Resources and Support

Resources and support for individuals, families, and organizations working within the Indian child welfare system.

Applications Open for Office of Child Care Non-Profit Organization Grants

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On April 23, 2019, ACF’s  Office of Child Care (OCC) announced the availability of funds and requested applications for:* American Indian and Native Hawaiian Nonprofit Organization Child Care Grant* Native Hawaiian Nonprofit Organization Child Care Grant Each of these competitive funding opportunity announcements (FOA) provides grant funding for a private, nonprofit organization to provide child care services through … Read more

Funding Opportunity: $3.8 Million for National Child Welfare Capacity Building Center for Tribes

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The US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, announced a funding opportunity for the establishment of a national child welfare capacity building center for tribes. The estimated funding available was $3,770,700. Funding opportunity number HHS-2019-ACF-ACYF-CZ-1557 (CFDA 93.648, 93.652, 93.658). Posted on April 19 with an application closing date of June … Read more

Tribe Signs Funding Agreement to Expand Child Welfare Services

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Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) entered into a Support Services Funding Agreement with the State of Alaska’s Department of Health & Social Services (DHSS), Office of Children’s Services (OCS) to conduct diligent relative and Indian Child Welfare Act preference searches. Read the full article at the Alaska … Read more

Revised Indian Child Welfare Act; Designated Tribal Agents for Service of Notice

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A Federal Register Notice by the Indian Affairs Bureau made on 3/08/17. The regulations implementing the Indian Child Welfare Act provide that Indian tribes may designate an agent other than the tribal chairman for service of notice of proceedings under the Act. This notice includes the current list of designated tribal agents for service of … Read more

Applications Now Accepted for 2017 Funding

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From the National Indian Child Welfare Association: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is accepting applications for Systems of Care grants to support mental health services and systems for children, youth, and families in tribal communities. The purpose of this infrastructure program is to provide tribal communities with the tools and resources to … Read more

New Free ICWA Guide for Children and Youth Agencies

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FAMILY DESIGN RESOURCES INC. INTRODUCES FREE ICWA SEARCH GUIDE TO HELP KEEP INDIAN FAMILIES TOGETHER Complements new federal regulations that go into effect in December HARRISBURG, Pa. (Aug. 4, 2016) – Family Design Resources Inc. has introduced the first edition of its Indian Child Welfare Act Search Guide. The free search guide anticipates new regulations … Read more

UND Receives Funding to Develop ICWA Training and Implementation Support

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The University of North Dakota Department of Social Work has received a $2.4-million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support implementation and evaluation of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in North Dakota over the next five years. UND is partnering in this grant with the Children and Family Services … Read more

Tribal Title IV-E Plan Development Grants from The Administration for Children and Families

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Grant Posted April 29, 2016 Funding Opportunity Title: Standing Announcement for Tribal Title IV-E Plan Development Grants Full Grant Information at Grants.Gov. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to solicit proposals for one-time grants to tribes, tribal organizations, or tribal consortia that are seeking to develop and, within 24 months of grant … Read more

Tribes Awarded $1.8M for Child Welfare and TANF Coordination

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HHS’ Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance awarded $1.8 million to eight tribes and tribal organizations in Alaska, Montana, California and Washington to help strengthen vulnerable families through the tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) child welfare coordination grants.  The grants fund tribes to demonstrate models of effective coordination between tribal … Read more

Study of Coordination of Tribal TANF and Child Welfare Services: Interim Findings Report

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From the website of the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation; Office of the Administration for Children and Families; U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: Fourteen tribes and tribal organizations received demonstration grants from the Office of Family Assistance for Coordination of Tribal TANF and Child Welfare Services to Tribal Families in 2011. The … Read more

Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Plans Native Foster Care System to Preserve Culture

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Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the tribe a $300,000 grant to create an independent tribal-run family services program for enrolled Omaha members. “We know what’s best for our children and our youth,” Omaha Tribal Council Chairman Vernon Miller said Thursday. “The federal government recognizes that.” Read the full … Read more

