Harrisburg officials join Uniquely Yours owners Emily Bartscher and Sarah Parmenter in a groundbreaking for the new facility. (Virginia Olson / The Dakota Scout)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Scouting Sioux Metro is a feature of The Dakota Scout highlighting people, projects and progress shaping South Dakota’s small towns. A partnership with Sioux Metro Growth Alliance — of which The Dakota Scout is a member, alongside dozens of towns, counties, businesses and nonprofits in the region — this article meets the same journalistic standards as all other content produced by The Dakota Scout.
For most parents, finding childcare is simply a matter of checking available openings and schedule drop-offs. But for families raising children with significant disabilities, standard daycare options rarely fit. Traditional programs often lack the specialized staff training, accessibility and sensory resources required to safely support every child.
Emily Bartscher and Sarah Parmenter know that harsh reality intimately. Both are mothers of children with disabilities, and both have spent years navigating the exhausting uncertainty of trying to find care.
