Permanency for American Indian and Alaska Native Foster Children: Taking Lessons from Tribes

61 Pages Posted: 6 Oct 2008 Last revised: 15 Oct 2008

See all articles by Barbara Ann Atwood

Barbara Ann Atwood

University of Arizona - James E. Rogers College of Law

Abstract

This paper, presented at Capital University's 4th Annual Wells Conference on Adoption Law, addresses the implications of the child welfare goal of permanency for children who qualify as Indian children under federal law. The federal Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 currently promotes permanency for foster children through severance and adoption, despite the policies of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 and the traditions of many North American tribes in which more fluid approaches to parenting and child-rearing are common. With tribal practices as a model, the paper advocates that state courts make greater use of customary adoption, extended family care, and guardianship as a culturally appropriate path to permanency.

Keywords: Child welfare, adoption, Indian law, child custody, foster care, juvenile law, family law

Suggested Citation

Atwood, Barbara Ann, Permanency for American Indian and Alaska Native Foster Children: Taking Lessons from Tribes. Capital University Law Review, 2009, Arizona Legal Studies Discussion Paper No. 08-22, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1275458

Barbara Ann Atwood (Contact Author)

University of Arizona - James E. Rogers College of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 210176
Tucson, AZ 85721-0176
United States

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
217
Abstract Views
1,558
Rank
271,476
PlumX Metrics