To foster health and well-being by providing federal leadership, partnership and resources for the compassionate and effective delivery of human services
The grant program aims to foster intergovernmental partnership models designed to enhance the implementation of culturally appropriate child welfare best practices for federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children. Its major goals include preventing maltreatment and unnecessary removal from families and communities while improving safety, permanency, and well-being. The program supports the establishment of demonstration sites by recipients to carry out projects focused on effectively implementing culturally appropriate best practices in Indian child welfare. These projects may cover a wide range of areas including improvements in child welfare practice, Indian child welfare codes, legal and judicial processes, case monitoring and planning, data collection, in-home family preservation services, infrastructure, and systems change. A critical aspect of the grant is the collaboration between state and tribal courts, and Indian child welfare agencies to address and surmount challenges, with a special emphasis on maintaining or reuniting Indian children with their families. Additionally, states and tribes are encouraged to collaborate in crafting solutions tailored to their community needs with a focus on trust-building and the exploration of the role civil legal services might play in these initiatives.