child Advocacy Center, and expanded outpatient mental health services aimed at improving access to care across western South Dakota.
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