Find State and local examples of culturally relevant and promising practices for child welfare work with American Indians and Alaska Natives.
California's Tribal Customary Adoption Law: Culturally Connected Permanency Planning for American Indian Children
Cluff & Currie (2010)
Fostering Families Today, 10(6)
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Explains the California Tribal Customary Adoption (TCA) statute. The process of TCA provides that the Tribe will create the framework for the adoption and the State court will adopt the Tribe's framework, allowing the adoption to be completed without terminating the birth parents' parental rights.
Culturally Restorative Child Welfare Practice: A Special Emphasis on Cultural Attachment Theory
Simard (2009)
First Peoples Child & Family Review, 4(2)
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Examines the Weechi-it-te-win Family Services' implementation of a restorative child welfare model that supports Anishinaabe children's cultural identity and cultural attachment. The study found that the agency had developed a solid culturally competent social work practice and that its model of governance is based on collaboration with elders, Tribal leaders, and grassroots community members.
Fulfilling the Hope of ICWA: The Role of Community Context
Quash-Mah, Stockard, Johnson-Shelton, & Crowley (2010)
Children and Youth Services Review, 32(6)
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Discusses the findings from a study of four California counties where long-term foster care, especially when provided within an American Indian cultural environment, may be a culturally appropriate alternative form of permanency for American Indian children. Implications for policy and practice related to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) are also discussed.
Implementation Toolkit for the American Indian Enhancement Project
California American Indian Enhancement Project
Provides resources to help county child welfare administrators achieve compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Works to build the relationship between the Wabanaki Tribes and Maine child welfare by listening to the stories of the Wabanaki people and providing suggestions for how to reach reconciliation or understanding. The website presents information on the Commission's history and background, media materials, links to resources, and more.
Red Cliff Relationship Enhancement Project: Final Report
Gurnoe-Soulier (2009)
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
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Examines a 10-week curriculum consisting of 12 activities from the Untangling Relationships module of the Moral Reconation Therapy and from the Red Cliff Wellness Curriculum. Evaluation measures indicate statistically significant increases in marriage satisfaction, couple communication, and conflict resolution among American Indian couples.
Tribal STAR: Addressing the Needs of Rural Native American Foster Youth: San Diego State University School of Social Work
Denniston (2007)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau
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Introduces two training programs for frontline staff and supervisory staff to improve the outcomes of rural Native American foster youth. Topics covered in the trainings include the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), unique challenges associated with working with rural populations, the importance of operating from a position of cultural competency, and the importance of collaboration.