Assistant Secretary Washburn Announces a New Program to Assist Tribal Social Services Agencies in Placing Children in Homes (updated)

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Aug. 19, 2015 – Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced a new Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) program to assist federally recognized tribal social services agencies seeking to place children in safe homes. Read the full press release at the U.S. Department of the Interior website. The Bureau … Read more

New State and Tribal ICWA Implementation Partnership Grants

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Exciting opportunity for ICWA Implementation from HHS now posted to HHS grants forecast website. State and Tribal ICWA Implementation Partnership Grants have been forecast. The forecast gives notice that this is an upcoming opportunity which will be announced. There is a notification feature to add yourself to get updates such as when the grant will … Read more

American Indian College Fund Announces Action Recognizing Partnership to Train Early Childhood Educators in Native Communities

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The organizations will work together to provide early childhood training for teachers and service providers in underserved rural Native American communities…. The program will impact more than 660 Native families and their children across six tribal nations. Read the full article at the PR Newswire website.

$2 million in Grants to Build Tribal Education Departments

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[G]rants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000 per fiscal year are available for federally recognized tribes and their education departments. The grants are designed to help tribes assume control of Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools in their communities, promote tribal education capacity, and provide academically rigorous and culturally appropriate education to Indian students on their … Read more

Washington Tribes Urge Restart of Background Checks in Child Placement

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Washington tribes and the country’s largest group representing Native Americans are asking for state and federal help in getting background checks when a tribe needs to place a child with a foster parent in an emergency situation. The state’s Children’s Administration, a division of the Department of Social and Health Services, had conducted the criminal … Read more

Nearly $2.9 Million in Head Start Funds Awarded to Tribe

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The federal funding [to the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota] will support Early Head Start and Head Start programs as the tribe works to improve its governance, children’s health and safety and provide comprehensive early education services to improve school readiness for American Indian children, according to a news release. The funds will … Read more

USDA Launches Initiative to Develop New Solutions to End Child Hunger

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In a speech at the 2015 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference today about the extent of childhood hunger in America and the impact of USDA programs on reducing food insecurity, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced more than $27 million in grants to fund innovative projects designed help end childhood hunger. The announcement was part of USDA … Read more

CMS Awards $3.9 Million to Improve Access to Health Care

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Nov. 12, 2014 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today awarded $3.9 million for outreach and enrollment efforts aimed at American Indian and Alaska Native children eligible for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The grant awards will fund activities to engage schools and tribal agencies in Medicaid and CHIP … Read more

Electronic Notice for ICWA – webinar and resources

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The National for State Courts is providing access to an October 31, 2014 webinar and related materials on the topic of electronic notice to tribes in lieu of certified, registered mail under the Indian Child Welfare Act. ICWA eNotice Electronic Noticing in Indian Child Welfare Cases-Making It Happen. (October 2014). This pre-recorded webinar provides information … Read more

Children’s Bureau Express Spotlight on Tribal Child Welfare

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Native American children are disproportionally represented in child welfare. Efforts to effect change must be culturally competent and protect the best interests of Indian children and strengthen Native families. This month, we look at cultural adaptations of trauma treatments, research on the use of social services by urban American Indian families, and a guide to … Read more

Passamaquoddy Tribe awarded $800,000 federal grant to aid at-risk children

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The Passamaquoddy Tribe has been awarded the first of what could be several federal grants totaling millions of dollars aimed at coordinating and bolstering services to at-risk children. The $800,000 grant from the Center for Mental Health Services, part of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and … Read more

A Roadmap for Collaborative and Effective Evaluation in Tribal Communities (Children’s Bureau)

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From the Children’s Bureau website: Throughout history, many American Indian and Alaska Native communities have experienced intrusive research and judgmental evaluations that have caused harm. As a result, many fears about evaluation persist. Based on the efforts of a Children’s Bureau-sponsored workgroup of experts, this video introduces a vision for the future of Tribal child … Read more

