South Dakota
‘The kids are what you love:’ South Dakota foster families share their stories
Editor’s note: This is the eighth in a series of stories on children that Jackie Hendry, producer and host of South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s “South Dakota Focus” is writing for South Dakota News Watch. Each month, she previews the upcoming show.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota has more children in the foster system than families to care for them. On average, there were more than 1,000 children in the system in any given month last year, but just over 800 foster families licensed statewide.
Children enter the system for a number of reasons, but the leading causes of foster placement in the state are neglect, parental substance abuse and parental incarceration, according to the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect.
The shortage of foster families is not a new problem.
In May 2021, Gov. Kristi Noem launched the Stronger Families Together initiative to highlight the need. In an email, a spokesperson for the Department of Social Services said 2,000 families have reached out for more information since the program’s launch, and 669 families have completed screening and training to become licensed foster care providers.
But the need persists.
“Foster families are needed in all communities across South Dakota, most critically in the western and central parts of the state,” the DSS spokesperson continued. “Foster families are needed for all ages and genders; however, there is a significant need for more Native American foster families. The Department also holds a need for foster families who can be available to care for sibling groups, older children, and children whose special needs require ongoing medical, mental health, and/or behavioral health care. Foster families capable of supporting services to address the developmental needs of children are also needed.”
Current foster families receive regular communication from the Department of Social Services on children who need placement options. Two foster families in the Sioux Falls area — where most foster families in the state are located — shared their stories in hopes of encouraging other families to get involved.
Serious problems are a small part of foster care
Tammy Vande Kamp is a nurse practitioner in the mental health field in Hartford. She initially learned about foster care from her husband’s family and then from a program at their church. Their first placement was a 10-day-old newborn they took home from the neonatal intensive care unit.
“He stayed with us for eight months, and then we were able to reunify him with his mom,” said Vande Kamp.
She and her husband have been foster parents for two years. Like many foster families, the Vande Kamps get regular emails from the Department of Social Services looking for placements for kids with nowhere else to go.
“I mean – we’re full. We have right now four foster children and two biological children living in our home, so we’re at capacity, and it’s sad,” said Vande Kamp.
She worries that press coverage of the foster system is too focused on the horror stories.
“We hear about the foster children that maybe run away. Or we hear about the foster parents that abuse the foster children or the kiddos that end up going home and they end up abused or unfortunately, maybe even they’re killed. It’s a very, very small part of foster care,” Vande Kamp said. “We have been fortunate to have some beautiful children in our home. Yes, there are challenging times. Yes, we have hard times, they have hard times. But there is so much good that comes out of them and us.”
Attachment to foster family helps kids later in life
While the common stigmas about foster care are likely one deterrent for potential foster families, another source of hesitation Vande Kamp often hears is a fear of getting too attached.
“I used to feel the same way,” she said. “I learned through classes and through the program that we were teaching them how to be attached. We’re trying to teach these children to attach so that when they’re older, when they’re adults, they can attach to other people. They can trust people.”
Vande Kamp said she was sad saying goodbye to her first foster child, but she was also happy to reunify him with his mother.
“I had a peace knowing that we gave him what he needed for the time he was with us,” she said. “I knew that we gave him the best of us that we could give him, and we gave him a good start for her to then continue on.”
There are several Facebook groups for foster parenting, including one Vande Kamp joined for foster parents in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties. She consistently saw posts asking for a support group for foster parents.
“So we started one,” said Vande Kamp.
Communities challenged to lend support beyond toys
What began as a gathering at a Scooters coffee shop now is a monthly meeting at Tre Ministries in Sioux Falls. She acknowledges it can be a safe place to vent, but it’s mostly an opportunity for foster parents to get advice from each other about state forms and available services.
“Because you can ask your social worker, but sometimes they’re busy and they don’t have time to call you back,” said Vande Kamp. “And for me personally, my best resource has been other foster moms who have been in this longer than I have.”
The informal support group is one kind of resource Vande Kamp sees lacking for foster families and the children they care for.
“I think we have great resources for things. We have great resources for clothes, diapers, toys,” said Vande Kamp. “We don’t have great resources for people.”
For example, Vande Kamp said she’d love to see a movement to provide frozen meals for foster families to occasionally ease the burden of meal prep on top of other obligations. More than that, she wants to see communities rise to the occasion to serve children in need.
“One thing my children don’t need more of is toys. They don’t need more toys. They don’t need another blanket. And they don’t need another stuffed animal. They need people,” she said. “They need other adults in their lives who can be positive role models. And certainly the Native American population of children need positive Native American role models.”
