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Family Visitation Center marks 25 years, urges continued county support to avoid raising rates
Summary
Family Visitation Center director Jolene Thompson told the Minnehaha County Commission the nonprofit has served Sioux Falls families for 25 years, described services and funding sources, and asked the commission to continue county support that helps avoid passing costs to parents.
Jolene Thompson, director of the Family Visitation Center, told the Minnehaha County Commission on Jan. 21 that the nonprofit has served the Sioux Falls community for 25 years and asked the county to continue financial support so the center can avoid raising client rates.
Thompson said the center provides supervised, safe visits for families experiencing disruptions, allowing children to maintain contact with parents outside court or agency settings. “They just want to see their parent,” Thompson said. “They don't have to worry about court. They don't have to worry about mom and dad not getting along.”
The center operates Monday–Friday and on Saturdays and serves both state-contracted child-protection cases and private-pay clients, Thompson said. She told commissioners the center has not raised its rates since 2019 and said doing so would burden many parents: “I get that coming up with $25 or $50 a week is a lot of money.”
Thompson described the center’s funding mix: a contract with the state to cover foster-care visits and a federal grant distributed among visitation centers statewide. She said the federal grant program is worth about $100,000 in total and is split among centers; this year the Family Visitation Center received $36,000. Thompson also credited community donations and an in-kind arrangement with Avera, which allowed the center to move into an Avera-owned building and reduced rent costs.
Commissioners asked about hours, busiest times and staffing. Thompson said the center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays (current Saturday hours stated during the meeting were 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.), with evenings and Saturdays the busiest times. She said part-time staff who work in other helping agencies in the community frequently staff evening shifts and bring de-escalation experience.
Thompson described donor support and recurring gifts from former clients; she said one donor gives about $10,000 a year. She thanked the commission for past financial assistance and for offsetting costs so parents do not face higher fees.
The presentation concluded with commissioners thanking center staff and noting the center’s community role; commissioners also clarified that county support for the organization comes, in part, from the domestic abuse fund, which is financed by fees tied to marriage/divorce recordings.
The Family Visitation Center said it will continue outreach and return to brief the commission again if requested.
