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When children cannot remain with their parents, they do best when they are raised by relatives. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children are disproportionately removed from their families and placed in state foster care at a rate of over two times their population nationally. When placed in state foster
care with non-relatives, they often lose connections to their cultural identity and experience poor outcomes.
Providing culturally relevant services and prioritizing relatives and tribal placements for children who cannot remain with their parents benefit children in three ways:
- Improved Well-Being,
- Preserved Cultural Identity, and
- Reduced Disproportionality of Native Children in Foster Care