Available Grants Focused on Increasing Health Insurance Enrollment of American Indian/Alaska Native Children

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A total of $4 million is available for grants to eligible entities, including the Indian Health Service (IHS), Tribes and Tribal organizations operating health programs under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) (P.L. 93-638, as amended), and Urban Indian organizations operating health programs under title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act … Read more

Resource: National Child Welfare Workforce Institute

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According to their website, the National Child Welfare Institute’s (NCWWI)… … purpose is to increase child welfare practice effectiveness through diverse partnerships that focus on workforce systems development, organizational interventions, and change leadership, using data-driven capacity building, education, and professional development. NCWWI’s workforce development activities promote… Learning: Fostering continuous learning that is interactive, reflective and … Read more

A Survey and Analysis of Select Title IV-E Tribal-State Agreements including Template of Promising Practices

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The Association on American Indian Affairs, with support from Casey Family Programs, recently released their report,  A Survey and Analysis of Select Title IV-E Tribal-State Agreements including Template of Promising Practices. From the report: This report provides a detailed analysis of Title IV-E tribal-state agreements, which includes an overall summary of the status of current … Read more

SAMHSA Grants Fund Expansions of Juvenile Treatment Drug Court Services

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, is accepting applications for fiscal year 2014 Grants to Expand Substance Abuse Treatment in Adult Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts and Juvenile Treatment Drug Courts. The purpose of this program is to expand substance abuse treatment services in existing adult Tribal Healing … Read more

New Publication – Indian Child Welfare Act Facts and Fiction

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ICWA Facts and Fiction is a new publication of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). Visit the NCJFCJ website for a copy of this resource published in December, 2013. See also other related NCJFCJ publications. The Tribal Judicial Leadership Group, coordinated by the NCJFCJ and Casey Family Programs, and comprised of tribal … Read more

Alaska Office of Children’s Services: Indian Child Welfare Website

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From the website: “The State of Alaska Department of Health & Social Services (DHSS), Office of Children’s Services (OCS) strongly supports the Indian Child Welfare (ICWA) and continues to build federal ICWA mandates into all levels of OCS Child Welfare. We continue to develop postive collaborative and communicative partnerships with all Native organizations and Alaska … Read more

The U.S. Department of Justice offers grants to fund Native American Children/Youth Programs.

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From the press release: The U.S. Department of Justice announced the opening of a comprehensive grant solicitation for funding to support public safety, victim services, and crime prevention by American Indian and Alaska Native governments. The department’s FY 2014 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) is available at www.justice.gov/tribal/open-sol.html . “Over the past four years, more … Read more

Magdalena Schools (NM) Awarded $1.2 million for Indian Students

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Magdalena Schools was awarded a $1.2 million Demonstration Grant for Indian Children from the U.S. Department of Education in September. The grant funds programs addressing the needs of Native American pre-school and high school students, according to Keri James, federal and state programs coordinator for the district. But all Magdalena students will benefit from the … Read more

American Indian Enhancement Project Toolkit

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The American Indian Enhancement (AIE) Project Toolkit provides the concepts, guidance, and action steps necessary for developing a programmatic infrastructure within the child welfare agency to improve outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native families and children in the child welfare system. The toolkit is designed to assist your county to advance child welfare practice … Read more

Vision from the Bench to Fulfill the ICWA Promise

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The author of this January 2012 article, Gina Jackson, is a Model Court Liaison for the Victims Act Model Court Project with the Permanency Planning for Children Department of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and a member of the Temoke Western Shoshone Tribe.  She looks at how we as a nation … Read more

ICWA Resource Page (California Courts)

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The Tribal/State Programs Unit of the Center for Families Children and the California Courts have created a webpage to assist those involved in Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) proceedings.  The page can help them understand their legal obligations under ICWA and comply with those requirements. Subjects covered include ICWA job aids; law, rules & regulations; … Read more

Invitation to Apply for FY 2013 Support to the Attorney General’s Task Force on AI/AN Children Exposed to Violence

