ICWA
Indian Child
Adoptions

ICWA
Indian Child
Adoptions

ICWA
Indian Child
Adoptions

ICA seeks to find Native American
Indian families for native children
in the foster care and
adoption programs.

ICA seeks to find Native American
Indian families for native children
in the foster care and
adoption programs.

ICA seeks to find Native American
Indian families for native children
in the foster care and
adoption programs.

Learn More

What does
ICWA mean?

ICWA is an opportunity for Native American Indian families to be able to adopt native children in the Foster Care and Adoption programs. You may be a relative or extended “family”. Two types of adoptions can occur: customary or relinquishments and court processing. ICA’s Foster to Adopt ICWA program allows you as a family to provide a foster home for a child from the county system with the intention of adoption later, or in some cases an adoption is planned with a birth mother and birth father who chooses to place their child for adoption. ICA’s preference is always to place a child within the same tribe. Once that is exhausted, ICA will look to families outside the tribe.

It is estimated that 5.2 million people in the U.S. are Native American Indians and Alaskan Natives. We understand those estimates to be those who are registered in federally recognized tribes. So the number is substantially greater. Native American Indian children suffer the highest rate of victimization, alcoholism, suicide and poverty. Out of 1000 kids who enter into California’s foster system, 7.8% are Native American/Alaskan Native. The question which still remains is how many unreported or undeclared cases of Native American Indian children are in the State’s social service systems. We estimate those numbers to be much greater. Per national averages, well over 80% of Native American Indian children are placed in non-native homes.

Helpful Information

US Code Title 25 – ICWA

Assembly Bill 770 (AB770) – 2009

Native American Rights Fund – A Practical Guide to the Indian Child Welfare Act

Indian Child Welfare Act Summary of Key Provisions

Adoption Assistance

ICA wants to be there to aid you along your adoption journey! We’re there every step of the way.
Let us know how we can better assist you.

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PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY, The Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity (IAAME), a national accrediting entity designated by the US Department of State to provide Hague Accreditation and Approval, invites the public to provide comment on intercountry adoption service providers seeking Hague Accreditation, Approval or Renewal. You are invited to provide comments through the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/Intercountry-Adoption/about-adoption-service-providers/hague-complaint-registry.html

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY, The Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity (IAAME), a national accrediting entity designated by the US Department of State to provide Hague Accreditation and Approval, invites the public to provide comment on intercountry adoption service providers seeking Hague Accreditation, Approval or Renewal. You are invited to provide comments through the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/Intercountry-Adoption/about-adoption-service-providers/hague-complaint-registry.html