+1 (559) 781-4271

FAMILY & SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)

 Tule River Indian Tribe of California

Our Story

Established in 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was created to stem the disproportionate number of Indian Children placed and adopted out of their Indian Communities without input from their tribe with resulting emotional injury and cultural loss to the child and damage to the integrity of tribal survival.
The ICWA, an official United States federal law, sets forth two purposes:

  • To promote the best interest of Indian children.
  • Establish stability and security of Indian tribes and families.

The policy embodied in the act is that it is in the best interest of an American Indian child that the role of tribal community in the child’s life is protected.

Minimum Standards

ICWA imposes minimum federal standards for state child custody court proceedings, which include voluntary and involuntary foster care placements, termination of parental rights, and pre-adoptive placements involving Indian children.  Key elements of these standards include:

  • An Indian child, for purposes of the ICWA, means any unmarried person who is under age of eighteen and is either (a) a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe or (b) is eligible for membership in a federally recognized Indian tribe and is the biological child of a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe.
  • The Indian Child’s parent(s), Indian custodian and the child’s tribe must be properly notified of pending custody proceedings.  Child custody proceedings cannot proceed to hearing until at least ten court days after receipt of the notice by the parent(s), Indian custodian, and the tribe.
Family & Social Services Departments Publications

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FAMILY & SOCIAL SERVICES.

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Business Hours
MON-FRI 8:00am-5:00pm

After Hours
DPS 559-791-2123

MAILING ADDRESS:
340 N. Reservation Rd.
Porterville, CA 93257

PHYSICAL ADDRESS
129 S. Reservation Rd.
Porterville, CA 93257

Phone: 559-853-6057
Fax: 559-783-9031

Tule River Indian
Tribe of California

340 N Reservation Rd
Porterville, CA 93257

Phone: (559) 781-4271
Fax Number: (559) 781-4610

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