Indigenous foster care in short supply
Native American children made up 74% of children in the state foster system as of May 2023. The federal Indian Child Welfare Act prioritizes placing Native children with relatives or other Native families. But of the 808 state-licensed foster families in South Dakota last year, just 86 were Native American.
Brandy and Scott Louwagie of Sioux Falls were one of those families.
Brandy is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. They’ve been fostering for 10 years and have almost exclusively had Native children placed with them. The Louwagies adopted their three children from foster care and were fostering an infant girl earlier this month.
“The responsibility that comes with being an ICWA home is just making sure those children, if they’re connected with their culture, to continue that connection,” said Brandy. “And if they’re not, introduce them to that side of their culture so that if they are seeking that when they’re older or something, it’s not something brand new to them when they’re trying to seek that heritage.”
Brandy said her Native identity has helped her develop a rapport with the birth relatives of some foster placements.
“The primary goal is always reunification of a child with their biological family,” she said. “As foster parents, it’s our job and our duty to help with that.”
Brandy and Scott work for Daktronics, and both travel frequently for their role. One resource they rely on is child care.
“If we didn’t have child care, there’s absolutely no way we could foster,” she said.
“It’d be too much impact on our lives,” he added. “We’d have to get new jobs.”
The Lost Children: An Argus Leader/South Dakota Searchlight investigation into ICWA in South Dakota
Benefit is worth the time commitment
Like other foster families, the Louwagies regularly receive emails and phone calls about children who need a place to stay.
“Our licensing person just came in to relicense us,” Brandy said. “You tell them as a foster home how many children you can accept. … So she says, ‘I know your hands are full, but can you take on more kids?’ And we’re like, we can’t. We do what we can, as much as we can. But she said, ‘We have so many children who need a placement.’”
The Louwagies also hear prospective foster parents worry about the time commitment or that they would get too attached to kids they’d ultimately return back to their families.
“We are so busy all the time,” said Brandy, gesturing to Scott. “I mean, we have sports, doctors’ visits, both of us travel — so pretty much one of us is always doing almost everything. And the thing is, yeah, the kids are what you love. That’s the only reason we do foster care is because of the kids.”
Both Brandy and Scott agree that they keep fostering because they value the chance to give children a sense of safety and security in a traumatic point in their lives.
“You just have to understand: If I can take the hurt of a child away, that’s what we’ll do,” Brandy said.
How to watch ‘South Dakota Focus’ on SDPB
The next episode of “South Dakota Focus” airs on Thursday, April 25, at 8 p.m. Central time / 7 p.m. Mountain time. It can be viewed on SDPB-TV 1, Facebook, YouTube and SD.net
The episode includes:
- Stories from two former foster children who aged out of the child welfare system
- Stories from foster families about their challenges and what keeps them motivated to care for children
- The state Legislature’s creation of the Indian Child Welfare Advisory Council within the Department of Social Services
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Good morning KELOLAND. We are following several breaking weather headlines across the region. 100mph winds have created numerous reports of damage in and around Rapid City. Several communities West River have reported winds over 80mph this morning.
Take a look at some of the damage near Pringle, SD. There are many reports of property damage.
This is video from our Rapid City LIVE Cam as of 5am as 80-90mph winds were being reported.
Here are some of the storm reports as of 7am. Keep checking back for new updates. We will be updating this story frequently through the morning.
This is viewer video on uSHARE from Rapid City overnight. You can see the power flashes on the horizon.
Here’s a look at the wind gust map as of 5am. 80-100mph wind gusts have been common.
Meanwhile, snow and near blizzard conditions have been developing farther north and east. Take a look at this video from Eureka from earlier this morning.
More camera video below from Miller as of 7am, showing us what is looks like out there in KELOLAND.
Winter weather advisories have been posted for many areas north of Sioux Falls because of the strong winds and snow squalls. Expect near white-out conditions from time to time while the snow is moving through.
You can see how fast the weather is changing on the radar and satellite map below. Temperatures will be falling quickly with these bursts of snow East River.
Take a look at the wind forecast in the video below. The worst of the wind is moving east of Rapid City now, but Sioux Falls will see increasing winds today of 50-60 mph at times. Any snow that falls will get blown around by the strong winds.
Here’s an overview of Futurecast. You can see see the snow showing up over the blizzard and advisory areas in eastern KELOLAND today.
Now, take a closer look at the hour-by-hour forecast in the video below.
