The Nebraska Court Improvement Project (CIP), in partnership with the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition (NICWC) is proud to release our Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) education series, available on the Judicial Branch Education learning platform (for Branch employees) and on the Nebraska CIP YouTube Channel (MCLE credit approval pending).

The Nebraska ICWA Education for Juvenile Court Stakeholders includes content from a national and state perspective, as well as interviews from Tribal members, families with lived experience, judicial and legal professionals, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Attorneys can receive continuing legal education for completing the modules.

The federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978 was enacted to protect Indian children involved in state child custody proceedings. Nebraska codified ICWA in 1985 and clarified provisions in 2015. The law aims to protect Indian children in the state courts and help them remain connected to their families, culture and their Tribe.

Nationally, American Indian and Alaska Native youth are overrepresented in the foster care system and enter at a rate 2.6% higher than non-native children. In Nebraska, American Indian and Alaska Native youth enter the foster care system at twice that rate, although they are 1% of the state population.

The series includes the following:

• Module 1: Historical Trauma and Overview of ICWA
• Module 2: Federal Law and Regulations & Nebraska State Statute
• Module 3: Inquiry, Applicability, and Reason to Know
• Module 4: Child Custody, Emergency, and Voluntary Proceedings
• Module 5: ICWA Notices
• Module 6: Active Efforts
• Module 7: Placement Preferences and Best Interest
• Module 8: Cultural Development and Preservation Plans
• Module 9: Qualified Expert Witness
• Module 10: Working with Tribes and Tribal Courts