History of ANICWA
Alaska Native Indian Child Welfare Association
History of the Development of ANICWA
The Alaska Native Indian Child Welfare Association (ANICWA) evolved at the Bureau
of Indian Affairs Tribal Service Providers Conference in December 1996, wherein
Alaska Tribes attending the Indian Child Welfare Act Conference. Those attending
expressed an interest and a desire to establish an Alaska Indian Child Welfare
Association to address the myriad of issues surrounding Indian child welfare in the
state of Alaska.
Many tribal child welfare workers expressed their concerns about the child welfare
cases they were involved with and the difficulty working collaboratively with the state
social service workers. Many tribal workers expressed that the state social service
workers were not culturally in tune with the Native families and lifestyle and were
very quick to remove and permanently place children away from their tribal village. The
tribal workers voiced their frustration concerning the need to be invited to the case
planning with the state workers and placements of children into homes that were not
according to the placement preferences of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
Moreover, the tribal workers asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to help develop a
Native Child Welfare Association made up of tribal child welfare workers, tribal court
personnel, and overall child welfare workers to address the mounting issues and
concerns about child protection, child removal and adoption of Native children into
non-ICWA compliant homes. The workers expressed the need to have an organization
that would serve as an advocate for Alaska Native and American Indian children in
Alaska.
The BIA Social Services suggested that a Steering Committee of volunteers from tribal
governments, tribal organizations and child welfare agencies be formed. In order to
strategically plan and develop the organization with the primary goal of providing the
forum in which small and large Tribal Indian Child Welfare Act programs could
exchange information and collaborate and cooperate on common child welfare issues.
A Steering Committee formed and met regularly to develop what is now the Alaska
Native Indian Child Welfare Association (ANICWA).
ASSOCIATION DESCRIPTION
ANICWA is a private, 501-C (3), non-profit organization that receives funding primarily
from the Alaska Region Bureau of Indian Affairs, Social Services Department and its
membership. ANICWA is a membership organization with an elected nine-member
Board of Directors. ANICWA is a statewide organization comprised of child welfare
representatives from Tribal Governments, Tribal Organizations, Child Welfare
Organizations, individuals, both Native and Non-Native, foster parents, and child welfare
advocates concerned with Native children and family issues.
The Alaska Native Indian Child Welfare Association (ANICWA) evolved at the Bureau
of Indian Affairs Tribal Service Providers Conference in December 1996, wherein
Alaska Tribes attending the Indian Child Welfare Act Conference. Those attending
expressed an interest and a desire to establish an Alaska Indian Child Welfare
Association to address the myriad of issues surrounding Indian child welfare in the
state of Alaska.
Many tribal child welfare workers expressed their concerns about the child welfare
cases they were involved with and the difficulty working collaboratively with the state
social service workers. Many tribal workers expressed that the state social service
workers were not culturally in tune with the Native families and lifestyle and were
very quick to remove and permanently place children away from their tribal village. The
tribal workers voiced their frustration concerning the need to be invited to the case
planning with the state workers and placements of children into homes that were not
according to the placement preferences of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
Moreover, the tribal workers asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to help develop a
Native Child Welfare Association made up of tribal child welfare workers, tribal court
personnel, and overall child welfare workers to address the mounting issues and
concerns about child protection, child removal and adoption of Native children into
non-ICWA compliant homes. The workers expressed the need to have an organization
that would serve as an advocate for Alaska Native and American Indian children in
Alaska.
The BIA Social Services suggested that a Steering Committee of volunteers from tribal
governments, tribal organizations and child welfare agencies be formed. In order to
strategically plan and develop the organization with the primary goal of providing the
forum in which small and large Tribal Indian Child Welfare Act programs could
exchange information and collaborate and cooperate on common child welfare issues.
A Steering Committee formed and met regularly to develop what is now the Alaska
Native Indian Child Welfare Association (ANICWA).
ASSOCIATION DESCRIPTION
ANICWA is a private, 501-C (3), non-profit organization that receives funding primarily
from the Alaska Region Bureau of Indian Affairs, Social Services Department and its
membership. ANICWA is a membership organization with an elected nine-member
Board of Directors. ANICWA is a statewide organization comprised of child welfare
representatives from Tribal Governments, Tribal Organizations, Child Welfare
Organizations, individuals, both Native and Non-Native, foster parents, and child welfare
advocates concerned with Native children and family issues.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Alaska Child Welfare Summit All Together ~ For Our Children April 8-10, 2008 Millennium Hotel Anchorage For more information Click here |