The forecast today calls for strong winds and falling temperatures through the day.
Most of the snow in Sioux Falls will melt by Christmas Day.
BROOKINGS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The President of the South Dakota NAACP is happy to explain what she’s wearing.
Nieema Thasing voluntarily wears the Khimar for modesty and reflection of her beliefs. For the first time in years, she took it off before leaving the house.
“In 25 years, never had my husband tell me it would be better if I didn’t wear my stuff. I listened to him and didn’t. I felt really naked. I am being prudent.” said Thasing.
Brookings resident Tasiyagnunpa Barondeau is noticing other ethnic groups assimilating how they appear in public.
“People stop wearing cultural things or things that might speak to not being part of the white majority culture right now.” said Barondeau.
The City of Brookings acknowledged Operation Prairie Thunder’s scheduled time in their town December 17th to the 19th.
Their statement continued: “The City of Brookings will not be participating in these operations.”
Governor Rhoden responded in a statement of his own: “For security reasons, we are not going to comment on operational specifics. It’s unfortunate that the City of Brookings would jeopardize an anti-crime operation and put the safety of our officers at risk by publishing this information. In South Dakota, we enforce the rule of law.”
Barondeau questions, just exactly how many law enforcement officials are needed to consider the area “safe” with three branches of law enforcement already in town.
“Brookings Police, we have the campus police for SDSU and then we also have the Sheriff’s Department right here in Brookings as this county seat. I just don’t understand why Brookings I and I think I am not alone in that.” said Barondeau.
Thasing believes it’s because of the percentage of minorities.
“Highly melanated persons that are working in dairies and working different places, this is an escalation of what happened back in the 60s. There are no dogs or hoses; there are dog whistles.” said Thasing.
She questions the intention of Prairie Thunder.
“Causing people to be fearful. And I believe that’s the whole understanding and the idea behind it.” said Thasing.
Some Brookings residents have spoken with attorneys to better understand the rights of those stopped or questioned by ICE.
“Just staying vigilant and calm. We are not here to obstruct justice. There are trained legal observers now in our area that are aware that this is happening and are going to make themselves available should they need to.” said Barondeau.
Copyright 2025 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
Part 2 of a 3-part series.
South Dakota’s weak open records law gives police agencies full discretion on whether to release footage from body or dashboard cameras, and in most cases, the videos of officer conduct are never shown to the public.
South Dakota News Watch made formal public records requests to obtain video footage of use of deadly force incidents from eight separate law enforcement agencies in November, and all of the requests were quickly denied.
On a few occasions, South Dakota law enforcement agencies have released video footage of their own accord but not necessarily in cases where officer conduct is in question.
The Watertown Police Department released a video on Facebook in early November showing officers responding to a possible break-in with their guns drawn only to find a whitetail buck that had made it into a bedroom.
In 2016, the Rapid City Police Department posted a dash cam video to its public Facebook page showing the chief’s nephew proposing to his girlfriend in a mock traffic stop. “This one is too good not to share,” the Facebook post noted.
The Rapid City Police Department rejected News Watch’s request for videos of a May 30, 2023, incident in which an officer fatally shot 25-year-old Kyle
Whiting, who brandished a fake gun during a foot chase. A bystander inside a nearby home was also shot in the abdomen by the officer and survived. The state ruled the shooting was justified.
Still images tend to clear officers
Some police agencies will occasionally release still images from body or dashboard camera videos, typically when the screenshots show an officer facing a clear threat that appears to justify use of deadly force.
In August, the state released an image from video of a July 5 chase in which a Sioux Falls police officer shot and wounded 24-year-old Deondre Gene Black Hawk in the 100 block of Garfield Avenue.
One still image released to the public shows the gun Black Hawk fired at police. Another image shows Black Hawk pointing the gun toward a pursuing officer prior to the shooting, which was ruled justified by state investigators.
In 2022, the Rapid City Police Department took the unusual step of inviting local media to privately view body camera footage showing the shooting of Barney Leroy Peoples Jr., who was killed after pointing a rifle at officers. The video was not released to the public, and the shooting was ruled justified by the state.
“This was done for public interest and public safety to dispel a false narrative circulating on social media that could have led to civil unrest,” spokesman Brendyn Medina wrote in an email to News Watch.
In a move that appeared to have political overtones, videos were released in 2021 showing former South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg being pulled over by officers for suspected traffic violations. The videos and audio showed Ravnsborg informing officers of his status as attorney general during the traffic stops, some of which did not result in tickets.
