FOSTER CARE

Who are the children? The Child and Family Services Division (CFSD) of

the state Department of Public Health and Human Services place children ranging from infants to teenagers into foster care.

“On June 30, 2010, 1,638 Montana children were in foster care because they had been abused, neglected, or abandoned by their parents or other caretakers” (DPHHS)

https://wayback.archive-it.org/499/20140928184608/http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/cfsd/adoption/video/DigitalStoriesJeff.wmv

Nationwide In 2011 more than 400,000 youth were in

foster care. 7,000 more youth entered the system than

exited. 60% were children of color 10% of young adults who age out of foster

care lack a permanent family and have a one in 11 chance of becoming homeless

Less than half of U.S. foster youth who age out of foster care graduate from high school.

-Huffington Press, 2011

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) A response to the destructive practices

in public and private child welfare systems that broke apart these bonds in many tribal families’ lives.

Tribe exercise sovereignty Tribes had no words in their language

for “orphans” because children in need were the responsibility of everyone in the tribe.