In-home day cares decrease by half since 2015

South Dakota News Watch reports in-home day cares in South Dakota have decreased by half since 2015. According to a study done by News Watch there are currently only 350 in-home day cares registered with the state in 2024. In-home daycare services do not need to register with the state if they care for fewer than 13 children at a time or do not receive government funding. It is not known how many unregistered daycare providers there are across South Dakota, but estimates from a study conducted in 2021 puts it around 2,200.