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Wash. Admin. Code § 388-70-093

WASHINGTON ADMINISTRATIVE CODE

TITLE 388. SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF

CHAPTER 388-70. CHILD WELFARE SERVICES--FOSTER CARE--ADOPTION SERVICES--

SERVICES TO UNMARRIED PARENTS--FOSTER CARE--ADOPTION

 


388-70-093. Foster care for Indian children--Services.


Documented efforts shall be made to avoid separating the Indian child from his parents, relatives, tribe or cultural heritage. Consequently:


(1) In the case of Indian children being placed in foster care by the department or for whom the department has supervisory responsibility, the local Indian child welfare advisory committee, predesignated by a tribal council, or appropriate urban Indian organization shall be contacted. Members of that committee will serve as resource persons for the purposes of cooperative planning and aid in placement.


(2) The resources of the tribal government, department and the Indian community shall be used to locate the child's parents and relatives to assist in locating possible placement resources, and to assist in the development of a plan to overcome the problem that brought the child to the attention of the authorities and/or the department.


(3) In planning foster care placements for Indian children, demonstrable consideration shall be given to tribal membership, tribal culture and Indian religions. The case record shall document the reasons and circumstances of casework decisions and consideration in those regards.


(4) The following resources for foster home placement of Indian children will be explored and followed in the following order: Relatives' homes, homes of other Indian families of same tribe, other Indian foster parents and non-Indian foster homes specifically recruited and trained in cooperation with the local Indian child welfare advisory committee to meet the special needs of Indian foster children and in the geographic proximity that will insure continuation of the parent-child relationship. The training of non-Indian foster parents shall be designed and delivered in cooperation with the above committee and/or persons designated by the committee.


(5) For each Indian child who will be in care for more than 30 days, including those for whom adoption is planned, the ESSO shall make documented effort to complete two copies of the 'family ancestry chart' (except in those cases where parents specifically indicate in writing they do not want the child enrolled). One copy will be retained in the child's file; the other will be forwarded to the bureau of Indian affairs office or the department of Indian affairs agency in Canada serving that child's tribe or band. The BIA of the department of Indian affairs agency will review the chart for possible enrollment eligibility in conjunction with the enrollment committee of the appropriate tribe or urban Indian community.


(6) The ESSO shall develop its social resources and staff training programs designed to meet the special needs of Indian children through coordination with tribal, Indian health service, bureau of Indian affairs social service staff, appropriate urban Indian and Alaskan native consultants, national, state and local Indian welfare organizations and ESSO child welfare advisory committees.


(7) The ESSO shall make diligent and demonstrable efforts to recruit facilities and/or homes particularly capable of meeting the special needs of Indian children with the assistance of the local Indian child welfare advisory committees.



Order 1167, S 388-70-093, filed 10/27/76.