The South Dakota Unified Judicial System is now saying federal cuts to a child advocacy initiative are impacting a South Dakota program.

The Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, program advocates for abused and neglected children in the judicial system.

The U.S. Department of Justice is cutting hundreds of federal grants for the program.

State officials initially said these cuts won’t impact South Dakota. But now a Unified Judicial System spokesperson said a grant to the Seventh Circuit CASA in Rapid City is being reduced.

That grant was initially supposed to be for $25,000. The program is now only receiving $10,000.