White Earth Indian Child Welfare Initiative 2010

1. White Earth Indian Child Welfare Initiative 2010

2. Tribal Sovereignty – The Reason for the Initiative’s Importance to us • Our Tribe is a separate and distinct Nation. • Tribal sovereignty predates the establishment of the United States. • Our customs predate the establishment of the United States. • Defining our child rearing practices is not something a State government can readily do.

3. Department of Human Services Priorities • Reduce disparities in service access and outcomes for racial and ethnic populations. Strategies: 1) Support tribes as they develop the capacity to deliver services directly. 2) Take action steps to reduce disparities in specific program areas, such as the Native American population

4. Disparate Outcomes • Why were there disparate outcomes for Native American children involved in the child welfare system? • 13,755 children in out of home placement in 2008; Native children represented 1.6% of the State child population but represented more than 7% of children in out of home placement, with 1,798 children in placement in 2008.

5. White Earth Initiative Phase I • Authorized August 2005 – Minn. Stat. 256.01, Subd. 14b • Phase I grant contracts executed Feb/March 2007: Planning and building capacity • Child abuse/neglect prevention and family preservation services begin

6. Legal Work • State grant contracts • Title IV-E agreements between tribal and state government • Memorandum of Understanding’s between tribal, county and state governments • State information system agreements • Service Level Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding • Individual user agreements

7. Phase I: Planning and Building Capacity (March 2007 – April 2008) • Hire and train staff • Provide child abuse prevention and family preservation services • Access to major state information systems: SSIS - case management, MAXIS - Title IV-E eligibility determinations and PRISM interface- child support

8. Phase II • During Phase II White Earth accepted all cases from Mahnomen, Clearwater, and Becker Counties that included Initiative eligible child welfare, child protection, and reunification. White Earth accepted all placement cases from these three counties beginning April 4, 2008.

9. Phase II: Full Continuum of Service Delivery System (April 2008) • Child abuse and neglect prevention • Family preservation services • 24/7 child protection response system • Accept new reports of maltreatment and respond • Began the case transfer process for accepting existing county cases that met AICWI criteria.

10. Goals and Purpose • Build our own Tribal service delivery capacity. • Deliver full child welfare services. • Reduce the overrepresentation of American Indian children in the child welfare system. • Provide child welfare services in a culturally appropriate way that results in improved child safety and well-being.

11. Goals continued… • Demonstrate Tribal leadership Providing child Welfare services And improve Outcomes for our Families

12. What types of cases are eligible? • Child welfare (cases that do not include out of home placement, but services to avoid placements) • Child protection (may include cases that result in out of home placement)

13. What services are being provided? • Prevention

14. Preservation • Safely maintaining children in the home of a parent or relative

15. Maltreatment Response System • 24/7 child protection response system

16. 70 licensed homes Predominantly relative homes Located throughout all of the Tribal communities Adhere to Tribal Foster Care Standards Monitored by Tribal Worker Monthly trainings Tribal Foster Care System

17. Case plan within 30 days Frequent court hearings Frequent home visiting Family Drug Treatment Court Tribal Team collaboration Reunification

18. Funding • State appropriations $4.8 million annually • Federal reimbursement – Title IV-E maintenance, administrative and training • First federal claim submitted 2008

19. Lessons Learned

20. Migwetch (Thank you)