Sotera Youth & Family Services Collaborative

10/12/2026

10/06/2026

Help Us Make Our Space Work Better for Families!

We’re making some improvements at Sotera, and we’re hoping our community might be willing to help!

This remodel isn’t about making things fancy, it’s about making better use of the space we already have. The changes will allow us to:

💜 Expand our supervised visitation room so larger families have more room to spend time together
👕 Improve our Foster Closet storage and access, making it easier to organize and distribute clothing and supplies
🏠 Create a more functional lobby and family resource area that can accommodate small trainings, meetings, and activities for families

The construction itself is pretty straightforward, but there are a couple of areas where skilled volunteers or donated materials could make a big difference:

🔨 Framing & drywall help — constructing 2 new interior walls and hanging/finishing drywall
🚪 Carpentry/remodeling help — creating 2 new doorways/openings in existing walls and finishing them out
⚡ Electrical help — relocating wiring/cables above the drop ceiling as walls are added or removed
🏠 Flooring — materials and/or installation
🗄️ Cabinetry — cabinets for our small kitchenette/resource area
🪚 Shelving — materials and/or help building and installing shelving
💜 Material or monetary donations toward remodel expenses

We certainly don’t expect one person to do it all! If one of these projects happens to be in your wheelhouse and you’d be willing to donate a few hours, some materials, or your expertise, we’d love to hear from you.

Every bit of help allows us to stretch our remodel dollars further and put more of our resources where they belong—serving children and families.

09/30/2026

As September comes to an end, our recognition of Kinship Care Month does not mean our appreciation ends. 💜

Throughout this month, we've talked about what kinship care can look like, the many challenges caregivers may face, and the importance of having a community of support around them.

But today, we simply want to say:

Thank you.

Thank you to the grandparents who stepped back into a parenting role.

Thank you to the aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, and relatives who opened their homes.

Thank you to the people who may not be related by blood but stepped forward because a child needed someone they could trust.

Thank you for rearranging your lives.

Thank you for learning new things.

Thank you for showing up on the hard days.

Thank you for creating a safe place for a child to land.

And thank you for reminding children that even when circumstances change, they are loved, they belong, and they are not alone.

💜 At Sotera Youth & Family Services, we are honored to be part of the community supporting kinship families.

While September may be National Kinship Care Month, our commitment to supporting families continues all year long.

If you are a kinship caregiver and you're not sure where to turn, please reach out. We may be able to help connect you with resources, provide available practical items through our Foster Closet or Comfort Cases, or help you find other community supports.

Kinship care is about connection.
Connection creates belonging.
And together, we can help families feel supported.

💜 Thank you to every kinship caregiver who said, “We'll figure this out together.”

09/29/2026

Kinship care is about family—but supporting families is something we can all be part of. 💜

A kinship caregiver may be the person who opens their home, but they shouldn't have to carry the entire journey alone.

Sometimes being part of the village looks like:

💜 Bringing dinner to a family that has suddenly welcomed a child into their home.

💜 Offering to help with transportation, errands, or school activities.

💜 Listening without judgment.

💜 Checking in and asking, “How are you really doing?”

💜 Helping a caregiver find information or community resources.

💜 Making sure a child feels welcomed, included, and supported.

💜 Giving a caregiver permission to take a breath and take care of themselves, too.

And sometimes, being part of the village means simply saying:

“You don't have to figure this out alone.”

At Sotera Youth & Family Services, we believe connection is an important part of supporting families. Whether a family needs a safe place for visitation or exchanges, clothing or comfort items, help navigating a new situation, or connections to other community resources, we are here to help where we can. 💜

As National Kinship Care Month comes to an end, we want to recognize the grandparents, relatives, siblings, and other caring adults who step forward for children.

Thank you for opening your home.
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for being part of a child's village.

And to everyone who supports a kinship family along the way:

Thank you for being part of the village, too. 💜

09/28/2026

When a family member steps up for a child, who steps up for the caregiver? 💜

Kinship caregivers often say yes because a child they love needs them.

But saying yes can come with many unexpected challenges.

A grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, or other relative may suddenly find themselves navigating school, appointments, clothing, transportation, new routines, paperwork, and a whole new set of responsibilities—all while helping a child adjust to a difficult change.

That's a lot to carry.

And kinship caregivers shouldn't have to figure it all out alone.

💜 Sotera is here for kinship families, too.

At Sotera Youth & Family Services, we believe caregivers deserve support, connection, and practical resources close to home. Our work includes supporting foster and kinship families through resources, referrals, and community connections.

For kinship families who need them, we may be able to help with:

💜 Comfort Cases for children entering care or experiencing a transition, with items such as pajamas, clothing, hygiene items, blankets, and comfort items.

