About ICWA Courts
ICWA Court judges lead off-the-bench in coordination with the ICWA partners (attorneys, agency social workers, and Tribal ICWA representatives) to achieve the spirit of ICWA.
Data Collection informs practice and can measure the impact of ICWA Courts. For instance, identifying the tribal partners who are parties in any particular jurisdiction allows for deeper collaboration and partnership, ultimately better serving children and families.
Key success to an ICWA Court is authentic Tribal collaboration and partnership. These partnerships foster better outcomes for ICWA families, including decreased time Indian children are in-care.
ICWA Courts are home to “gold standard” attorneys, judges, social workers and tribal representatives. The community of ICWA participants have more focused education and skill-development of the relevant laws. Tribal partner engagement and focused education allows for a culture that is committed to the spirit of ICWA, and increased capacity for the legal side of ICWA practice.
Although ICWA courts are of course child welfare courts, the foremost distinction is that families can expect engagement that is delivered with cultural humility, is solution-oriented, and most-importantly with humanity.
