Friends of the Children - He Sapa

Friends–He Sapa launched in summer 2022 as an independent nonprofit that is the first Indigenous-led, culturally specific location of the national Friends of the Children network. Our model has six distinguishing elements:   

1. We intentionally serve children facing the greatest risk factors. 

2. We hire full-time, highly trained professional mentors (who we call “Relatives”) with skills and knowledge to work with children and families with histories of personal and cultural trauma. Friends spend 3 to 4 hours per week with each child, including 2 hours in school. 

3. We enroll children ages 4 to 6 and commit to them through high school graduation. 

4. We are involved in all facets of a child’s life (school, home, and community) and are grounded in Lakota culture to provide holistic, wrap-around services. 

5. Relatives develop trusting relationships with caregivers and elders, partnering to promote the child’s learning and development. 

6. We combine our network’s 30 years of proven results with our leadership’s deep attachment to Lakota traditions and their expertise in educating and serving Indigenous youth and families. Learn More