💜 Our Foster Closet, where kinship families can access available clothing, shoes, coats, baby supplies, hygiene items, and other essentials.

💜 Supervised visitation and safe exchanges through our Family Visitation & Access Center, providing a safe, neutral, and structured place for families to maintain important connections.

💜 Guidance and connections to resources. Sometimes you don't need someone to have all the answers—you just need someone who can help you figure out where to start. Sotera works with community partners and connects families with resources and services that may be able to help.

And most importantly:

It's okay to ask for help.

It's okay to have questions.
It's okay to feel overwhelmed.
It's okay to say, “I don't know what to do next.”

You stepped up for a child.

Let us help support you, too. 💜

During National Kinship Care Month, Sotera Youth & Family Services wants kinship caregivers to know:

You are not alone. Your community is here. And we're glad you're here.

09/27/2026

Kinship care doesn't always look the same. 💜

When a child needs a safe and stable place to stay, the person who steps forward may be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, cousin, or another relative.

Sometimes it is someone who isn't related by blood at all—but has a meaningful, trusted connection with the child.

Kinship caregivers may step into this role unexpectedly. They may be balancing work, school, other children, appointments, and the many emotions that come with caring for a child during a difficult time.

And while every family’s story is different, one thing remains the same:

Connection matters.

A familiar face.
A safe place to sleep.
Someone who knows their favorite food.
Someone who remembers their bedtime routine.
Someone who says, “You are safe here. We will figure this out together.”

During National Kinship Care Month, we recognize the many different ways families and communities come together to support children.

💜 Kinship caregivers don't have to have all the answers. They just need support, too.

09/01/2026

💜 September is National Kinship Care Month! 💜

Sometimes, when a child cannot safely remain with a parent, family steps in.

A grandparent becomes a parent again.
An aunt or uncle opens their home.
An older sibling takes on a new role.
A relative, or someone who feels like family, says, “You can stay with me.”

That is kinship care.

Throughout September, Sotera Youth & Family Services will be recognizing the grandparents, relatives, and kinship caregivers who provide stability and connection when children need it most and sharing information and resources that can help support these families.

To every kinship caregiver who has rearranged your life, opened your home, or simply said “we'll figure this out together”:

We see you. We appreciate you. And we're glad you stepped up.

08/14/2026

⭐ Come count starfish with us tonight! ⭐

Sotera is set up and ready for the Cade Thompson concert tonight, hosted by South Dakota Kids Belong! 🎶💙

If you're here, stop by our booth, say hello, learn a little more about what Sotera is doing for children and families in our community, and grab a starfish bookmark!

We believe that while we may not be able to help everyone, making a difference for one child or one family still matters. ⭐

We'd love to see you tonight!

08/07/2026

What an incredible evening!

Tonight, Sotera welcomed over 50 children and 20 adults for our end-of-summer bowling night at Lariat Lanes!

Families enjoyed an evening of neon bowling, arcade games, pizza, door prizes and time together before the start of a new school year. Every child received a gift bag, 22 backpacks were distributed to help kids get ready to head back to school, and 8 teen hygiene kits were provided to local youth.

Events like this are about more than bowling. They're about creating opportunities for foster, kinship, adoptive, and other families to connect, build relationships, and make positive memories together.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this evening possible, especially:

Venture Communications for sponsoring the event. Lariat Lanes for your generosity and hospitality. South Dakota Urban Indian Health (SDUIH) for donating teen hygiene kits for our youth. The Gail & Dolores Miller Foundation for supporting Sotera's family programming and helping us continue opportunities like this throughout the year.

And thank you to all of the families who spent your evening with us. Seeing children laugh, play, and simply enjoy being kids was the best part of the night.

We look forward to seeing you at our next family event!

07/10/2026

🎳 Registration is NOW OPEN! 🎳

Sotera Youth & Family Services is excited to invite foster, adoptive, and kinship families from across Central South Dakota to our Strike Into the School Year Family Fun Night!

📅 Thursday, August 6, 2026
🕕 6:00–8:30 PM
📍 Lariat Lanes | Pierre, SD

💜 This event is FREE for foster, adoptive, and kinship families, thanks to the generosity of our community sponsors and supporters. Join us for a FREE evening of black light glow bowling, arcade games, pizza, sweet treats, door prizes, family connection, and fun as we celebrate the end of summer together.

🎟️ Registration is required so we can reserve enough bowling lanes, food, and prizes for everyone attending.

👉 Register by August 3 at:
https://soterayouth.org/strike

📣 Help us spread the word! If you know a foster, adoptive, or kinship family in Central South Dakota, please share this post with them or tag them in the comments. We want every family to know they're invited!

A special thank you to Venture Communications and our community partners for helping make this event possible. 💙