Indian Child Welfare Act: Using Existing Information to Target Assistance

In 1960s and 1970s, American Indian children were roughly six times more likely to be placed in foster care than other children, and were often placed in non-American Indian homes or institutions. The 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was designed to protect American Indian families and give tribes a role in making child welfare decisions. An April 2005 Government Accountability Office survey of four states found no consistent pattern in how long children subject to ICWA remained in foster care—but did find that in 2003, these children were somewhat less likely to be reunified or adopted when leaving care and somewhat more likely to leave through a guardianship arrangement. The GAO recommends the use of ICWA compliance information available to target assistance to states.