Operationalizing ICWA compliance to improve Native American child & family outcomes

Objective: The 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a federal law enacted to prevent the unnecessary removal of tribal children from their families and cultures. This methodological report describes how a research team operationalized court compliance with ICWA through a statewide record audit conducted over three years in a Midwestern state. Method: We designed an ICWA Compliance Checklist to serve as a basis for evaluating ICWA compliance and used it to assess court records. We analyzed the process of developing a compliance tool and documented the lessons learned. Results: Methodological difficulties included matching research strategies to available data and negotiating the project's scope with the partners. However, the Checklist provided a unique opportunity to report on statewide compliance and shape local practice. Conclusions: Amid increasing calls for the use of system data, social work scholars can consider strategies for a successful research partnership and bring an advocacy perspective to the assessment of public data, especially regarding sovereignty issues.