Kinship Services | Lutheran Social Services - Statewide

The goal of kinship care is to place children with relatives/kin when they are not able to remain with their parents. LSS works with children and families in the Kinship Home Study and Kinship Locator services. Referrals are made through the South Dakota Department of Social Services - Child Protection Services. Kinship Home Study Services: Specialists located throughout the state complete comprehensive home studies with relatives or fictive kin who are interested in being a placement option for a child or children in the custody of the state. Referrals for home studies are made through the SD DSS-CPS. Kinship Locator Services: When children are removed from their home and cannot return immediately they may be referred for kinship locator services. LSS conducts a relative search to locate, identify and engage relatives or fictive kin who may be potential placements and/or connections for children who are in DSS custody. KINSHIP South Dakota: A Navigator Specialist provides support, resources, and assistance to all kinship caregivers across the communities of SD. Kinship caregivers include relatives, members of a tribe or clan, godparents, stepparents, or other adults who have a relationship with the child. To receive Kinship South Dakota services, you must have full-time care of a child who is placed in your home through guardianship, adoption, placement by a tribal or state welfare agency, or as a result of a temporary arrangement with the child's parents.

07/23/2026