Abbott House’s Bridges Therapeutic Foster Care program represents a place to call home. Offering an escape from volatile and harmful living situations, Abbott House proudly serves as a home away from home for youth in Mitchell, Rapid City, and soon Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The years of a child’s youth are inarguably the most formative years of their life; however, many children encounter hardships in the home—faced with abuse and neglect. These children in harmful living conditions are in our neighborhoods, our classrooms, and our communities—most of which go unnoticed. For those youth out there who are faced with the unimaginable, Abbott House’s Bridges Therapeutic Foster Care is there to help, catering to placements from the South Dakota Department of Social Services, South Dakota Department of Corrections, and more. Hope is found.

Abbott House operates four therapeutic foster homes that can house up to 24 young children ages 10 to 17 at one time in Mitchell, South Dakota. Each of the foster homes can house six children.

Abbott House also operates four therapeutic foster homes in Rapid City, South Dakota; two homes have six bedrooms for boys from birth to 17 years old, and the other two homes have six bedrooms for girls from birth to 17 years old. Once they are 18 years old, they may transition to the Larson Independent Living Apartments.

“You can become a mom and dad to a child who has no one else to count on in life. You can make a difference in the life of a child who has been rejected, abused, broken, and left alone. You allow them to experience what a real family can be and give them a place to call their home.”

“As a parent, you always want your kids to succeed. In a therapeutic foster home setting, it is challenging to know that the best way for these children to succeed in life is to step back when they have a setback or experience a failure. It’s hard not to enable them to be successful. But allowing a child to fail in a safe environment and for them to know that their foster parent is there to encourage and support them through a problem is the best way for the child to figure things out on their own, which in turn will help them to become successful. This is actually true for all parents. It can also be challenging to balance the foster care program with your personal family times, as well as being sure to guard personal time for yourself. The most rewarding part is seeing the girls taking steps forward. Hearing from the girls after they are gone and hearing them share their appreciation for being in the home and how much it means to them that we were there for them and how their overall experiences in our home impacted their lives.” 
                                            —Marty and Gary Johnson, long-time foster parents

Where many young people are floated from foster home to foster home due to a variety of circumstances ranging from behavioral problems to overpopulation and more, Bridges Therapeutic Foster Care is welcoming of those with unique needs that can be remedied by therapeutic means.

All these young people no longer require residential psychiatric treatment but lack the skills necessary to live independently. A salaried couple lives in each home and is the parental figure for the young people living in their respective homes. Many of the girls are former residents of Abbott House but are considered difficult to place in regular foster homes because of age or behavioral problems.

Once youth graduate from the Abbott House treatment program, all the therapy and emotional work may be lost if they cannot use their coping and communication skills in a natural family setting. These homes provide a family environment where girls and boys learn skills needed as they transition into adulthood. Each resident of the foster homes has their own bedroom, attends school, and holds a summer job if appropriate. Abbott House sees these homes as an investment toward independence and personal responsibility.

Gifts to the 2024 Miracle Offering will help to expand Bridges Therapeutic Foster Care to Sioux Falls. Each year, churches and individuals in the Dakotas Annual Conference demonstrate their love for God and their neighbors through the Miracle Offering presented during worship at our Annual Conference Session.

The Miracle Offering will be divided among the following recipients: the 31:8 Project, Abbott House’s Bridges Therapeutic Foster Care, recovery ministry grants, and the Clergy Sustentation Fund.