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The US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention invites tribal nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including non-tribal nonprofit and for-profit organizations) and tribal institutions of higher education (including non-tribal institutions of higher education) to submit applications for its Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Support to the Attorney General’s Task Force on American Indian/Alaska … Read more

ICWA Educational Video Now Available Online

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This ICWA educational resource video is the culmination of the ongoing collaboration between the Mississippi Courts, Child Welfare Agency, and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians in consultation with the National Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues and the National Resource Center for Tribes. The video was produced by Mad Genius, Inc., Ridgeland, Mississippi. The … Read more

Child Care Administrative Data Analysis Grants (Application Deadline: 6/24/2013)

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These cooperative agreements would fund research and evaluation activities that primarily involve the analysis of child care administrative data….. Results from this research are expected to add to our knowledge about the efficacy of child care subsidy policies and quality improvement initiatives in supporting employment and self-sufficiency outcomes for parents, increasing access by low-income families … Read more

Funding Details: Native Hawaiian and American Indian Non-profit Organization Child Care Grants

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Native Hawaiian and American Indian Nonprofit Organization Child Care Grants will award funding to nonprofit organizations who offer a high-quality child care program that is child-focused, culturally and linguistically appropriate, family-friendly, fair to providers, and addresses the needs and unique circumstances of Native Hawaiian and/or American Indian/ Alaska Native (AIAN) youth and their families. Due … Read more

Program: Tribal STAR (Successful Transitions for Adult Readiness)

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Tribal STAR (Successful Transitions for Adult Readiness) is a program of the San Diego State University School of Social Work, Academy for Professional Excellence. It’s mission is to ensure Tribal foster youth are connected to culture, community and resources. The program does this by providing training and technical assistance to tribes, tribal programs, county social … Read more

Resource: Glossary of ICWA-Related Terms (NICWA)

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The Indian Child Welfare Glossary and Flowchart from the National Indian Child Welfare Association provides a 1-page flowchart of ICWA/Child Protective Services accompanied with an 8-page glossary of words that are commonly used in Indian child welfare situations.  Find them both at http://www.nicwa.org/Indian_Child_Welfare_Act/glossary.pdf.

Resource: ICWA Desk Guide (Casey Family Programs)

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Produced by the Casey Family Programs, this eight-page Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) desk guide is a general reference about the major provisions of the ICWA and the laws and policies regarding the application of the law in different jurisdictions. (Some states provide guidance regarding ICWA in their policy manuals and through training; other states … Read more

ICWA Resource Page (NICWA)

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The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) offers a page of resources related to the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) at http://www.nicwa.org/Indian_Child_Welfare_Act/. The page includes: NICWA and ICWA Compliance – A description of the way in which NICWA supports tribes in their efforts to effectively address ICWA compliance. Frequently Asked Questions History of … Read more

Training Materials Available for Purchase (NICWA)

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The National Indian Child Welfare Association offers a number of training materials for purchase. Visit http://www.nicwa.org/resources/curriculum/ to learn more and order materials.   Available curriculum include: Module I: Basic Skills in Indian Child Welfare Module I Trainer’s Guide Module II: Protective Services for Indian Children Module II Trainer’s Guide Module III: Indian Extended Family and … Read more

Forms: Indian Child Welfare Act (MN Dept of Human Services)

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The North Dakota Department of Human Services offers a variety of forms for social work professionals, tribal workers, attorneys, and others dealing with adoptions or placements involving American Indian children.  You can find the following forms (with descriptions) on their website at http://www.nd.gov/dhs/triballiaison/forms/ : Summary of ICWA Jurisdictional Provisions Notice Pursuant to ICWA Request for … Read more

Tribal Funding from the Children’s Bureau

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From the US Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Children’s Bureau website at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/programs/state-tribal-funding The Children’s Bureau provides matching funds to states, tribes, and communities to help them operate every aspect of their child welfare systems—from the prevention of child abuse and neglect to the support of permanent placements through … Read more