Mending fences: Providers for intellectually disabled optimistic about new leaders

State officials and care providers say trust returning to South Dakota’s developmental disability system after years of neglect and underfunding

(Courtesy of South Dakota Developmental Center)

After years of strained relations over funding and policy decisions, South Dakota’s partnership with nonprofits that care for people with disabilities is showing signs of repair.

Following recent increases in state financial support and a renewed pledge from state leaders to improve communication, providers say a once-tense relationship is beginning to stabilize. The shift comes amid growing recognition from the state that long-term care for individuals with disabilities relies heavily on a strong, collaborative public-private network — one that for years has felt overlooked and underfunded, according to both leaders and representatives of community support providers (CSPs) like LifeScape, DakotAbilities and Black Hills Works.

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