RAPID CITY, SD – The Children’s Home Society (CHS) in Rapid City cut ribbon Tuesday on a 110,000 square foot campus that will bring all Black Hills CHS services and programs under one roof.

The new facility is located at 5301 Mount Rushmore Road in the former National American University building.

As of Tuesday, the campus housed CHS outpatient therapy, child advocacy and case management. On November 4, 32 youth from the Rockerville campus will relocate to the new Rapid City campus along with residential treatment and the therapeutic school program.

CHS said having the programs under one roof allows them to better serve clients, strengthen collaboration, and provide convenient access for families and community partners.

“The other great thing about being in this building with all of programs together is the consistency of care,” said Allison Sanderson, Chief Operating Officer, Children’s Home Society. “So, when we have a kiddo who is in residential and they are going to go back home or go to a foster care setting, they can stay here for outpatient care and med management.”

Children’s Home Society is a statewide organization with services in Rapid City and Sioux Falls and expansion plans in Aberdeen.

Jon Mammenga, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Children’s Home Society, said support for the $30 million campus project has come not only from Rapid City but across South Dakota.

“We really focused our fundraising activities to support this facility as a statewide effort because Children’s Home Society is a statewide organization,” Mammenga said. “By and large we serve Rapid City area kids and families, Black Hills region, but kids come to service here from all over the state so you might have kids from the east side of the state that end up at the new Rapid City campus here.”

Mammenga said CHS serves every county in South Dakota and last year served more than 16,000 children and families.

CHS purchased the building three years ago for $65 a square foot, built two residential pods to add to the two existing, and remodeled the remainder of the 110,000 square foot building.

Programs that will be available at the campus will include Children’s Home Advocacy Center, prevention, training and education, residential treatment, therapeutic school program, adoption, services, and outpatient mental health services. Future plans call for additional therapeutic day school for Rapid City and the region for 64 youth.

“My hope is that we are able to take care of whoever needs us in the Rapid City community,” Sanderson said. “Whether that’s from a residential treatment, a day school perspective, an outpatient therapy… We want to be a resource for this community.”