Children's Justice Initiative (CJI)

State Tribal Partnership Committee

Membership

Purpose: The purposes of the State-Tribal Partnership Committee are (1) to promote statewide understanding of and compliance with both the “letter of the law” and the “spirit of the law” for the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA), and (2) to improve outcomes for American Indian children, families, and tribes involved in the child welfare system so children are protected, families and tribes are preserved, and children remain connected to their families, communities, and culture.

To further these goals, grant projects will:

• document best practices for ICWA Courts in Minnesota and build a support structure for ICWA Courts to empower continuous quality improvement;
• support establishment of at least two new ICWA Courts;
• improve access to and quality of data regarding ICWA implementation in Minnesota;
• expand connections with resources and services that support American Indian families and prevent the need for family separation;
• improve ICWA training to better support ICWA implementation statewide; and
• build relationships among Tribal Nations, Minnesota Department of Children Youth and Families, the Minnesota Judicial Branch, and other community partners in American Indian Child Welfare.

Miriam Friesen
State Tribal Partnership Coordinator
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The CJI State-Tribal Partnership Grant for Best Practices in American Indian Child Welfare is a joint project of the Minnesota Judicial Branch, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Minnesota Department of Human Services, and Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. This work is being supported by award no. 90CW1153-02-01 from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this webpage are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACF, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit the ACF website, Administrative and National Policy Requirements.