South Dakota

The trainings in this category are approved by South Dakota Department of Social Services, Division of Child Care. Course content information for the training obtained needs to be pre-approved by the program’s licensing specialist to ensure it will fall under one of the licensing training topic areas to count as training hours for licensing.

What childcare training resources exist in South Dakota?

The Child Care Services Division of the South Dakota Department of Social Services oversees all services, programs, and facilities pertaining to early childhood and out of school learning. Child Care Services is also the home to all of South Dakota childcare professional development and licensing needs. While there are many great tools available to childcare professionals from the Child Care Services, here’s two that we’ve found to be very useful.

The South Dakota Pathways to Professional Development strives to recognize member of the South Dakota early childhood workforce and to support those who are actively pursuing ongoing educational opportunities. Pathways to Professional Development promotes professional development with participants and also recognizes experience, training, and educational accomplishments. Pathways to Professional Development members receive a number of sources to develop and gain more skills as well as move themselves up.

Child Care Licensing  is part of the many programs that the Child Care Services Division of the South Dakota Department of Social oversees. The Child Care Services Division of the South Dakota Department of Social describes what the licensing protocols are for the different types of care centers.

How many hours of annual in-service training are required in South Dakota?

According to the South Dakota Pathways to Professional Development Training Manual revised in 2018, staff members must complete a minimum of twenty (20) additional training hours covering more than four topic areas each year.