Indian child welfare: News, initiatives, reports, work groups

Get updates on work in progress by committees, work groups and teams. Also activity reports, data and interpretation, performance dashboards.

News

News

Reports

Child Welfare Report
Published annually, this report describes the state of Minnesota's children with regard to child maltreatment assessment and investigation, out-of-home care and adoption. Analysis includes breakdowns by racial and ethnic groups, including American Indians.
County ICWA/MIFPA Compliance Review and Aid Report
In 2017 Minnesota Legislature authorized additional county aid funding [M.S. 477A.0126] to county social services agencies to offset the cost of foster care for Indian children. This legislation required Minnesota Department of Human Services (department) staff to annually review county agency’s compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA), and to report when county agencies are not in substantial compliance for two consecutive years with these laws.

Department staff consulted in the development and implementation of this case review system with representatives from the Tribal/Indian Urban communities, MACSSA members and, Children’s Justice Initiative staff establishing the following:
- Provisions to be reviewed
- Development of a review instrument
- Recommendation in the definition of substantial compliance.
Provisions reviewed

Procedural requirements:
- Due diligence in completing inquiry of child’s Indian lineage or heritage with parents and other appropriate persons (relatives, teachers, etc.)
- MIFPA notification provided to Indian child’s tribe(s)
- ICWA notification provided and received by Indian child’s parents, Indian custodian if there is one, child’s tribe(s) and copies sent to Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) regional office 10 days prior to an out-of-home placement, termination of parental rights and/or transfer of legal and physical custody proceedings.
Discretionary requirements:
- Documentation of Active Efforts provided
- Due diligence in following ICWA placement preferences
- Due diligence in obtaining Qualified Expert Witness (QEW) testimony for out-of-home placement, termination of parental rights and/or transfer of legal and physical custody proceeding.
Review and aid reimbursement

Annual compliance reviews start February 1 each year, completing mid-May so that reporting outcomes can be provided by July 1 to Department of Revenue, where aid is certified by August 1. Aid amounts are paid directly to individual counties and tribes. The total amount of aid available is $5 million. Initiative Tribes receive reimbursement of this aid in the amount of $200,000 each. For counties the aid is a proportional share of the remaining aid based on county out-of-home placement costs of American Indian children.

The aid is paid to eligible tribes and counties the year following certification. The first half payment is made on July 20 and the second half payment is made on December 26. For more information on specific amounts by year and county (see Department of Revenue out-home-placement reimbursement aid).

Advisory councils and committees

American Indian Child Welfare Advisory Council

This council assists the Human Services commissioner in formulating policies and procedures relating to American Indian child welfare services and makes recommendations regarding grant approval. The council includes representatives from each of the 11 Minnesota reservations authorized by Tribal Resolution, plus one representative from the Duluth Urban Indian Community, three from the Minneapolis Urban Indian Community and two from the St. Paul Urban Indian Community. The council holds six to eight meetings each year. Appointing authority: Commissioner of Human Services. Compensation: Limited expenses. (Minnesota Statutes 260.751 to 260.835.) Council Web page.

Minnesota Department of Human Services
P.O. Box 64943
St. Paul, MN 55164-0963
651-431-4675
American Indian Advisory Council on Chemical Dependency

This 17-member council establishes policies and procedures for American Indian chemical dependency programs, and reviews and recommends proposals for funding. The council includes one member from each of the 11 reservations, two members from Minneapolis, two members from St. Paul, one member from Duluth and one member from International Falls. Meetings are held around the state every other month, with each reservation taking turns hosting the meetings. Appointing authority: Commissioner of Human Services. Compensation: $55 per diem plus expenses. (Minnesota Statutes 254A.035.)

Minnesota Department of Human Services
P.O. Box 64977
St. Paul, MN 55164-0977
651-431-2460
American Indian Mental Health Advisory Council

The American Indian Mental Health Advisory Council advises the DHS Behavioral Health Division on policies and procedures relating to American Indian mental health services and programs in Minnesota. The council is comprised of 15 American Indian individuals representing each of the seven Ojibwe bands and four Dakota communities, and four individuals representing the urban American Indian populations of Duluth, St. Paul and Minneapolis. Representatives are selected for appointment by the governing body of each tribal and urban community.

Minnesota Department of Human Services
P.O. Box 64981
St. Paul, MN 55164-0981
651-431-2246

Resources

Tribal and Urban Resources

Summary for Tribal and Urban Resources

This Tribal and Urban Resource Guide DHS-7623 (PDF) was a result of the substance exposed infants workgroup co-led by Don Moore, Shirley Cain and Fritz Ohnsorg which was formed in September, 2014 as part of Minnesota’s Substance Exposed Infants In-Depth Technical Assistance (SEI IDTA) initiative. The workgroup began to address barriers contributing to the issue of Native babies disproportionately exposed to opiates, Workgroup members, which include some tribal partners, were concerned about the high rates of Native mothers giving birth to substance exposed infants with minimal services being offered at that time to support treatment and recovery. This group is coordinated with support from Kari Earle from the National Center for Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW, funded by SAMHSA).

This Tribal and Urban Resource Guide is comprised of eleven (11) Tribes in Minnesota, including: Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech Lake, Lower Sioux, Mille Lacs, Prairie Island, Red Lake, Shakopee, Upper Sioux and White Earth. The Guide lists their resources related to chemical dependency, chemical dependency assessments, mental health, maternal and child health, child welfare, sexual assault services, medical, housing, half-way houses, services for pregnant women and families, behavioral health, parenting groups, peer mentoring and cultural or spiritual links to services. This Resource also lists urban programs that offer services for pregnant women and families, cultural resources, medical services, parenting and peer mentoring. Finally, this Resource lists Treatment Centers in Minnesota to assist potential clients to access these resources for recovery.