An examination of the Indian Child Welfare Act Section of state title IV-B child and family services plans

The current study examined a nationwide sample of the ICWA section within state Title IV-B Child and Family Services Plans. Content analysis was performed to examine whether states were meeting ICWA mandates and federal requirements and interviews with regional/central Administration for Children and Families administrators and state officials were conducted. Major findings included ACF program instructions lacked detail and clarity as to what should be included, a majority of states reported consulting with tribes in the CFSP development, and over half of all state CFSPs did not reference any of the three specific measures outlined in ACF guidelines. Implications of findings are discussed and recommendations are offered to develop measurable outcomes to evaluate ICWA compliance and improve the federal monitoring processes.