Help Native American Children Gain Access to Foster Care Resources

Dear Danielle,

There are almost 10,000 Native American children in foster care today, yet
tribal governments do not receive federal funding to administer their foster
care programs. Legislation currently pending in Congress would change that.
Your help is needed to convince senators and representatives to support the
legislation.

The Tribal Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Act (S 1956/HR 4688) would
provide tribal governments the opportunity to access and administer
resources from the Social Security Act's Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption
Assistance Act, which does not currently apply to tribal governments. Tribes
may access the resources if they have an agreement with their state
government; however, over half of federally recognized tribes in the United
States do not have such agreements. Consequently, Native American children
have been left behind, receiving fragmented services that may not adequately
address their cultural and personal needs.

If the Tribal Foster Care and Adoption Access Act of 2007 were enacted, it
would help tribes provide better services, increased support and more
permanent placements for foster children and their caretakers. The
legislation would also assist tribes in recruiting more Native American
foster homes and help strengthen their capacity to provide culturally
enriched services.