who we are
About NICWA
NICWA is the only national membership organization that works to support the safety, health, and spiritual strength of American Indian and Alaska Native children along the broad continuum of their lives. We support tribes in building the capacity to prevent child abuse and neglect through positive systems change at the state, federal, and tribal levels.
News from NICWA
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Reaffirms the Constitutionality of ICWA
(PORTLAND, Ore. August 9, 2019)— Today, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals published its decision in Brackeen v....
United States Supreme Court Denies Review in ICWA Case
(Portland, Ore., May 30, 2019)—The Protect ICWA Campaign—the National Indian Child Welfare Association, the National...
Coalition Seeks Answers about Children Who Went Missing at U.S. Indian Boarding School via United Nations Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances
(GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, May 14, 2019)–Today a coalition of tribes, organizations, and independent researchers will go...
who we are
Heart of ICWA
The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) protects American Indian and Alaska Native kids in child welfare proceedings by keeping them in the care of extended families or tribes whenever possible. ICWA protects identity, familial network, and sense of belonging-things that all children need. In this multi-part digital storytelling series, The Heart of ICWA, families convey firsthand what happens when the basic protections of ICWA are followed and the devastating consequences when families and children are deprived of these basic rights.