Report outlines Indian Child Welfare Act woes in South Dakota

Friday, November 30, 2012  

The Lakota People's Law Project is sending a report to Congress that outlines Indian Child Welfare Act issues in South Dakota.

According to the group, American Indian children are overrepresented in the foster care system. Indian children are 13.8 percent of the state population but 56.3 percent of the foster care population.

Most Indian children end up in non-Indian homes, the group added. Of the 440 Indian children in foster care as of July 2011, 87 percent were placed in non-Indian homes while 39 Indian foster homes went empty.

The report says the Bureau of Indian Affairs was supposed to assess ICWA conditions in South Dakota but failed to do so.

Get the Story:
Report: South Dakota breaks child-protection laws (AP 11/30)