The Future of the Indian Child Welfare Act

On this week’s episode, Imprint Indigenous Children and Families Reporter Nancy Marie Spears hosts a special roundtable discussion on the future of Indigenous child welfare. Our panel of guests break down how they will engage with a new 25-year plan to reform and improve Indigenous child welfare policy and practice through improved implementation of, and compliance with, the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA.. 

ICWA 2050 was launched November 7 by the Protect ICWA Campaign to Honor ICWA’s 46th Anniversary and it’s called Protect, Preserve, Progress: Realizing the Spirit of the Indian Child Welfare Act. There are four key goals of this long-term plan, and the panelists talk about how their respective communities intend on engaging with each area of proposed change.

Guest panel:

Sarah Kastelic, (Alutiiq), is the executive director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association.

Te’Ata Loper, (Chickasaw), is the executive director of the Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Association.

Kimberly Cluff is legal director of the California Tribal Families Coalition.

Linda S. Spears is president and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America.

Reading Room

Protecting Children and Healing Families, One Native Auntie at a Time
https://imprintnews.org/foster-care/protecting-children-and-healing-families-one-native-auntie-at-a-time/241572

The Way Forward: Report of the Alyce Spotted Bear & Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children
https://udallcenter.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2024-07/TheWayForward.pdf

Indian Child Welfare Act Think Tank to Strategize Legal Protections for Tribal Sovereignty
https://imprintnews.org/top-stories/indian-child-welfare-act-think-tank-to-strategize-legal-protections-for-tribal-sovereignty/239084

New Online Resources Available to Assist With Indian Child Welfare Cases
https://imprintnews.org/indigenous-youth-and-families/new-online-resources-available-to-assist-with-indian-child-welfare-cases/255684