The Wakháŋyeža Project—Our Children Are Sacred—is Rural America Initiatives’ newly licensed child care center located at 612 Crazy Horse Street in Rapid City. The center will provide a safe, caring, culturally grounded, and engaging learning environment for children ages 3–5.
Through learning, play, school-readiness activities, social-emotional development, nutritious meals and snacks, and Lakota/Dakota language and culture, the program will support each child’s growth while honoring the belief that our children are sacred.
The center will have three classrooms and the capacity to serve up to 45 children. Enrollment is currently open for children ages 3 and 4, with no income requirement. Planned operating hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For enrollment information, families may contact:
- Cell: 605-381-6178
- Office: 605-791-0438
- Email: slittlethunder.rai@gmail.com
- Address: 612 Crazy Horse Street, Rapid City, SD 57701
Rural America Initiatives is preparing to open the Wakháŋyeža Child Care Center, which will provide care for children ages 3–5. The program is separate from RAI’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs and will offer fee-based child care, with state child care assistance available to families who qualify. The project responds to the continued need for accessible early childhood care within the Rapid City community.
We were grateful to join KOTA Territory News to discuss the project and the support provided by the South Dakota Community Foundation.
