NCJ Number
232147
Date Published
July 2010
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Guidelines are offered for use by Oregon courts, Department of Human Services (DHS) staff, and local Citizen Review Boards (CRBs) in evaluating whether active efforts have been made in Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) case to provide remedial and rehabilitative services to Indian children and their families in the removal or return of a child from or back the home.
Abstract
Both the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and Oregon law require that any party seeking to remove an Indian child from his or her home must establish that remedial or rehabilitative services were provided to the family to avoid removal of the child. This means that Department of Human Services (DHS) must make 'active efforts' to provide services subsequent to a Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation and before a decision is made to place an Indian child out of the home. This document directly applies to the active efforts requirement to provide services to allow a child to safely return home after they have been placed in substitute care. This document is a training tool and guideline for agency staff, courts, and review board members to use in making active efforts findings. The Active Efforts Principles and Expectations are outlined and apply to the Federal and State requirements that DHS must make active efforts to make it possible for the child to safely return home in each case determined to be ICWA eligible.