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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in South Dakota

Preschool and pre-K programs across South Dakota take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $114 a week in the middle South Dakota county (2022).

preschools and pre-K programs listed
46
towns
17
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
4
of all South Dakota daycares
7%

Map of South Dakota: each dot is a town with preschools and pre-K programs, sized by how many are listed

Preschool & pre-K
What puts a daycare on this listThe state record lists preschool-age children among the ages it serves or names a state pre-K program, or it says it offers pre-K, or its name says preschool, pre-K or nursery school. Public school pre-K classes are often not on child care license lists; check with your school district too.A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

Preschool and pre-K

What preschool costs in South Dakota

Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle South Dakota county (2022)
$114
The median of 66 county medians, from $114 in the lowest county to $167 in the highest.

County prices: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 (median full-time weekly price).

South Dakota

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in South Dakota

Sioux Falls16 preschoolsRapid City7 preschoolsBrookings5 preschoolsHarrisburg3 preschoolsNorth Sioux City2 preschoolsWatertown2 preschoolsAberdeen1 preschoolCanton1 preschoolDeadwood1 preschoolGarretson1 preschoolHartford1 preschoolHot Springs1 preschool

Programs

Programs in South Dakota

Counts come from the state record and what each daycare says it offers. A daycare without a tag may still offer the program; ask.

ProgramListed
All daycares698
Take infants43
Child care centers421
Accept subsidy8
In-home daycares277
Christian & church daycares41
Montessori schools6
Preschools & pre-K46
Early morning daycare63
Part-time daycare14
Drop-in daycare10
After-school care120

The South Dakota state record

South Dakota Department of Social Services, Office of Licensing and Accreditation licenses daycares in South Dakota.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
On some licenses only; elsewhere shown where the daycare gives them
Inspections
Every visit the state publishes back to 2022
Cited rules
Each cited rule, in the state's own wording
Search the South Dakota state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in South Dakota

  1. 1

    Ask about the day

    Ask how the day runs: free play, circle time, outdoor time and naps. Ask what children do to get ready for kindergarten.

  2. 2

    Half day or full day

    Many preschools run half days or school-year hours. If you work full time, ask about before- and after-care.

  3. 3

    Ask about cost

    Ask for the tuition, the registration fee and whether the state's pre-K or child care assistance can pay part of it.

  4. 4

    Check the license record

    Open a listing for its state license, the ages it serves and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record.

South Dakota

Cost, inspections and ratios in South Dakota

Daycare cost in South DakotaWeekly prices by age and countyWhat South Dakota inspectors citeThe rules cited most, and what they meanStaff-to-child ratios in South DakotaHow many children each adult may care forTour checklist for South DakotaQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 17 South Dakota towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A1 town
B1 town
C1 town
D1 town
G1 town
H3 towns
M2 towns
N1 town
R1 town
S2 towns
T1 town
W2 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

Nebraska2,421 preschoolsMontana881 preschoolsMinnesota674 preschoolsIowa345 preschoolsWyoming84 preschoolsNorth Dakota62 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in South Dakota

How many preschools and pre-K programs are in South Dakota?

46 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 17 South Dakota towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

Which South Dakota town has the most preschools and pre-K programs?

Sioux Falls, with 16 listed. Next are Rapid City (7) and Brookings (5).

What is the difference between preschool and pre-K?

Pre-K is the year before kindergarten, usually for 4-year-olds, and many states fund free or low-cost pre-K. Preschool is the wider term for programs for children of about 3 to 5. Many daycares run both, and this list has both.

Is there free preschool near me?

Head Start is free for children 3 to 5 from families who qualify, and many school districts run free pre-K classes. School-district pre-K is often not on child care license lists, so check with your school district too.

What age is pre-K?

Pre-K is usually for children who turn 4 by a cutoff date in late summer or early fall, the year before kindergarten. Each state sets its own cutoff.

What is the difference between preschool and daycare?

A preschool teaches children of about 3 to 5 before kindergarten, often for part of the day. A daycare looks after children while parents work, often all day, and many daycares run a preschool room. This list has both: places whose state record serves preschool-age children, that offer pre-K on their own website, or that are named a preschool.

Who licenses daycares in South Dakota?

South Dakota Department of Social Services, Office of Licensing and Accreditation licenses daycares in South Dakota. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.