Indian Child Welfare Act
The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) (25 U.S.C. §§ 1901 et seq.) is federal legislation which establishes minimum federal standards for state court child welfare proceedings and many other “child custody” proceedings involving Indian children. This legislation affects California dependency, delinquency, guardianship and some family proceedings involving Indian children.
The Tribal/State Programs Unit of the Center for Families Children and the Courts has developed the resources on this webpage to assist those involved in these kinds of proceedings understand their legal obligations under ICWA and comply with those requirements.