Our Mission
“ There is no resource that is more vital to the continued existence
and integrity of Indian tribes than their children”

	The mission of the Karuk Tribe’s Indian Child Welfare Program (ICW Program) is to preserve, protect and strengthen the children and families of the Karuk Tribe through an efficient and effective service system that empowers individuals, families and communities. The Indian Child Welfare Program fulfills the Tribe’s responsibility to Karuk children and families. It is through the continued existence of the family that children can be best cared for. The Tribe has the responsibility to ensure the future of the Karuk People and the Karuk Culture by providing services which preserve and strengthen Karuk families. The ICW Program helps families stay together and encourages placement of children who must be removed from their parents with a relative or in a tribally approved foster care home. The ICW Program staff work to protect the bond between the Karuk Tribe and its children and culture thereby promoting the security and stability of the Tribe and Karuk families.
	Strengthening and balancing the interests of the tribe and child
	Passed into law in 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act seeks to achieve balance among the interest of tribes, parents, Indian communities and society in the welfare of Indian children and their families. The act recognizes that Indian children who are separated from their tribal culture usually experience problems. The Act is focused on maintaining the connection of the child to the tribal culture and community.      Indian child welfare recognizes the rights of parents to bring up their children in a manner in which they desire, so long as a “minimum sufficient level of care” is provided, as defined by the culture, the community and law. In addition to a minimum sufficient level of care, children have the right to:
		Health and safety.
		Freedom from exploitation.
		Develop their own unique personality and identity including cultural identity.
		Grow up in a family which they can identify as their own.
	In light of these rights, Indian child welfare functions with a commitment to:
		The preservation and strengthening of Indian families.
		Preventing out-of-home placement whenever possible.
		Careful planning and recording, which ensures that the least detrimental alternatives are provided.
		Maintaining family ties and responsibilities.
		Reunification of families.
		Alternative permanent placement plans for children who cannot return home.
	The practice of Indian child welfare recognizes that each child undergoes a process of psycho-social development and that these services be conducted with the emotional, mental, development and cultural well-being of the child in mind. Through unwavering dedication to the ‘best interest’ of the child the Karuk Tribe’s interest will be met.