> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Have South Dakota’s registered in-home day cares decreased over the past decade?
- URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakotas-registered-in-home-day-cares-child-care/
- Published: 2025-05-21T10:13:12.000Z
- Updated: 2025-05-21T10:13:12.000Z
- Description: A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.
- Author: Megan Luther
- Tags: Fact briefs

## Yes.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/FactBriefLogo-1.jpg)

Since 2015, South Dakota has lost half of its in-home day cares, with around 350 registered with the state in 2024.

The lack of staff has repeatedly plagued the child care industry. With an average hourly wage of $12.67, child care providers are among the lowest wage-earners in South Dakota. 

The state does not require in-home day cares with fewer than 13 children to register unless they receive government funding. It’s unknown how many unregistered day cares are in the state. A 2021 study estimated there were 2,200 in-home providers. 

While larger licensed child care centers have grown slightly, the total number of licensed or registered child care providers is still down a third in the past decade. 

**This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://old.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1k8730j/well%5Fat%5Fleast%5Fwe%5Fhave%5Fsomething%5Fgoing%5Ffor%5Fus%5Fin/mp59lsn/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.*

### Sources

South Dakota KIDS COUNT, [Data Center](https://datacenter.aecf.org/data/line/10802-licensed-or-registered-child-care-providers?loc=43&loct=2&ref=sdnewswatch.org#2/43/false/1096,2545,1095,2048,574,1729,37,871,870,573/asc/6859/20653)

South Dakota News Watch,[ Child care policy proposals return to Pierre](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-child-care-proposals-daycares-legislature/)

South Dakota Child Care Task Force, [Sustainable solutions for transforming childcare in South Dakota. ](http://www.earlylearnersd.org/%5Ffiles/ugd/a4a22e%5Fcf4810fced214600a44de8f4df2619d0.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

Committee for Economic Development, [South Dakota home-based child care businesses](https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/tia.collier/viz/SDHome-basedChildCareBusinesses2021%5F17116523228200/Dashboard1?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

Early Learner South Dakota,[ Learning environments data](https://www.earlylearnersd.org/data?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

---

[**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/).

[](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). 

**Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). 

Can you separate fact from fiction? [**Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org).

[Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org)

*This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.*