RAPID CITY, S.D. – Abbott House Youth Services expanded its footprint in the Black Hills region Thursday with the opening of two new intensive care foster homes.

The organization hosted simultaneous ribbon-cutting ceremonies at both residential locations on June 18 at 3 p.m. Following the ceremonies, community members and staff gathered for a reception at the Abbott House West building.

The newly opened sites highlight a unique approach to therapeutic foster care. Under the Abbott House model, foster parents do not bring children into their personal residences. Instead, the organization provides a fully furnished home, vehicles, and all necessary resources to support the children in a structured environment.

The expansion integrates traditional foster parenting with specialized psychiatric residential treatment, addiction recovery, and crisis care. Management officials stated that anchoring these services around the Rapid City community provides a critical safety net for young people navigating trauma and substance abuse.

“Now, more than ever, we have the opportunity to provide a continuum of care for South Dakota children who come from hard places,” Eric Klooz, Executive Director of Abbott House Youth Services, said. “By investing in these children now, we’re building bridges to brighter futures.”

The Waterloo Street property, formerly known as the WellFully facility, will undergo further renovations and program enhancements. Officials plan to host a separate ribbon-cutting ceremony for the main Abbott House West building once those updates are finalized.

To protect the privacy of the children entering the program, the exact addresses of the two new foster homes have not been publicly released. Community members seeking location details for future events are advised to contact Virginia Wishard Lambert or Beth-Anne Ferley through the organization.