The videos were released during a period when Ravnsborg was facing possible removal from office for striking and killing a pedestrian in September 2020.
Ravnsborg was eventually impeached, an action supported by then-Gov. Kristi Noem, whose office also made the unprecedented move of releasing videos of Ravnsborg being interviewed by detectives during the investigation into the 2020 fatal accident.
Federal agency released SD shooting video
In general, the federal government provides more public access to police videos than states like South Dakota, and that access was expanded in a May 2022 executive order from President Joe Biden.
That order included a requirement to expedite public release of videos from officers’ body-worn cameras. As a result, in October 2022, the U.S. Department of Interior issued a new policy that required federal officers to wear body cameras and sought to make it easier and faster for the media and public to obtain videos captured by federal authorities.
Due in part to that policy, video of a June 2023 police-involved shooting in South Dakota was released by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. In that incident, 39-year-old James Schneider of Watauga fired a weapon and then led authorities on a vehicle chase that ended at the Bullhead Community Center parking lot.
According to the dashboard video, Schneider was waving his arms and holding a handgun in an area where people were present. After he turned to flee into a residential neighborhood, he was shot in the back by an officer. Schneider was found guilty in August of assault and weapons charges after a jury trial and is awaiting sentencing.
In releasing the video, the BIA said it was doing so to be transparent in its operations. To protect the privacy of all involved, faces were blurred in the video.
“The community briefing video is intended to help members of the community gain a better understanding of what occurred,” the BIA said in a release. “We are committed to being transparent with our community.”
Privacy a top concern for agencies
Rapid City police do not routinely release department videos, largely due to privacy concerns of anyone captured in the footage, said Medina, the department spokesman.
“Much of the information collected by (body-worn cameras) is confidential and involves personal information, including that of victims, juveniles, and vulnerable individuals involved in critical and traumatic incidents,” Medina wrote in an email. “It’s important to note that we have had requests from victims and families specifically not to release photos or videos of their encounters with police. Additionally, juvenile and victim information is protected by state statute.”
Almost all states that allow for public video releases do so with caveats that privacy issues and often concerns over protecting prosecutions are met prior to release.
Rapid City shares the management of its video program with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, which recently spent about $48,000 to buy 68 Axon body cameras, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Helene Duhamel.
The Sioux Falls Police Department has an extensive video policy that does not typically allow for public release of videos, said Sgt. Aaron Benson.
“Granting public access to dash and body camera video potentially involves numerous issues relating to the rights of all persons in those videos. These rights include but are not limited to general privacy concerns of victims, suspects, witnesses and others, to statutory and constitutional rights of those same individuals,” Benson wrote in an email. “Additionally, release of video can detrimentally affect ongoing investigations, prosecutions and other legal matters related to those videos.”
McPherson County Sheriff David Ackerman, president of the South Dakota Sheriff’s Association, said body and dash cameras are important tools for police agencies in both urban and rural areas, even though his camera program costs about $60,000 a year, roughly 10% of the overall departmental budget.
“These are very valuable tools, and it’s something that in this day and age, every office and agency needs to have,” Ackerman said. “I’m glad where we are today because they’re for the protection of the public as well as the officers.”
Assistant police chief on body cam: ‘I enjoy wearing it’
Monty Rothenberger, assistant police chief in Yankton, said he supports the use of dash and body cameras as a way to increase accountability for officers and to aid in resolving public complaints.
“I wouldn’t do this job without a body camera, and I enjoy wearing it,” Rothenberger said. “I don’t have anything to hide. And because everything is on video, I feel like Big Brother is watching and I support that.”
The Yankton Police Department bought new cameras last year at a cost of about $80,000, he said.
Rothenberger said that while he is aware of South Dakota public records laws that do not require the department to release videos to the public, he said he personally would support the release of videos in a high-profile or controversial case.
“I’m only speaking for myself, but I would never hide anything like that,” Rothenberger said. “That’s not up to me. … (But) releasing that stuff, it’s good that agencies release things when something has gone wrong and they are being transparent.”
Read part 1 of the 3-part series:
Police videos in SD: Public pays costs but cannot see footage As more states begin to provide public access to videos captured by law enforcement agencies, South Dakota continues to keep a tight lid on them.
Publishing Friday, Dec. 19, part 3: A 2020 legislative effort to regulate body camera videos never made it to a vote, maintaining South Dakota’s national reputation for law enforcement secrecy
This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email to get stories when they’re published. Contact content director Bart Pfankuch at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.
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