National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA)

06/17/2026

“In every ICWA case, all legal professionals are responsible for more than ensuring compliance. ICWA is not simply a procedural statute. ICWA is a civil rights law designed to protect Indian children’s safety, family connections, identity, and relationships to their Tribe.”

Our partners at Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network have released a new resource with the American Bar Association. Read “Representing Indian Children: What Judges and Attorneys Should Know About ICWA, Kinship, and Native Culture” online at:

Congress passed the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in 1978 to protect the best interests of Indian children and promote the stability of families and Tribes by setting minimum standards for state child custody proceedings involving an Indian child.

06/15/2026

ICWA has been protecting Native families in state child welfare systems since 1978 by ensuring Native children can grow up safe, healthy, and spiritually strong. Widely regarded as the gold standard in child welfare policy, ICWA aims to “protect the best interests of Indian children and promote the stability and security of Indian Tribes and families.”

For the child welfare workers, Tribes, and families that are trying to comply with this important law, we have “A Guide to Compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act”, a helpful tool that highlights and explains many of the requirements.

Visit our online resource library to see this recently updated resource!https://www.nicwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/NICWA_ICWA-Compliance-Guide_2026_Web.pdf

06/12/2026

The child welfare system can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to navigating the legal system. The best way to understand your rights and participate meaningfully in court proceedings is to start with legal representation and confidently communicate with your attorney.

Our new resource, “Navigating Conversations with your Attorney in State Child Custody Proceedings”, contains helpful tips and outlines steps families can take to communicate effectively with attorneys in ICWA cases.

Thank you to San Manuel Cares for their support in the development of this resource. You can view it at https://www.nicwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/NICWA_Navigating-Conversations-with-your-Attorney_State-Child-Custody-Proceedings_2026.pdf.

06/10/2026

Qualified Expert Witnesses (QEW) are key individuals in Indian child custody proceedings and can provide the court with important cultural information needed to make informed, unbiased determinations during a case.

06/08/2026

Through our work at NICWA, we have been honored to be welcomed into Tribal communities across the nation to work with and learn from those who share a similar goal—ensuring the safety and well-being of all Native children and families.

Each time we are invited to a community, we are shown that Tribe’s know what is best for their people and how, oftentimes, those answers can be found within their traditional teachings, values, and customs.

You can read about the work we’ve been doing in our latest edition of NICWA News at https://www.nicwa.org/news/2026-spring-nicwa-news/.

06/05/2026

Misty Flowers, NICWA’s senior child welfare fellow, called for attendees to “heal, strengthen culture and language, and rewrite the narrative of the child welfare system” during her keynote at the Together for Indigenous Families Conference.

During the conference hosted by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, she spoke on how advancing shared accountability can help Native children thrive in family, community, and culture—and referenced ICWA 2050 (https://www.nicwa.org/what-is-icwa/ ), a set of principles to support this work.

06/04/2026

For Pride Month, we’ve compiled a list of resources for child welfare professionals working with Two-Spirit and LGBTQI+ youth. Culturally relevant and LGBTQI+ supportive placements cannot be mutually exclusive to protect the best interests of these youths—visit our Linktree to learn how you can better support safe placements!

https://linktr.ee/nicwa

06/02/2026

We’re kicking off our summer training institutes! There are still a few spots left for next week’s Working with Substance-Abusing Families training, register soon before they fill up!

Visit https://www.nicwa.org/trainings/ to register!

Next month is the start of our summer training institutes! There are still openings for most of our sessions, but spots are going quick, so register soon!

We have also opened registration for our September Positive Indian Parenting and Foundations of Tribal Child Welfare Casework Practice sessions. Early bird pricing ends on August 4.

Visit https://www.nicwa.org/trainings/ to register!

05/29/2026

Extended family members are important advocates for Native children and critical to helping them stay connected to their families, Tribes, and cultures. Relative/kin caregivers often require support in advocating for children placed in their care.

This tip sheets, made in partnership with Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, provides guidance to help caregivers access services, utilize them effectively, and advocate for Native children in their care.

How Relative/Kin Caregivers Can Access Services and Advocate for Native Children in Their Care:https://www.nicwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NTAC-Tip-Sheet.pdf