Community & Family Services

Students from Iroquois School District received their Literacy Backpacks just in time for summer! Each Pre-K-3rd grade student went home with book themed backpack kits, filled with interactive materials ready to turn daily life into a hands-on opportunity for families to strengthen their reading skills together. Learn more about the family take-home activities and other customizable Science of Reading Family Engagement Offerings online now: cfs.bhssc.org/sor

📅 May 28 | 11 AM CT

Join the release of South Dakota’s Out-of-School Time (OST) Task Force Report!

Explore data, stories, and solutions to strengthen OST programs statewide.

👏 Shoutout to Pam Lange, CFS Director, and Billy Mawhiney, SD Afterschool Network Director, for serving on the task force.

Let’s support kids, families, and communities—together.

Register at: https://bit.ly/SDOSTReport

We’re proud to highlight Rebecca Poelstra, Birth to Three Service Coordinator at CFS.

Rebecca is driven by family, faith, and advocacy — especially helping those who feel like they don’t have a voice find the confidence to use theirs. 💛

As both a professional and a parent of a child with a disability, Rebecca brings powerful first-hand experience to the families she serves. She understands the journey from multiple perspectives and uses that insight to walk alongside parents with empathy, encouragement, and practical support.

For Rebecca, the most rewarding moments are hearing the success stories — when a child is thriving and a parent feels truly seen, heard, and helped. That’s the heart of Birth to Three.

We are grateful for the compassion and advocacy Rebecca brings to CFS every day! 👏

At the Kindergarten Transition Resource Fair, families can explore a real classroom, try hands-on activities, and connect with educators and community partners to support a smooth start to the school year. Snacks will be provided.

This event is made possible by our incredible sponsors and partners. Thank you to our sponsors for donating items for our prize drawings and helping make this event even more exciting for families:

Rapid City Area Schools District
Early Childhood Connections
Black Hills Special Services Cooperative
Community & Family Services
Coca-Cola
Strider Bikes
Someone's In The Kitchen
Qdoba
Crumbl Cookies
Leading Edge Fundraising- Matt Kemp
Rapid City Rush
Black Hills Blend
WaTiki Indoor Waterpark Resort
Scheels

This event is open to families from Title I schools. Hosted in partnership with Community & Family Services, Early Childhood Connections, and Rapid City Area Schools.

📅 Thursday, April 16, 2026
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 General Beadle Elementary School

Bring your incoming kindergartener and come see what kindergarten is all about.

View all participating organizations: go.bhssc.org/ktrf-s

📋 Concerned about your child’s development?
Children under age 3 with developmental delays or disabilities may qualify for free early intervention services through BHSSC’s Birth to Three Program.
🌐 Find out more: cfs.bhssc.org/projects/birth-to-three

🎉 We are excited to celebrate eight students from our Rapid Valley 21st Century Community Learning Center program for turning a big idea into an exciting accomplishment in the Mott Million Dollar Challenge .

Their invention, the Tinkerbot 1.1, was selected as a 5th–8th Grade Business winner in the first round of the challenge. This is an impressive achievement, and we are so proud of the creativity, teamwork, and innovation these students showed throughout the process. The team will now move on to the second round, with 60 winners to be announced on April 20. Each student will also receive a prize for participating. Congratulations to this talented group of young inventors—we will be cheering them on in the next round.🎉

Kindergarten is a big step… for kids and families!

Community and Family Services and Early Childhood Connections recently joined KOTA Territory News to share how the Title 1 Kindergarten Transition Resource Fair helps make that step feel a little easier.

Through hands-on activities and classroom experiences with local resources, families get a clearer picture of what to expect and how to support their child from day one. This event is offered in partnership with Rapid City Area Schools District.

📅 Thursday, April 16
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 General Beadle Elementary

Hear more from the interview:
https://www.kotatv.com/video/2026/04/02/kindergarten-resource-fair-help-ease-transition-school/

Thank you to the families, schools, and community partners who make this work possible.

Kindergarten Resource Fair to help ease transition to school Maria Kemp and Ashleigh Young joined us live with the details.

What would it take to make it through a single day experiencing the realities of poverty?

Step into the Poverty Escape Room, an interactive experience designed to help you better understand the everyday challenges individuals and families face. Through real-life scenarios, participants navigate limited resources, unexpected barriers, and difficult decisions.

You won’t be asked to “escape” poverty in 90 minutes. Instead, you will explore whether you could make it through a single day.

The experience concludes with guided reflection and conversation to build understanding and spark meaningful discussion about how poverty impacts our communities.

Offered in partnership with Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, Black Hills Special Services Cooperative, and higher education collaborators.

📍Denny Sanford PREMIER Center | Sioux Falls, SD
📅 Monday, April 20
⏰ 4:30 PM CST

Learn more: bit.ly/3MdfkdF

Help us spread the word. This free parenting class starts soon, and we want every interested family to have a chance to register!

Toddlers and preschoolers are learning and growing quickly, and parents and caregivers play an important role in guiding those everyday moments.

If you’re looking for practical tools that actually work in everyday moments, our Common Sense Parenting for Toddlers and Preschoolers class can help.

You’ll learn simple strategies to:
✔ Handle big emotions and tantrums
✔ Set clear expectations
✔ Encourage positive behavior
✔ Build routines that support your family

📅 Tuesdays | April 14 – May 19 | 6–8pm MT
💻 Attend from anywhere with internet access

Register here: sdsfec.org/csp-tp

Kindergarten starts with more than a backpack. It starts with feeling ready.

At the Kindergarten Transition Resource Fair, your child can explore a real classroom, try hands-on activities, and start getting comfortable in their new learning environment. You’ll have the chance to meet educators, connect with community resources, and get the information you need for a smooth start to the school year. Snacks will be provided.

This event is open to families from Title I schools. Hosted in partnership with Community & Family Services, Early Childhood Connections, and Rapid City Area Schools District.

📅 Thursday, April 16, 2026
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 General Beadle Elementary School

Bring your incoming kindergartener and come see what kindergarten is all about.

Learn more: go.bhssc.org/ktrf-s