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Hello from Shannon Smith, Executive Director
Hello and Welcome! Thank you for choosing to spend time with ICWA Law Center on this website. At the Law Center we wish for everyone to feel valued and come away better for spending time with us. My name is Shannon Smith. Except for one year as a judicial clerk, I have been part of the Law Center in various capacities since 1996. Most…
Native Families’ Disenfranchised Grief Is Increased In Child Protection
We all know what to do when a family member, friend, or colleague suffers a crisis or loss. We support, listen, and understand. We expect less, we tolerate more. We support the other person as long as they need support. We show up with compassion. Unfortunately, the child protection system, established to help children and families in times of crisis and loss, frequently lacks…
ICWA Law Center Parent Mentors: A Unique Support For Families
Parent mentors are individuals with “lived experience” in the child protection system, and often implicating the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). These individuals have sat in child protection courtrooms, over and again, fighting to be reunified with their children. Because of their own experiences, they understand in a different way what it means to families represented by the Law Center when a decision is…