Bart Pfankuch

Bart Pfankuch

Title: content director; expertise: agriculture, state government, education, rural issues, Indigenous people, poverty; language spoken: English; contact: 605-937-9398 / bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org

South Dakota returns millions in unused housing assistance funds to federal government

South Dakota has sent millions of dollars of unused COVID-19 housing assistance funds — allocated to help low-income renters — back to the federal government, mainly because not enough people applied for help. As of early January 2022, the state had received about $271 million in federal funding to pay rent and

Abortion battle expected during 2022 South Dakota legislative session

Abortion is likely to be a major topic during the 2022 South Dakota legislative session that begins on Jan. 11, as opponents of the medical procedure see an opportunity to capitalize on recent legal cases across the country that further restricted access to abortion. The anticipated legislation seeking to restrict

Experts: Noem’s child care funding needed, but far from a solution to daycare crisis

Gov. Kristi Noem wants to spend $100 million to boost child care offerings across the state, but experts say it will take more than a one-time government investment to expand access to quality daycare for working parents in South Dakota. South Dakota is facing a child care crisis in which

Special report part 3: Experts offer potential solutions to child care crisis in S.D.

Two recent in-depth studies were conducted on the shortage of child care in South Dakota, one examining the situation statewide and another focused specifically on Sioux Falls. Here is a look at the recommendations on how to improve access to affordable, reliable, quality child care, according to the two reports.

Special report part 2: Daycare shortage especially hard on parents in rural and reservation communities

While waiting lists for child care are common in cities like Sioux Falls and Rapid City, it can be impossible to find any child care options in rural and reservation communities in South Dakota. According to a recent report by South Dakota Kids Count, a non-profit data center, seven counties

Special report part 1: Child care crisis in SD hurting families, employers and state economy

The signs of the workforce shortage in South Dakota are as omnipresent as they are ominous. “Now hiring” signs on nearly every business. Fast-food restaurants with shuttered dining rooms. Delayed building construction. Long wait times for consumer goods and services. And a nursing shortage that in mid-December led Monument Health

South Dakota Matters: Child care crisis in South Dakota — on online panel discussion Dec. 16, 2021

South Dakota is experiencing a crisis in regard to a lack of access to quality, affordable child care across the state, and the situation is causing great stress and pressure on working families, daycare providers and employers who are struggling to find workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has further restricted access