A great day for Flandreau

A ceremonial land transfer from the City of Flandreau back to the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe was held this past week as part of a groundbreaking event for the communitys new Early Childhood Enrichment Center.
The ceremony was done in recognition of the land being the original home of the Tribe, and designed to reflect a renewed sense of unity and shared purpose on the project.
The new center, to be run by the Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Plains, will serve as a childcare resource for young families in the area. Once open, it will provide care for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, with nearly 150 licensed child care slots.
It will also function as a training site for students from Flandreau Public School and the Flandreau Indian School, who can earn a Child Development Associate credential while still in high school. This training is part of a partnership with South Dakota State University and its Child and Family Resource Network.
Dignitaries at Friday mornings ceremony included representatives from the offices of Sen. Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota Alison Ramsdell, State Sen. Tom Pischke, officials from Moody County and the City of Flandreau, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal representatives, SDSUs Dean of Education and Human Sciences, and FIS Superintendent Everall Fox.
Originally planned for outdoors, the ceremony was moved inside due to cold and rainy weather.
This is a great day for Flandreau, said Mayor Dan Sutton.
This project marks a significant step forward for economic development in our community reliable, high-quality child care is essential. It allows parents to work, businesses to grow, and communities to thrive.
Planning for the center began in late 2023, with meetings held across the community to assess childcare needs. Despite several setbacks, construction is expected to move quickly, with the center expected to open in May 2026.
Not only will this facility improve access to affordable and trusted child care, but the facility and collaborative initiatives of the Boys and Girls Club and the City of Flandreau, the Ramsdell family, and the Tribe will serve to strengthen the understanding, respect, and bond of our shared community, said FSST Vice-President Cyndi Weddell.
Our children are sacred and represent the best pieces of each one of us. The Tribe could not be more excited to honor them by supporting the development of this facility.
Ramsdell, who spoke on behalf of the Ramsdell family and Dakota Layers lead donors for the ECE, said it was an honor to be part of the project.
Like so many of you in Flandreau, we do it because we love this place, we love what it gave us, and we believe it can provide the same to so many others in this community, she said.
She spoke passionately about the collective responsibility to support all children.
It is our collective responsibility to make sure that our children are safe, supported, and sacred not just our own kids, but all kids, and I think we know that in Flandreau, and the ECE Center reflects that core value, Ramsdell said.
And that is why it is our familys joy to be part of this endeavor, and why we are so proud that it will be in memory of our brother.
The center will include dedicated rooms for infants and toddlers, as well as mildly ill care rooms, which officials say will be the first of their kind in the state. There will also be flexible scheduling options, including evenings and weekends, income-based tuition subsidies, and ongoing professional development for staff.
Pre-registration opens June 1. Contact Charlie Wilson with any questions at [email protected].
The groundbreaking comes within a week of the Boys and Girls Club of Moody County expanding its current facility with a new gym and additional programming space for the growing number of youth using its services.