NICWA Legal Professionals Reception, April 20th 5:30pm
NICWA
NICWA Webinar on Updated BIA Guidelines
This Friday at 10am PDT (1pm EDT). Register here. No cost.
A major development in tribal child welfare policy was announced on February 25, 2015. The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced that it had revised–effective immediately–the Guidelines for State Courts and Agencies in Indian Child Custody Proceedings for the first time since 1979. NICWA is hosting a free webinar on Friday, March 13, 2015, at 10 a.m. PDT to explain the revisions.
We encourage ICWA advocates, tribal and state child welfare workers, tribal and state attorneys, parents’ attorneys and judges to take the time to read the full updated guidelines. We also encourage discussion of these important changes to regularly scheduled meeting agendas, to hold new meetings and trainings to discuss these guidelines’ effects on their practice, and to disseminate these guidelines widely.
Call for Tribes on Changes to Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting Systems
Call in information and agenda here.
This is an information session [for tribes] for the Children’s Bureau to provide an overview/summary of the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which was published in the Federal Register on February 9, 2015
From NICWA’s press release:
A Notice of Proposed Rule Making on AFCARS was published in the Federal Register on Monday, February 9, 2015, announcing that ACF intends to change some of the AFCARS reporting requirements. The full text of this Notice of Proposed Rule Making and proposed changes can be found here and an overview is available here.
Currently, there is no requirement for states to report data related to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) as a part of AFCARS. In addition, AFCARS does not require states to identify children in their care who are eligible for ICWA’s protections. Without this data there is no national information about how and when ICWA is followed in state child welfare systems
NICWA Conference: Workshops for Legal Professionals
The National Indian Child Welfare Association’s (NICWA) 33rd Annual Conference: Protecting Our Children National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect features a wide range of workshops for legal professionals looking to expand their knowledge of ICWA, including Looking Forward: Policy and Practice to Protect Against the Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl Decision and many others.
There will also be a legal professionals coffee hour sponsored by ILPC and TICA, on Monday, April 20th at 5:30 pm. NICWA’s own ICWA expert Addie Smith, Kate Fort from the ILPC, and other leaders in the field of federal Indian law will be in attendance. Come and see us!
Register for NICWA’s annual conference here.
Agenda is here.
NICWA Job Posting: ICWA Legal Advisor
Here: ICWA Legal Advisor
The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) in Portland, Oregon, is recruiting for a full-time ICWA legal advisor. The ICWA legal advisor at NICWA is responsible for managing the dissemination of information relating to Indian child welfare to the general public and to NICWA membership. NICWA offers a generous benefit package. The position is open until December 5.
NICWA Annual Conference Call for Presentations
Alternative Reports A and B to the UN CERD Regarding Violation of Indigenous Children’s Right to Culture
Speaking of ICWA placement preferences, Here are the reports submitted to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, the International Indian Treaty Council, and the National Indian Child Welfare Association:
Alternative Report A: Indigenous Children and the Legacy and Current Impacts of the Boarding School Policies in the United States and the Lack of Redress, Restitution and Restoration by the United States to Address these Impacts or to Acknowledge Responsibility for Them
Alternative Report B: The Continued Removal of Indigenous Children from Their Families and Communities and its Impact on The Right to Culture
Update — a blurb from the authors:
During last week’s two-day dialogue with the United States, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination members asked questions of the US delegation relying on the information provided to it by the United States as well as reports submitted by non-governmental organizations and stakeholders. The National Indian Child Welfare Association submitted such a report voicing concerns over the problematic implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act. The report on “The Continued Removal of Indigenous Children from Their Families and Communities and its Impact on the Right to Culture (Alternative Report B)” was drafted in partnership with Suffolk Law’s Indigenous Peoples Rights Clinic, and can be viewed at hhere. During the session, Committee members asked the United States to comment on the over- representation of indigenous children in foster care and the bias in private adoptions. The Committee’s Concluding Observations report should be released next month.
NICWA Webinar on Oglala Sioux v. Van Hunnik by Stephen Pevar
Information here.
On August 27, 2014, members will join Stephen Pevar, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), for this webinar as he gives an update on the ICWA compliance class action lawsuit, Oglala Sioux Tribe v. Van Hunnik. The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU against South Dakota state and local officials who have an alleged history of violating the ICWA, resulting in devastating ramifications for American Indian children and families in the state. Mr. Pevar will also discuss the overarching goals of the lawsuit and the implications this case has for ICWA. http://www.nicwa.org/membership/benefits/index.asp
To register, contact Ava Hansen NICWA’s member relations manager at ava@nicwa.org
Training Annoucement from NICWA
Join us for our upcoming training institutes. These interactive and energetic courses are taught by dynamic trainers who are experts in the field of Indian child welfare. Led by those with an extensive experience working with tribal communities, participants will also enjoy the opportunity to network with other attendees from tribal, state, and national agencies located throughout the country. For more information visit www.nicwa.org/training/institutes/. Contact Lauren Shapiro at lauren@nicwa.org with any questions. Choose from one of the following trainings:
Virtual Classroom: Enhancing Basic Skills for Tribal Child Welfare Workers
Tuesdays, July 15–August 12, 2014, 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m. PDT
Wednesdays, October 1–29, 2014, 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m. PDTSeptember 8–10, 2014: Portland, Oregon
Positive Indian Parenting
ICWA Basics and Advanced ICWADecember 1–3, 2014: San Diego, California
Positive Indian Parenting
ICWA Basics and Advanced ICWAApril 23–24, 2015: Portland, Oregon
Positive Indian Parenting
ICWA BasicsPositive Indian Parenting
Positive Indian Parenting prepares tribal and non-tribal child welfare personnel to train American Indian and Alaska Native parents using a culturally specific approach. This two- or three-day train-the-trainer class will draw on the strengths of historic Indian child-rearing patterns and blend traditional values with modern skills.ICWA Basics & Advanced
ICWA Basics is a two-day training that provides participants with information about the basic legal requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) and the practice issues involved with its implementation. Stay for Advanced ICWA which will provide participants with advanced strategies for implementing ICWA.Enhancing Basic Skills for Tribal Child Welfare Workers
NICWA is bringing our training institutes to the virtual classroom! New to tribal child welfare? Want to brush up on your tribal child welfare skills? This five-part webinar series is geared toward tribal child welfare workers who want to improve their basic skills.
Listening Session on the BIA ICWA Guidelines, April 15,
BIA letter here.
The second listening session will be April 15th from 1:30pm-3:00pm at the NICWA conference.
Turtle Talk 
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