In 1997, Jimcy McGirt was convicted by the State of Oklahoma for sex crimes against a minor. McGirt appealed his conviction, citing that Oklahoma lacked jurisdiction over the case due to his tribal citizenship, since the crime took place on … Read More
Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)
Relative Foster Care Is Increasing Among American Indian and Alaska Native Children in Foster Care
A new analysis from Child Trends finds that, from federal fiscal year (FFY) 2018 to FFY 2021, the use of relative foster care placements for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) children in foster care grew in seven of the … Read More
Indian Child Welfare (ICW)Quarterly and Annual Report
ICW Reporting Form Guides BIA’s decision making. The data collected: What is the ICWA Report? Tribes or Tribal organizations receiving grants under ICWA arerequired to submit data on a quarterly and annual basis (25CFR 23.47) Section on Tribal ICWA programs … Read More
The Supreme Court leaves Indian Child Welfare Act intact
In a major victory for Native American rights, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld key provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act, a law enacted 45 years ago to remedy decades of past government abuse. By a 7-2 vote, … Read More
State of American Indian and Alaska Native Children and Families Report
Published by NICWA – November 22, 2022 The State of American Indian and Alaska Native Children and Families Report is a six-part series of data briefs that presents current data on American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) child and family … Read More
Current Events: What is the Indian Child Welfare Act at the center of a new Supreme Court case?
The Supreme Court this fall will hear oral arguments in a series of four consolidated cases challenging the constitutionality of a landmark law that aims to prevent the separation of Native American children from their families and tribes in welfare … Read More
Trauma-Informed Youth Transitions in Tribal Child Welfare
The Capacity Building Center for Tribes’ Tribal Information Exchange released a series of tip sheets on trauma-informed practice in tribal child welfare. One of the tip sheets, Trauma-Informed Youth Transitions in Tribal Child Welfare, focuses on helping tribal child welfare professionals … Read More
Native American Heritage Month – ICWA
During Native American Heritage Month, we hope you will join us in celebrating ICWA’s legacy of keeping Native children safe, healthy, and connected to their families, communities, and cultures by learning more about allyship, active efforts, and building effective tribal-state … Read More
Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Courts: A Tool for Improving Outcomes for American Indian Children and Families
The St. Louis County Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Court in Duluth, Minnesota, currently led by Judge Sally Tarnowski, is a dedicated docket of child welfare hearings involving Indian children as confirmed or presumed by the definitions outlined in the … Read More
Every Kid Needs a Family: Safely Reducing Reliance on Institutional Care Placements for Children in the Child Welfare System
Since the codification of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 and the earlier passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act in 1978, federal law and child welfare values support placing children in the least restrictive settings with … Read More