Child Care Centers, Family Child Care & Preschools in South Dakota

South Dakota is home to 592 state-licensed care providers spanning 63 counties and 149 cities. Among rated providers, the average overall quality rating is not available.

149Cities

63Counties

592Certified providers

—Avg quality rating

Care type	Providers
Child Care Centers	274	View in South Dakota
Family Child Care Homes	289	View in South Dakota
Group Child Care Homes	0	—
Preschools	29	View in South Dakota
Head Start Programs	78	View in South Dakota
School-Age Programs	121	View in South Dakota
Child Care Providers	0	—

Cities in South Dakota

Sioux Falls, SD 183 providers Rapid City, SD 66 providers Sioux Falls, SD 32 providers Brookings, SD 29 providers Aberdeen, SD 21 providers Mitchell, SD 19 providers Yankton, SD 18 providers Pierre, SD 16 providers Brandon, SD 15 providers Watertown, SD 15 providers Harrisburg, SD 12 providers Madison, SD 12 providers

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Ipswich

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Jefferson

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Oglala

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Yankton

Counties in South Dakota

Showing 60 of 63 counties.

Choosing care in South Dakota

Treat any single record as a starting point, not a verdict. Child care quality lives in the details: staff-to-child ratios, caregiver training and turnover, how the space is kept, and whether the program's schedule and approach fit your family's needs.

For families in South Dakota, the key questions are availability and waitlists, tuition and fees, hours of operation, and how caregivers communicate with parents each day. A visit plus direct questions remains the surest way to judge whether a program fits.

Frequently asked questions

How many state-licensed providers does South Dakota have?

According to current licensing data, South Dakota has 592 licensed providers: 274 child care centers, 289 family child care homes, and 29 preschools.

How does South Dakota score on average quality ratings?

Not every provider in South Dakota has a published average rating; open individual facility pages to view quality ratings where available.

Which cities in South Dakota have the highest number of care providers?

In the current data, Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Sioux Falls lead South Dakota for certified provider counts. The city list above shows counts.

Data sources

Data source: ChildCare.gov state licensing resources, the state licensing agency data, and Head Start Service Locations (HHS/ACF). Data as of 2026-10-07. This page is informational and is not professional advice.

Required disclosures

For general information only. This website shares public data and general information about child care providers. It does not offer professional advice, and it cannot replace a visit to a provider, a review of public licensing records, or a conversation with the people you trust.

Independent and unaffiliated. DaycareFacilities.org is a private, independently run directory. It is not affiliated with, nor endorsed or operated by, any government agency, child care licensing authority, or child care provider. Government agencies have not reviewed or endorsed this site.

Confirm details before acting. Provider records come from public datasets and may lag or contain errors. Always verify current licensing status, hours, availability, capacity, and costs directly with the provider and with your state or territory licensing agency.

Certain outbound links on this site are partner or affiliate links. If you use them we may receive a commission, and your price does not change. This never influences the data we publish.