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Govern for Good
This year’s Employee Appreciation events brought staff together to celebrate milestones, share laughs, enjoy a delicious Italian dinner and experience an unforgettable magic show. These events give us the opportunity to thank our team for the incredible work they do for our clients every day.
We also recognized individuals who go above and beyond in their roles. In addition to our traditional years of service awards, we honored three employees from each campus who live out our values—We Choose Kindness, We Are Tenacious and We Are Better Together. We also introduced a new award, the Spark of Hope, which recognizes a team member who has been with CHS for less than one year and is already making a meaningful impact.
The highlight of the evening was the announcement of this year’s Rising Star and Employee of the Year.
The Rising Star award recognizes an employee with one to two years of service who consistently supports our clients, models our values and makes CHS a better place. This year, that honor goes to Sioux Falls Campus Nurse Casey Steiner, who stood out for stepping up in high-need situations, adjusting her schedule and going above and beyond for children, families and her team.
“I kept trying to guess who would win,” said Casey. “When I heard my name, I thought, ‘Wait… me?’ I instantly started blushing. It caught me off guard in the best way!”
Casey added, “I am incredibly honored to receive the Rising Star award. I hope I can continue to live up to what this award represents throughout my time at CHS. I’m excited to keep growing here! This organization is doing important work, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”
The awards concluded with the announcement of the highly anticipated Employee of the Year. Like the Rising Star award, this recognizes a team member who goes above and beyond in their work and upholds and models our values daily.
We are proud to recognize Sioux Falls Children’s Home Team Coordinator Sarah Crager as the 2025 Employee of the Year. Sarah consistently steps in wherever needed and helps create an environment where people feel valued.
“As they listed the qualities of Employee of the Year, a few names came to mind,” said Sarah. “I looked around the room, hands ready to clap for someone and they said my name. I think my whole table heard me gasp!”
The award came as a complete surprise, especially since Sarah wasn’t sure she would attend the Sioux Falls event. She had just returned from a family vacation earlier that afternoon, but her husband encouraged her to go.
“We got home from the airport and started unpacking when my husband said, ‘It's been a long week. The kids and I can take care of this. Go have some time for yourself.’ He reminded me that the event was that night and encouraged me to go, so I did!”
As Sarah was shaking hands of executive team members, another big surprise was hiding behind stage.
“When I saw my sweet little family walk out behind me, I had to hold back tears,” said Sarah. “My husband and I have raised our three children throughout my career at CHS. I’m reminded every day how precious childhood is. Working here as a mother has made me better for my clients because I understand them from a different perspective.”
After many pictures, tears, hugs and high-fives, everyone enjoyed a special performance from magician Travis Nye.
The 2026 Employee Appreciation event was an evening to remember. We are grateful for the impact Casey, Sarah and all of our staff have made on our organization, their teams and the clients they serve every day.
