U.S. Supreme Court issues decision on Indian Child Welfare Act
The U.S Supreme court released another decision on Tuesday that has implications for tribes in Alaska. The Indian Child Welfare Act or ICWA was enacted to stop American Indian and Alaska Native children from leaving their biological families and tribes when these children were being placed in foster care or up for adoption. ICWA mandates a preference for the Native child’s family and tribe before non Native placement can be considered. The Supreme Court’s decision is in response to a case in South Carolina.
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As a long-time children’s advocate and foster parent, I am so very grateful this was the Supreme Court decision. The fact that the Supreme Court actually focused on the CHILD is critical. A child who has lived with a family he or she knows as ‘family’ and then is ripped from that family, suffers horrendous damage when moved. Such a blow to the child’s life-long sense of emotional damage can be lifetime and undermine the child’s lifetime emotional health.