South Dakota

Facilities in South Dakota

Residential facilities providing religious, behavioral, and mental health treatment to children exist in all 50 states. Some of these facilities are known to be part of the Troubled Teen Industry, while others have not yet been verified. Any facility where children live and receive care requires additional oversight. This directory helps communities monitor local programs and advocate for accountability.

Reporting abuse in South Dakota

South Dakota's child protection intake runs on office hours only - 8am to 5pm Central on weekdays - and the state tells you to call local law enforcement instead for anything urgent outside them. Its counseling board is unusually frank that the process is slow: the licensee gets 20 days to answer, everything then goes to a board member, and the Board says the whole thing is generally lengthy.

Time limits in South Dakota: a general guide

This was correct as far as we could tell when we checked it on 28 September 2026. Laws on time limits change often, sometimes every legislative session, so some of what follows may have been updated since. It is a starting point, not legal advice: please check with a lawyer before relying on any date here. A time limit on a lawsuit or a criminal charge is also not a time limit on telling someone, and most of the places listed below will still take a report.

Time limits for abuse of a child often run from the survivor's 18th birthday, or from when they came to understand what happened, rather than from the day the program closed. Many states have lengthened them, removed them for child sexual abuse, or reopened claims that had already expired. A criminal charge, a lawsuit and a licence complaint each have their own time limit, so one having passed does not necessarily mean the others have.

Lawsuits

Physical abuse or injury: Two years for assault, battery or false imprisonment. Three years for other personal injury claims, such as negligence. S.D. Codified Laws §§ 15-2-15(1), 15-2-14(3)
If it happened before you turned 18: Less certain Time spent under 18 does not count, but the extra time can never go past one year after your 18th birthday. So a person hurt as a child has at least until age 19, or longer if the normal period from the injury ends later. S.D. Codified Laws § 15-2-22
If the program was run by or for the government: For injury claims against the state, a county, city, school district or other public entity, written notice must be given within 180 days of the injury. The notice does not extend the lawsuit deadline. S.D. Codified Laws § 3-21-2
Child sexual abuse: CSA: The civil SOL for CSA claims against all defendants is age 19 with a 3-year discovery rule that has an upper age limit of 40 years for claims against non-perpetrator defendants. Trafficking: The civil SOL for trafficking claims is age 24. CSAM: The civil SOL for CSAM claims is age 24. CHILD USA's summary

Criminal charges

Physical child abuse: Abuse of or cruelty to a minor (a felony) can be charged at any time before the victim turns 25. If the abuse is charged as aggravated assault instead, the limit is seven years from the offense. S.D. Codified Laws § 26-10-1
Assault: Seven years for aggravated assault and other lower-level felonies. Misdemeanor simple assault also has seven years. S.D. Codified Laws §§ 23A-42-2, 23A-42-1
Child sexual abuse: CSA: There is no criminal SOL for first- and second-degree rape. The SOL is either age 25 or 7 years from the offense for other felonies and misdemeanors. Trafficking: The SOL is 7 years from the offense for trafficking. CSAM: The SOL for CSAM is 7 years from the offense. CHILD USA's summary

The injury, assault and physical abuse lines are our reading of the statutes linked, as they stood on 28 September 2026. The child sexual abuse lines are CHILD USA's summary as it stood on 28 September 2026; their page may be more current than ours. In them SOL means statute of limitations, CSA child sexual abuse, and CSAM child sexual abuse material. "Less certain" marks a line where the law is unclear or where our reading has not been confirmed, so please treat it with extra care. Exceptions, court rulings and the details of what happened can all change which time limit applies, and some of these may be longer or shorter for you than they look here. CHILD USA's statute of limitations tracker, updated as each state changes its law. A lawyer can tell you which time limit applies to you, and many offer a free first consultation.

The therapist's licensing board

Holds the individual clinician's licence and can suspend or revoke it.

South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists

Multiple professions

Licenses counselors and marriage and family therapists in South Dakota and reviews complaints against them, with board members investigating where needed.

Use this whenA licensed counselor or marriage and family therapist in South Dakota. Social workers and psychologists have their own boards, which share an office in Spearfish on 605-642-1600.

HowComplete the Board's complaint form. A copy goes to the licensee, who has 20 days to respond in writing; everything then goes to a board member for review and any investigation.

All complaint proceedings are held in executive session, and the Board warns the process is generally lengthy.

605-224-1721 Fax 1-888-425-3032.
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SDBCE@midwestsolutionssd.com
By postSD Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists, P.O. Box 340, 1351 N. Harrison Ave., Pierre, SD 57501-0340

The agency that licenses the program

Inspects the facility itself and can cite, fine, suspend or close it.

South Dakota DSS licensing

The Department of Social Services licenses South Dakota's foster homes and residential facilities and maintains the state's abuse registry, which bars people from working in these settings.

Use this whenA licensed South Dakota facility.

HowContact the Department. Abuse and neglect go to Child Protection Services.

1-877-244-0864 Child Protection Services intake also takes concerns about licensed facilities.
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Law enforcement and legal channels

Child protection, the Attorney General, and the criminal side.

South Dakota Child Protection Services

The statutory report line for child abuse and neglect, run by the Department of Social Services.

Use this whenA child at a South Dakota program.

HowCall during office hours. For an emergency before 8am, after 5pm, at a weekend or on a holiday, the Department tells you to contact local law enforcement instead.

1-877-244-0864 Intake specialists 8am to 5pm Central, Monday to Friday. Outside those hours, call local law enforcement.
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Oversight and advocacy

Bodies with a right to investigate, and advocates who can act for you.

Disability Rights South Dakota

South Dakota's Protection and Advocacy agency, with federal authority to investigate abuse and neglect of people with disabilities in facilities, a right of access to them, and free legal advocacy.

Use this whenA South Dakota program where the young person has a disability or a mental health diagnosis.

HowContact the intake line.

1-800-658-4782 Voice and TTY. Main line 605-224-8294.
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National reporting channels, and the same list for other states