In this issue
- Message from the Director, New SDCPCM.com
- Community Response to Child Abuse Conference
- Dr. Nancy Free Recognized
- ECCS Family Leadership Guide
- Court Improvement Program, October 28
Message from the Director
We are excited to introduce the new sdcpcm.com, a refreshed online home for the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment and the work we do to prevent child abuse and neglect across South Dakota.
Our new website is designed to make it easier to connect with our resources, learn about our initiatives, find opportunities to engage, and understand how prevention can take shape in communities across our state. More than a new look, this site reflects our continued commitment to making prevention-focused information and tools accessible to the people and communities working to strengthen outcomes for children and families.
At the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment, we believe prevention is a shared responsibility. It happens when families have the support they need, when communities come together to address challenges, and when systems and policies create conditions where children and families can thrive.
I invite you to explore the new sdcpcm.com, learn more about our work, and discover how you can be part of building a stronger foundation for children and families in South Dakota.
Together, we can continue moving from responding to harm toward creating the conditions that help prevent it in the first place.
Chrissie Young, Director
Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment
Community Response to Child Abuse Conference
More than 400 professionals in the child advocacy field attended the 26th Annual Community Response to Child Abuse Conference, held October 8 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.
The conference provided professional training and educational opportunities for child protection workers, teachers, medical professionals, dentists, law enforcement, social workers, mental health providers, youth service providers, the legal community and community members and child advocates.
Presenters discussed topics relevant to the well-being of children and families including:
- Trauma and Stressor Disorders 101: Diagnosis, Screening, and Treatment Foundations, Nikki Eining and Aimee Deliramich
- The Stories We Believe: How Self-Worth Drives Behavior and Healing, Cara DeHaan
- Connection Before Direction: Building Trust to Improve Victim Outcomes, Tifanie Petro and Jessica Broullire
The conference was opened with messages from Chief Justice Steven R. Jensen of the South Dakota Unified Judicial System and First Lady Sandy Rhoden, as well as song and prayer led by Inyan Hocoka Singers from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
Derek Clark, speaker and author, opened the conference with the keynote Resilience and Redemption: The Power of Determination and the Spirit of a Child, Derek’s personal journey that emphasized the resilience that allowed him to overcome brutal trauma.
Conference co-hosts included Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment at the University of South Dakota, South Dakota’s Unified Judicial System Court Improvement Program and Child’s Voice at Sanford Health.
Outstanding Service Award Presented to Dr. Nancy Free
The Outstanding Service Award was presented to Dr. Nancy Free, Child’s Voice at Sanford Health. Dr. Free has dedicated an extraordinary 22 years to Sanford Child’s Voice, including the past 15 years serving as Medical Director, where her leadership, compassion, and clinical expertise have shaped the standard of care for countless children and families. She has been instrumental in building and sustaining a safe, trusted, and child-centered environment where healing can begin, and justice can be pursued.
In addition to her work at Sanford Child’s Voice, Dr. Free serves as the Medical Director at Avera St. Mary’s Central South Dakota Child Assessment Center in Pierre, SD, expanding her impact across the state and ensuring that children in rural and underserved communities also receive high-quality, specialized care. Her commitment to bridging gaps in access is a testament to her tireless advocacy and vision for equitable healthcare.
Beyond her medical leadership, Dr. Free has played an active role on numerous critical committees and task forces, including the Human Trafficking Task Force, the Sexual Assault Response Team, and several multidisciplinary teams. Through this service, she brings a collaborative and systemic approach to addressing the complex issues of child abuse, exploitation, and assault – ensuring that prevention, intervention and healing are advanced at every level.
Dr. Free is also a highly sought-after educator and presenter, having delivered countless presentations across South Dakota and beyond. She had provided training and education to medical professionals, law enforcement, social service providers, and community organizations, raising awareness about child abuse and trauma-informed care. Through these presentations, she has empowered professionals to recognize, respond to, and prevent abuse, multiplying her impact far and beyond her own practice.
Even with these demanding roles, Dr. Free dedicates her limited free time to the next generation of physicians as a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota. Through her teaching and mentorship, she instills not only medical knowledge, but also the values of compassion, integrity, and service in future pediatricians.
SD ECCS
South Dakota’s Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SD-ECCS) initiative has advanced family engagement and shared leadership within a decentralized early childhood landscape where programs and services are managed across multiple agencies and organizations. In the absence of a single statewide prenatal-to-age-3 governance structure, collaboration, relationship-building, and cross-sector partnerships have become essential strategies for aligning efforts and improving outcomes for young children and families.
Within this context, SD-ECCS developed a family leadership model that intentionally elevates the voices of parents and caregivers of young children with lived experience navigating systems such as WIC, Birth to Three, Bright Start Home Visiting, and other early childhood supports. This legacy guide was created to capture lessons learned, highlight successful practices, and provide a practical roadmap for agencies, organizations, and community partners seeking to strengthen authentic family leadership across South Dakota.
Access the Family Leadership Guide at SDCPCM.com/Publications.
Court Improvement Program
The August session, Child Welfare Proceedings & Courtroom Practice, is now available to view.
Upcoming trainings
- October 28, noon to 1 p.m. Central Time: Ethics in Child Welfare Representation, presented by Nicole Laughlin of Laughlin Law.
- November 19, noon to 1 p.m. Central Time: Understanding ICWA: The Gold Standard of Child Welfare: Improving Outcomes for Indian Families, presented by Sheldon Spotted Elk and Dan Lewerenz.