Date of Award
Spring 3-1-2019
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Recommended Citation
Kuchlenz, Mary, "Assessment of the Impact of BIA Guidelines on the Indian Child Welfare Act: A Case Study" (2019). EMPA Capstones. 179.
https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/capstones/179
Comments
The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) gave Indian tribes jurisdiction over Native American children in child welfare proceedings in order to rectify centuries of forced removal. The ICWA is currently facing legal challenges in that it creates disparate treatment between native children and non-native children. In 2016, the Bureau of Indian Affairs implemented Guidelines for better implementation of the ICWA. This study will address the efficacy of Guidelines and ICWA implementation in promoting continued cultural ties between tribal groups and native children placed in foster care. Prior studies cited in the literature review will be built upon to measure attitudes and acceptance of the ICWA in promoting cultural cohesion in the native community. Research will be conducted using surveys and interviews with tribal and county social workers in the United States. The study can potentially be used to establish the efficacy of the ICWA in the twenty first century.