Children's Inn in Sioux Falls to move, expand services
Patrick Anderson
Children's Inn in Sioux Falls is moving as part of plans to expand its facilities and services, according to a Thursday announcement from the nonprofit responsible for overseeing the shelter for domestic violence victims.
Children's Home Society is in the process of buying 3.5 acres on East 10th Street on the old School for the Deaf land, where the track is currently located. The nonprofit is buying the land from the Sioux Falls Ministry Center and plans to build an entirely new facility with more room to serve the people who rely on its services
Children's Inn was over capacity for most of last year, averaging 47 guests a night in its current 40-bed facility in central Sioux Falls, Operations Director Amy Carter said.
"We want to provide that client centered, trauma-focused care and that's hard to do in our current building," Carter said. "This will allow us to meet the needs of our clients in a better way and serve more people."
Sioux Falls city officials will host informational meetings before the purchase is complete, with public hearings via Zoom set for May 27 at 7 p.m. People who want to participate can connect to the Zoom meeting from the website https://www.childrensinnexpansion.com/.
The building purchase and eventual expansion of the shelter is possible because of an $11 million gift from First Premier Bank founder T. Denny Sanford, Children's Home Society CEO Michelle Lavallee said in an emailed statement.
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Sanford also surprised organizers with the nonprofit this week with an additional $5 million toward a fundraising campaign, Carter said. Money raised during the campaign will support an endowment to cover the increased costs of providing more services to victims.
In January, 2019, Sanford committed $55 million to Children's Home Society, with a chunk of money intended for the shelter.
"Especially during these challenging times, we so appreciate his belief in our mission and his recognition of the importance of the services we provide," Lavellee said in a statement.