MICHIGAN’S INDIAN CHILD WELFARE: A

DIALOGUE WITH TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS AND

ORGANIZATIONSStacey M. Tadgerson, M.P.A.,

Director, Native American Affairs (NAA)Department of Human Service (DHS)

November 11, 2011

Aanii (Hello)

Today’s Overview

Learning Objectives

• Understanding State & Tribal ICWA systems

• Locating Policy & Procedure

• Identifying Assets: Tribal & DHS Contacts

ICWA

ICWA - Federal Mandates• Identification of Indian

child(ren)• Tribal Notification• Tribal Jurisdiction• Active Efforts• Tribal Intervention• Qualified Expert Witness

(QEW)• Placement Priorities• Culturally Competent

Services

ICWA & Michigan Implementation• Training

• Policy• Supervision• Case Reviews (QA)• MiSACWIS • Child & Family Service Plan (CFSP) -

Administration for Children & Families (ACF)

• DHS Strategic Plan – Tribal Consultation

• Interwoven - Collaboration with tribal partners

Data & Quality Assurance

DHS American Indian Child Welfare Data

(CPS/FC/Adoption/JJ/Guardianship Cases)

American Indian Annual Child Welfare Data

• 2008 = 222• 2009 = 217• 2010 = 197• 2011 = 199

DHS American Indian Data4th Quarter 2011 (7/1/11 – 9/30/11)

American Indian Child Welfare Data (4th Quarter 2011)

• CPS Complaints 439• CPS Investigations 239• Foster Care 199• Adoption 46• Juvenile Justice 21

Data & Quality Assurance• Federal compliance (CFSR &

IV-E)• NAA Indian Outreach

Services (IOS) Case Reviews• Modified Settlement

Agreement (MSA) & Original Consent Decree–Data Unit creation–MiSACWIS–Quality Assurance

Tribal Consultation

• Title XX (Social Security Act)• President Clinton 2000 Executive Order 13175• President Bush 2004 Executive Order 13336• Governor Granholm Executive Directive 2004-5• FIA Tribal Consultation Plan • Presidential Memorandum – President Obama 2009 (Executive

Order 13175)• DHS Tribal Consultation Agreements (2011)

Native American Affairs Website (http://www.michigan.gov/americanindians)

Tribal Consultation

• Tribal State Partnership (Quarterly Regional Meeting)• Urban Indian State Partnership (Quarterly Regional

Meeting)• Michigan Indian Tribal Child Care Task Force• Individual Tribal Consultation Site Visits• Urban Indian Site Visits

DHS Dialogues with Tribes and Urban Indian Organizations

Building Blocks Over Time

Proj

ect F

ocus

Assess Law, Policy, and Community

Trends

Assess Law, Policy, and Community

Trends

Evaluation & Quality

Assurance

Evaluation & Quality

Assurance

Tribal Dialogue

Establish Tribal

Consultation Goals &

Agreements

Establish Tribal

Consultation Goals &

Agreements

• Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC)• Hannahville Indian Community (Hannahville)• Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (LVD)• Little River Band of Ottawa Indian (LRBOI)• Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (*Pending)• Nottawaseppi band of Huron Potawatomi Indians (Nottawaseppi)• Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians (Pokagon)• Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (*Pending)• Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Sault Tribe)

Tribal Consultation Agreements

IV-E: DIRECT TRIBAL AND STATE ADMINISTERED TRIBAL

• Direct Federal Tribal IV-E• State Administered Tribal IV-E

Types of Tribal IV-E Options

• Fostering Connections provided avenue for direct federal IV-E funding

• ACF solicited Tribal IV-E Implementation grants– 6 Tribal Implementation grants were awarded

• Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) was awarded a federal Tribal IV-E Implementation grant

• Currently KBIC is operating under an extension to their Implementation grant

• KBIC has been working with Mary Mehren and staff in DHS IV-E program (Federal Compliance) to develop their KBIC IV-E program

Direct Federal Tribal IV-E

State Administered Tribal IV-E

• Tribal Agreement Manual (TAM) IV-E Agreements (> 2010)

• Draft Financial Tribal IV-E Agreements (< 2010)

State Legislation & Policy

• Fostering Connections bills are expected to be signed in November, 2011 for Michigan– http://www.legislature.mi.gov/

(S(mbzvulfltj5t1qfdmidj0z45))/mileg.aspx?page=BillRecentActivity

• IV-E audits are expected to start late Spring or early Summer 2013

Who’s Who

Lead Contact information

Stacey Tadgerson,NAA (DHS)

TadgersonS@michigan.gov

Mary Mehren,IV-E (DHS)

MehrenM@michigan.gov

Denneen Smith, MI Tribal Coalition (Tribes)

DMSmith@LTBBODAWA-NSN.GOV

Judy Heath,KBIC

judy@kbic-nsn.gov

Deborah Buchanan,Quality Assurance (DHS)

BuchananD@michigan.gov

Karyn Ferrick,Legislative (DHS)

FerrickK@michigan.gov

Summary• ICWA

– Federal requirements for state Indian child welfare practices– Native American Affairs (NAA) Policy regarding Indian child welfare in

Michigan• Data & Quality Assurance

– Modified Settlement Agreement (MSA) mandate compliance– 2010-2014 MDHS Child & Family Service Plan (CFSP) goals for Michigan

(Safety, Permanency, & Well-being)• Tribal Consultation

– Federal requirement for state human services (and various other agencies)

– Mutual sharing of the tribal & state story in a goal-oriented and collaborative effort to improve the quality of life of American Indians in Michigan

– Tribal Agreements

Resources

• Native American Affairs (NAA) http://www.michigan.gov/americanindians

• Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS)http://www.michigan.gov/dhs

• National Indian Child Welfare Associationhttp://www.nicwa.org

QUESTIONS?

STACEY M. TADGERSON, M.P.A.DIRECTOR, NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS (NAA)235 S. GRAND AVE.; SUITE 216LANSING, MI 48909517.241.7752TADGERSONS@MICHIGAN.GOV HTTP://WWW.MICHIGAN.GOV/AMERICANINDIANS

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