Abbott House Launches Community Appeals Campaign

Building Bridges to a Brighter Future for Vulnerable Youth in Sioux Falls

For more than 85 years, Abbott House has helped South Dakota children and families heal from trauma, abuse, neglect and mental health challenges. Now the organization is expanding its presence in Sioux Falls to meet the growing need for safe, stable homes for young people in foster care.

On April 1, the organization launched its “Building Bridges to a Brighter Future” campaign through the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Community Appeals program. Under the leadership of co-chairs Joe Gannon, senior vice president and market president at Central Bank, and Amanda Seykora, owner of UMBRA Business & Legal Solutions, the campaign will help fund the construction of two new intensive foster care homes and independent living apartments designed to provide stability, guidance and opportunity for young people who have experienced significant hardship early in life.

Gannon says the project represents a meaningful investment in the future of the region’s youth.

“Supporting this project is about far more than building houses — it’s about creating stable, loving homes where South Dakota’s most vulnerable children can heal, grow and build a future they can believe in,” Gannon said. “Abbott House has a long history of stepping into the gap for kids who have nowhere else to turn, and this initiative will change the trajectory of countless young lives.”

Seykora says the organization’s mission resonates deeply with her.

“I am passionate about the work being done across our state by the Abbott House team because I know firsthand the heavy burden of childhood loss, trauma and deep sadness. Carrying that kind of pain alone can easily lead a young person down a path they aren’t proud of. Abbott House provides exactly what these kids need to change direction — a safe place to acknowledge their wounds, a place where they can be truly seen and the ongoing
support needed to begin the overwhelming work of healing so they can rewrite their future.”

Each year, the organization serves more than 500 young people and their families across South Dakota through trauma-focused psychiatric residential treatment, intensive foster care, addiction recovery services, accredited education programs, crisis care and independent living support. More than 40 percent of the youth served come from the Sioux Empire area, reflecting the significant need for these services within the region.

Although Abbott House has served youth from the Sioux Falls area since 1939, its first intensive foster care homes in the city opened in 2024. Since then, more than 30 children who needed a family environment and a safe place to call home have been served through these programs.

Today, the organization operates two intensive foster homes in Sioux Falls — one serving boys and one serving girls— with six young people living in each home. Youth living in these homes can be up to 18 years old and currently range in age from 3 to 16. In total, more than 20 young people benefit from these homes each year.

Despite this progress, the need for foster care placements continues to grow across South Dakota. When Abbott House launched its Bridges Intensive Foster Care program in 2013, there were 1,253 children in foster care statewide. By the end of fiscal year 2025, the South Dakota Department of Social Services reported that number had climbed to 1,709 young people. At the same time, the number of available foster homes has declined to just 793 — the lowest number since 2020.

Today, Abbott House operates 12 intensive foster homes across South Dakota, including six in Rapid City, four in Mitchell and two in Sioux Falls. In addition, 16 independent living apartments in Mitchell and Rapid City help support young adults transitioning out of foster care. Together, these homes and apartments serve 88 young people at any given time and more than 150 youth annually.

The Building Bridges to a Brighter Future project will help address the growing need in Sioux Falls. The project includes the construction of two additional intensive foster homes, each designed with seven bedrooms and an attached garage. Each home will also include two attached double-bedroom independent living apartments that will provide safe, affordable housing for young adults transitioning out of foster care.

These apartments offer more than just housing. Young adults living in the units receive guidance and support from licensed social workers as they develop the life skills needed to live independently and build successful futures.

The Community Appeals campaign goal is $1.8 million, which will contribute toward the overall $3 million campaign needed to complete the project. In addition to construction costs, the campaign will support furnishings, appliances, vehicles and other essentials required to operate homes that support families of up to eight people, including foster parents.

The campaign also includes $400,000 in endowment funding that will be invested through the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation to help sustain the program and support youth served through the homes long into the future.

Once completed, the expanded homes and apartments will allow the organization to serve approximately 50 youth and young adults annually in the Sioux Falls community — more than doubling the number currently supported through its local programs. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 once fundraising is complete and contracts with the state are finalized.

For many children entering foster care, the experience of a stable home environment can be life-changing. Many have moved from placement to placement or have never experienced consistent meals, structured schedules or the reassurance of supportive adults who are committed to their well-being.

The organization’s intensive foster care homes are designed to provide exactly that. Trauma-trained foster parents create a structured, family-centered environment while working closely with counselors and community partners to help youth process their experiences and develop healthy relationships.

Over time, many young people who once struggled with instability begin to thrive. They participate in school activities, build friendships, graduate from high school and move forward with plans for college, careers or both.

Honorary campaign chair Dana Dykhouse, CEO of First PREMIER Bank, and his wife, Ladawn, are strong supporters of the project.

“Abbott House provides critical services to the most vulnerable young people in our communities,” Dykhouse said. “Because of Abbott House, young people are receiving positive guidance, and that is why Ladawn and I strongly support their mission.”

Beyond the life-changing impact for youth and families, the project will also benefit the broader Sioux Falls community. Children who grow up in stable foster family environments are more likely to graduate from high school, maintain steady employment and avoid homelessness or involvement in the criminal justice system.

“Every child deserves a safe place to land, and Abbott House delivers exactly that for young people who have faced so much hardship early in their lives,” Gannon said. “This project expands our ability to give them stability, family and hope. When a young person finally experiences a home where they feel safe, supported and encouraged, everything changes — their confidence, their education, their future. That’s the impact we’re investing in, and it will benefit Sioux Falls for generations.”