Indian Child Welfare
In Accordance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), our Indian Child Welfare program works on behalf of our Keetoowah Cherokee children and their families. Our social workers join with state workers and the courts in working to insure safe and healthy homes for the children. This includes finding Keetoowah Cherokee foster and adoptive homes to prevent placement in non-Indian homes. The Indian Child Welfare program is an advocate for residents in the 14 counties and serves Keetoowah Cherokee children nationwide.
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Foster Parents Program Foster Parents Needed! The
United Keetoowah Band Indian Child Welfare (ICW) department is
currently seeking Keetoowah foster families to provide care giving
and a temporary home for Keetoowah children who have been removed
from their home. A child’s time in a foster home could be as brief
as 48 hours or as long as a year until they are returned to their
families or parental rights have been terminated. If possible,
children are placed in a Keetoowah home with Keetoowah foster
parents. In most cases, these individuals understand and
appreciate the culture and it is a more normal environment for the
child.
Foster parents are paid monthly depending on the age of the child
they are providing a home. Children can range from newborns to 18
year olds. The foster home may also be a group home. ICW workers
prefer to keep siblings together if at all possible. Foster
parents may be a married couple, a single person, an elder, or the
child’s family member. Our main goal is reunification of families. We work with parents to complete a
treatment plan by setting them up in programs such as Parenting
Classes, Anger Management and Family Counseling. We also refer
clients to other programs and resources for such problems as
substance abuse or mental illness. Some of these children who are
placed in the system have physical, psychological, emotional,
social, and behavioral needs. ICW workers help to meet those needs
by coordinating with the foster parents and other agencies that
provide these services. For more information, call 800-794-6514.
Requirements to be a Foster Parent Generally speaking, if you have a stable home and some solid parenting skills, you can become a foster parent. You can be single or married and it doesn't matter whether you have children of your own. People who work outside the home can also be foster parents. There are some specific requirements you have to be able to meet. You must be at least 21 years old. Have enough room (and beds) in your home for a foster child to sleep and keep his or her belongings. Have a home that can meet basic fire, safety and sanitary standards. Be physically and emotionally capable of caring for children and have no alcohol or drug abuse problems. Be able to pass a criminal background check and have no substantiated record of abusing or neglecting children. Make enough money to provide for your own family, so you do not need to depend on the foster care reimbursement you might receive as income. If you meet these requirements, come and see us at the Round House and ask for Sonya Cochran, ICW Director or Lois Fuller, or contact us by phone toll free #1-800-794-6514 or 918-456-9200. |
