Keeping Children in the Community
Strong
cultural values and history form the center of life in most Indian
communities.
Extended
families, elders and other tribal members take a role in caring
for children. While each tribe has its own unique traditions and
values about caring for children, preserving the child's sense of
belonging is at the heart of child rearing.
The adoption
process must adapt to community practices of the local tribe.
One example of differing practices involves the termination of
parental rights. In the non-Indian world, adoption typically
involves termination of parental rights of birth parents. In many
Indian communities, these terminations do not occur because of the
strong belief in preserving a child's birth heritage. Customary
adoptions (based on tribal values and customs) are one way to
create permanent homes for children without formally terminating
parental rights.
A special responsibility in Indian adoption is to establish
permanent homes for children protected by the Indian Child Welfare
Act of 1978 (ICWA) and for children of Indian heritage who may not
be part of ICWA. Under ICWA laws, homes are found for children
according to these guidelines:
1. with extended family;
2. with another tribal member;
3. with an Indian family not of the child's tribe.
All are based on preserving a child's connection to his or her
culture and protecting the sense of belonging to an extended
family.
A child is an Indian Child under ICWA protection if he/she is an
unmarried person under the age of 18 and is a member of a
federally recognized Indian tribe or is eligible for membership in
a federally recognized Indian tribe and the biological child of a
member of a federally recognized Indian tribe.
How The REACH Project Partners
with Indian Communities
The
REACH Project wants to help Indian children stay in their own
communities. An important first step is to spread the message that
Indian families are needed to provide permanent homes for Indian
children. REACH collaborates with tribes or any Indian
organization to assist Indian families and children, and works
with local tribes to honor child-rearing traditions and values.
Working together, Indian communities and REACH can find lifelong
families for waiting Indian children.
What you can expect from REACH
-
An
understanding that each tribe and community has its own history,
values, and unique ways of caring for its children and families
-
Respect for
the wisdom and guidance of community elders in all child
care-related decisions
-
Indians
members in lead roles on steering, staff and training
committees and regular involvement and consultation from other
Indian stakeholders.
-
Support for
traditional American Indian healing and coming home approaches
as part of family services
-
Step-by-step
guidance, training, resources and support for each family as
they go through the process of becoming a permanent family for a
waiting child.
Helpful Links:
National Indian Welfare Association -
www.nicwa.org
American Indian Families Project -
www.hennepin.us (Key word
search AIFP)
The First Nation Orphan Association -
www.geocities.com/fnoac
REACH Native American Web Page
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