South Dakota Child Protection Services Virgena Wieseler, Administrator The Department of Social Services Child Protection Services Program protects children who are at risk of abuse or neglect while making every effort to keep families intact. Child Protection Services also offers referrals for counseling for families, training for adoptive or foster parents and licensing services for child welfare agencies. CPS social workers investigate reports of child abuse and neglect, temporarily removing children from the home when necessary while the family works to restore stability.
Workers offer support services to help families with problems before they become too severe.
Services include counseling, special-needs day care while parents attend mental health or alcohol abuse treatment programs, and regular visits with families where there is a risk of child abuse or neglect. These are children with disabilities, members of sibling groups, older children, children of mixed race and children with emotional needs.