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Center for the Prevention of Child MaltreatmentUniversity of South Dakota

Businesses for Babies

CPCM is committed to ending child maltreatment in South Dakota by empowering professionals, communities, and the public to know about, respond to, and prevent child abuse and neglect in South Dakota. CPCM's Businesses for Babies initiatives highlights South Dakota businesses that support families through family-forward policies.

of all South Dakota children under the age of 6 have all available parents in the labor force.
72.5%

of all South Dakota children under the age of 6 have all available parents in the labor force.

of the workforce in the United States has access to paid family leave.
27.0%

of the workforce in the United States has access to paid family leave.

Power of Primary Prevention

Primary prevention of child maltreatment connects families to resources and supports in their community. The aim of primary prevention is to prevent child maltreatment before it happens. Examples of primary prevention can include parenting education, affordable-quality childcare, economic supports, and family-forward workplace policies.

Business Community Role in Primary Prevention

Family-forward workplace policies ARE a primary prevention resource. Family-forward policies benefit the business, families, and South Dakota children.

  • Businesses: family-forward policies boost competitive advantage, attracting and retaining talent, increasing productivity, and reducing turnovers.
  • Families: employees of family-forward workplaces are more satisfied with their work, and engaged in facilitating nurturing and stable environments for their families.
  • South Dakota children: parents who work in family-forward businesses experience less stress and enhanced well-being, giving them time to support children's safety, stability, and build nurturing relationships.

Family-Forward Work Policy Examples:

  • Family & Medical Leave: Provides job protections and full or partial wage replacement for employees to take time off to welcome a new child into the family, or to take care of longer-term medical needs for themselves or a member of their family (biological or chosen).
  • Flexible Work Schedule: Allows people to choose when they work, if they put in their hours every week. May be complete freedom to design a work schedule, choose from schedule options, or adjusting working hours earlier or later.
  • Breastfeeding Friendly: Support of nursing mothers includes adequate break time and providing a lactation room.
  • Telecommuting: Allowing employees to work from home or another remote site some or all of the time.
  • Childcare: This can include on-site day care, subsidized childcare costs, referrals to quality childcare, or reserved slots for at childcare facilities for employees' children.
  • Educational Support: Tuition for employee education or college scholarships or loans for employees' children.
  • Comprehensive Wellness: Include mental and emotional health in employee wellness programs.
  • Other Examples: Job sharing, family-oriented events, family-oriented environment, EAP programs that include family issues, consistent scheduling, and more.

Our Businesses

First Bank & Trust

South Dakota Locations: Brookings, Canton, Garretson, Madison, Milbank, Sioux Falls, Toronto, Vermillion, Watertown, White

✔️Family/Medical Leave
✔️Flexible Work Schedule
✔️Breastfeeding Friendly
✔️Telecommuting
✔️Childcare
✔️Educational Support
✔️Comprehensive Wellness Approach

“At First Bank & Trust, families are at the heart of what we do, and because we are family- and employee-owned, we take extra care to foster the quality of family life. Employees expect a strong benefit package, and ours is certainly strengthened by family-friendly policies and an onsite early learning childcare facility.” - Nan Poppens, Chief Human Resources Officer

Click Rain Inc.

South Dakota Locations: Sioux Falls

✔️Family/Medical Leave
✔️Flexible Work Schedule
✔️Breastfeeding Friendly
✔️Comprehensive Wellness Approach

“At the core of our business practices we believe in taking care of our people. If they have a productive work-life balance and feel good about leaving work at work to be better versions of themselves for their families, they will come to work energized with fresh creativity.” - Carissa Schoffelman, Vice President of Administration

Avera Health

South Dakota Locations: Aberdeen, Avon, Big Stone City, Brandon, Bridgewater, Britton, Brookings, Chamberlain, De Smet, Dell Rapids, Eureka, Fairfax, Flandreau, Freeman, Garretson, Geddes, Gettysburg, Gregory, Groton, Harrisburg, Huron, Irene, Kennebec, Lake Andes, Madison, Marion, Menno, Milbank, Miller, Mitchell, Mobridge, Parkston, Pierre, Pine Ridge, Plankinton, Platte, Rapid City, Redfield, Salem, Scotland, Sioux Falls, Tea, Tripp, Tyndall, Wagner, Wakonda, Watertown, Waubay, Wessington Springs, White Lake, Wilmot, Winner, Yankton

✔️Family/Medical Leave
✔️Flexible Work Schedule
✔️Breastfeeding Friendly
✔️Telecommuting
✔️Childcare
✔️Educational Support
✔️Comprehensive Wellness Approach

“Avera is dedicated to making a positive impact in our communities and in the lives of our employees. Family-friendly policies are at the heart of our identity as an employer, essential for the success of both our employees and Avera’s future.” - Michael Olson, Vice President, Human Resources Operations

First Fidelity Bank

South Dakota Locations: Burke, Bonesteel, Colome, Draper, Fort Pierre, Gregory, Murdo, Platte, Presho, White River, Winner

✔️Family/Medical Leave
✔️Flexible Work Schedule
✔️Breastfeeding Friendly
✔️Telecommuting

“For 120 years, First Fidelity Bank has been built on a family-first mindset. A lot has changed in how we work, but our values have stayed the same. Supporting the family priorities of our coworkers and customers isn’t just part of our culture—it’s also championed by our leadership as the foundation of our long-standing success.” - Kelsea Kenzy Sutton, Compliance Officer & Corporate Counsel

RAS

South Dakota Locations: Sioux Falls

✔️Family/Medical Leave
✔️Flexible Work Schedule
✔️Breastfeeding Friendly
✔️Telecommuting
✔️Educational Support
✔️Comprehensive Wellness Approach

“Along with a paid parental leave, we do extensive training with managers, so they understand obligations under laws like FMLA, Pregnancy Fairness Act, etc. We encourage staff to attend their children’s events and offer 11 paid holidays, including 2 floating holidays staff can take at anytime.” - Julie Waage, Vice President Human Resources

Horizon Health

South Dakota Locations: Aberdeen, Alcester, Bison, De Smet, Eagle Butte, Elk Point, Faith, Fort Thompson, Howard, Huron, Isabel, LaPlant, Martin, Mission, Plankinton, Wessington Springs, White River, Woonsocket, Yankton

✔️Family/Medical Leave
✔️Flexible Work Schedule
✔️Breastfeeding Friendly
✔️Telecommuting
✔️Other (medical, dental, and behavioral health employee discounts for employee, spouse, and dependents)

“As a business rooted in rural South Dakota, we know that strong families build strong communities. That’s why we’ve made family-forward policies a priority. When we support parents, we’re investing in the well-being of their children and the future of our communities. We’re proud to be a part of the Businesses for Babies initiative and to stand with others who believe healthy families are the heart of a thriving South Dakota.” - Wade Erickson, CEO

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