Indian Child Welfare

Not necessarily, each child's individual needs are considered when making this type of placement decision. Each child must have their own bed and enough room for their personal belongings.  It is sometimes in the best interest for children to share rooms just as it is sometimes necessary for them to have separate rooms. If a child or children have no history that warrants a separate room. If a child or children have no history that warrants separate rooms, then we fell it is much more important for that child to be a part of a permanent family than to be kept waiting for placement just because they won't have their own bedroom.  However, if the situation warrants, we may request that a child have their own room.

Cherokee Nation ICW is involved with voluntary and involuntary court proceeding concerning Cherokee children throughout the United States. We have a vast need for Placement Resource Homes in every state.

The Placement Coordinator maintains an availability list of all Cherokee Nation certified homes who are open for placement.  Requests for placement comes from a Cherokee Nation permanency worker, a private adoption agency, a birth parent or another tribe.  When the Placement Coordinator receives a request, the Coordinator uses information specific to that child to make the most appropriate match to a resource family.  Specific criteria is used to make an initial match; tribal affiliation, blood quantum location, length of certification, resource family preferences, child's needs, etc... The resource families who best match the needs of the child, are submitted to the requesting worker for consideration.  

• Birthparents
  If it is a voluntary proceeding, Cherokee Nation ICW makes every attempt to comply with the wishes of the birth parents. If the birth parents want to choose the family for her unborn child, the Cherokee Nation submits families who are willing to comply with the birth parents' wishes (i.e. open adoption, meeting the family, closed adoption, pictures, and letters, etc.). The worker then provides the birthparents with de-identified home studies of families whose preferences match those of the birthparents.  In a voluntary proceeding, the birth parents have the right to choose the resource family who will raise the child.
• Adoption Agency
  The same holds true with private adoption agencies as well as with birthparents. Cherokee Nation tries to meet the birthparents; expectations and requirements for the family who will be parents to their unborn child. However, with adoption agencies, fees will apply.  During the criteria matching process, resource families will be submitted who have stated they can meet the agency fee.    In situations where the fees are so exorbitant, Cherokee Nation will attempt to negotiate fee reduction with the agency.  It is not the intent of the Cherokee Nation for any resource family to "purchase" a Cherokee child; however, these fees are controlled by the private adoption agency.  In these cases, the profile books are vital to placement selection and play a perhaps more central role in birthparent selection than the actual home study.
• Custody Child
  Once homes are submitted to the Cherokee Nation permanency worker for consideration, the worker will review the home studies and potentially contact each home to get to know them better.  Final determination for placement lies with the child's worker, as they know the child best.  Cherokee children in state custody have a DHS and a Cherokee Nation worker who will work together to determine the best placement option. 

Cherokee Nation ICW has specific Placement Resource Home Expectation and these will be discussed with during your certification process.  All Placement Resource Homes will be expected to provide a loving, stable and caring environment for any child in your home. You will be expected to work with the child’s worker to help provide for all needs of the child placed with you.

Emotionally, as a Placement Resource Home, it is vital to maintain a sense of reality and realize some children need a little more time, patience and love as they have had a traumatic experience in some cases. As a placement home remember to not give up so easily when you experience difficulty but mostly was ask you to take the opportunity you are given and make a difference in a child's life.

Always contact the child’s ICW worker if there is a situation which places the child in danger and you are unsure of what to do. Make sure you have all ICW work numbers as well as after-hours telephone numbers to be able to reach either the assigned worker or the worker's supervisor.  If you are not able to reach your child's worker or the supervisor directly, you should utilize the emergency number which is answered by an ICW worker 24/7.

You can send an email to family411@cherokee.org and a Cherokee Nation worker will respond within 72 business hours. The email address is answered by a Cherokee Nation ICW employee. You should also discuss any child’s behavior with the child’s caseworker as they may be able to offer options for you and provide support as you work with the children placed in your home.