Supporting Native American
Children
And Families
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This website includes information about Tribal child welfare programs, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), federal and state laws and regulations, and Indian child welfare cases. It also houses ICWA INFO, a blog that provides the latest news for Indian child welfare practitioners. Sign up for email updates below.
About: Brackeen v. Haaland
For decades, ICWA has been recognized by child welfare experts as the gold standard in child welfare practice, and the law has helped tens of thousands of Indian children and families find fairness and healing in state child welfare systems. In the past several years, anti-tribal interests have launched a series of legal challenges against ICWA, with the goal of broadly undermining tribal sovereignty. The most prominent case and challenge to ICWA was Brackeen v. Haaland (formerly Brackeen v. Zinke and Brackeen v. Bernardt). In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Haaland v. Brackeen, and in a 7-2 opinion resoundingly affirmed the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act.
During the Brackeen case, there was an outpouring of support for the Indian Child Welfare Act. Find summaries of the pro-ICWA amicus briefs and links to each brief on our Brackeen v. Haaland resource page.
About: The Indian Child Welfare Act
The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a federal law enacted in 1978 to protect the well-being and best interests of Indian children and families. It upholds family integrity and stability and keeps Indian children connected to their communities and cultures. It is widely recognized as following best practices and being the gold standard in the field of child welfare.
ICWA also reaffirms the inherent rights of tribal nations to be involved in child welfare matters involving their citizens. It ensure tribes can advocate for the best interest of their tribal members.
Because of ICWA’s strong foundation, many states have enacted similar state legislation to protect Native American families in their community.
To learn more about the details of the law and how it is applied, visit NARF’s A Practical Guide to the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Learn more about how we are defending the law that defends our children in the 2019 NARF Legal Review.
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ICWA INFO is a resource for child welfare practitioners.
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- Matter of Dependency of C.J.J.I., August 28, 2025 (Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc.)Read the full opinion at the National Indian Law Library.
- Melius v. Songer, August 27, 2025 (Supreme Court of South Dakota.)Read the full opinion at the National Indian Law Library.
- State justices uphold US Indian Child Welfare ActThe South Dakota Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a circuit judge’s decision requiring an American Indian child be raised by her American Indian father, rather than be placed with … Read more
- A baby adopted, a family divided: how a Utah politician’s adoption of a Native child spurred a federal investigationIn 2017, David Leavitt drove to the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana to adopt a baby girl. A few years later, during an interview with a documentary filmmaker, Leavitt, a … Read more
- Native Foster Youth Survey Reveals Lessons for Child Welfare Professionals, AdvocatesHoping to inform child welfare agencies about what Indigenous children in foster care need most, the Center for Native American Youth is completing a survey that gives voice to … Read more
- Matter of T.A.G., August 13, 2025 (Court of Appeals of Oregon.)Read the full opinion at the National Indian Law Library.
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