Standing Strong for Native Families
A website from the Native American Rights Fund
One morning early last July, Micha Bitsinnie arrived at work to an onslaught of messages from confused families. New Mexico’s governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, had just issued a directive mandating the state’s child welfare department seek custody of all newborns who had been exposed to drugs and alcohol in utero. Some parents wondered whether medications … Read more
After being sued by disability rights advocates, the state of New Mexico is making slow but steady progress on a series of foster care reforms, according to lawyers representing 13 children in a 2020 class-action settlement. They include placing foster children in the least-restrictive settings, expanding access to behavioral health services, creating a “trauma-responsive” system of … Read more
“This was not just a win for me,” she said. “It was a win for everything and everyone I represent — tribes, young people who have experienced foster care … kids who have been involved in juvenile justice. This felt like a really, really positive step for me.” Read the full article at AOL.com or … Read more
Read the full opinion at the National Indian Law Library website.
Read the full decision at the National Indian Law Library website.
Under the direction of Children, Youth and Families Secretary Brian Blalock, state leaders announced in October the creation of New Mexico’s first Indian Child Welfare Act court. Only the nation’s sixth, the court opened Jan. 1 in the 2nd Judicial District to enforce and adjudicate the 1978 congressional law that requires the placement of Native … Read more
CYFD, in an effort to align with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) — a congressional law that aims to keep Native American children with Native families — created an all-woman, all-Native American ICWA unit within the child protective services division. Additionally, the state’s first — and only the nation’s sixth — ICWA court officially … Read more
Laguna Pueblo’s community programs, ranging from early childhood programs to assistance to military veterans, are now under the umbrella of the newly created Laguna Community Foundation, a nonprofit that will oversee their funding and provide needed guidance. “We decided to bring all of our programs under one entity rather than have them split up,” said … Read more
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
The Guide is intended to answer questions and provide a comprehensive resource of information on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The online version at http://www.narf.org/icwa was created as a complement to the print version of the Guide, which was printed by the Native American Rights Fund in 2007. While the topical sections are identical … Read more