Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
INDIAN CHILD WELFARE PROGRAM
"Strengthening and empowering families to preserve their future"
- The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978 was established to keep American Indian children with American Indian families. The Ponca Tribe Indian Child Welfare program will promote, support, and foster, safe, stable, and healthy families in the Ponca Tribe. The objective of every Indian child and family service program is to prevent the breakup of Indian families and, in particular, to ensure that permanent removal of an Indian child from the custody of his/her parent or Indian custodian is a last resort.
Vision and Goals:
“Our Indian Children are our Future.” The goals of the Indian Child Welfare program are “to protect the best interest of Indian Children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families by the establishment of minimum Federal standards for the removal of Indian children and placement of such children in homes which will reflect the unique values of Indian culture….” (25 U.S. C. 1902)
Ponca Tribe Approve Foster Homes:
Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma ICW is in need of Ponca Tribe Approved Foster Homes and we encourage Ponca Tribal members who are interested in applying to apply and/or contact our office for more information.
Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma has jurisdiction over a child custody proceeding involving an Indian child in three situations:
I. Where the child is domiciled or resides on Indian Reservation, 25 U.S.C. 1911 (a);
II. When the child is a ward of the tribal court, regardless of the child’s domicile or residence 25 U.S.C. 1911 (a); and
III. Concurrent jurisdiction where the child is domiciled or resides off an Indian reservation and is not a ward of the tribe’s court, 25 U.S.C. 1911
A State court has jurisdiction over a child custody proceeding involving an Indian child in four situations:
I. Where the child is domiciled or resides off an Indian reservation, and is not a ward of the tribal court, 25 U.S.C. 1911 (b);
II. Where the state has been granted jurisdiction on the reservation under Public Law 280, Doe v. Mann (Mann II), 415 F. 3d 1038 (9th Cir. 2005);
III. Through a tribal-state agreement in which the tribe allocates jurisdiction to the state; 25 U.S.C. 1919 (a); and
IV. Through limited emergency jurisdiction where a reservation-resident Indian child is temporarily off the reservation-resident Indian child is temporarily off the reservation and the state has removed the child in an emergency situation to prevent imminent physical damage or harm to the child. 25 U.S.C 1922. This emergency jurisdiction terminates when such removal or placement is no longer necessary to prevent imminent physical damage or harm to the child.
ICW Child and Family Service Programs may include, but are not limited to:
1. A system for licensing, regulating, maintaining, and supporting Indian foster and adoptive homes;
2. The operations of maintenance of facilities and services for the counseling and treatment of Indian families, Indian foster and adoptive children and for the temporary custody of Indian children;
3. Family assistance, including homemaker and home counselors, day care, after school care, and employment, recreational activities, and respite care; family assistance including homemaker and home counselors, day care;
4. Home improvement programs;
5. The employment of professional and other trained personnel to assist the tribal court in the disposition of child welfare matters;
6. Education and training of Indians, including tribal courts judges and staff, in skills relating to child and family service programs;
7. A subsidy program under which Indian adoptive children may be provided support comparable to that for which they would be eligible as foster children, taking into account the appropriate State standards of support for maintenance and medical needs;
8. Guidance, legal representation, and advice of Indian families involved in tribal, State or Federal child custody proceedings.
Program Services:
1.Family Preservation Services (Case Management)
a. In-home family counseling
b. Crisis Assistance
c. Resource referral, such as, parenting classes, budgeting and therapy
2. Investigation of Child Abuse Complaints
a. On State Land (OKDHS)
b. On Indian Land (BIA)
3. Foster Care Placement Services
a. Kinship Family Placements
b. Tribal Foster Homes
c. Use State Foster Homes- as required
4. Family Reunification Services
a. Transfer cases to Tribal Court
b. Establish Individual Service Agreements
c. Monitor State Court Cases
d. Provide Children and Family Social Services
5. Permanency Planning
a. Seek to prevent foster care drift
b. Supportive Services for Adoptive Families
c. Qualify Adoptive Placements
6. Research Grant Development
a. Seek additional funding to implement each of the above areas
b. Conduct research to measure the effectiveness and impact of the total ICW program
Services Which May Not be Available at all ICW Offices:
1. Assistance with private adoptions and home studies which did not originate in local tribal or state court as a result of dependency hearings
2. Assistance with juvenile delinquency petitions when the juvenile is not a ward of the tribal child welfare court
3. Assistance with divorce custody home studies or custody disputes between parents
4. Assistance with legal fees
Vision and Goals:
“Our Indian Children are our Future.” The goals of the Indian Child Welfare program are “to protect the best interest of Indian Children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families by the establishment of minimum Federal standards for the removal of Indian children and placement of such children in homes which will reflect the unique values of Indian culture….” (25 U.S. C. 1902)
Ponca Tribe Approve Foster Homes:
Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma ICW is in need of Ponca Tribe Approved Foster Homes and we encourage Ponca Tribal members who are interested in applying to apply and/or contact our office for more information.
Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma has jurisdiction over a child custody proceeding involving an Indian child in three situations:
I. Where the child is domiciled or resides on Indian Reservation, 25 U.S.C. 1911 (a);
II. When the child is a ward of the tribal court, regardless of the child’s domicile or residence 25 U.S.C. 1911 (a); and
III. Concurrent jurisdiction where the child is domiciled or resides off an Indian reservation and is not a ward of the tribe’s court, 25 U.S.C. 1911
A State court has jurisdiction over a child custody proceeding involving an Indian child in four situations:
I. Where the child is domiciled or resides off an Indian reservation, and is not a ward of the tribal court, 25 U.S.C. 1911 (b);
II. Where the state has been granted jurisdiction on the reservation under Public Law 280, Doe v. Mann (Mann II), 415 F. 3d 1038 (9th Cir. 2005);
III. Through a tribal-state agreement in which the tribe allocates jurisdiction to the state; 25 U.S.C. 1919 (a); and
IV. Through limited emergency jurisdiction where a reservation-resident Indian child is temporarily off the reservation-resident Indian child is temporarily off the reservation and the state has removed the child in an emergency situation to prevent imminent physical damage or harm to the child. 25 U.S.C 1922. This emergency jurisdiction terminates when such removal or placement is no longer necessary to prevent imminent physical damage or harm to the child.
ICW Child and Family Service Programs may include, but are not limited to:
1. A system for licensing, regulating, maintaining, and supporting Indian foster and adoptive homes;
2. The operations of maintenance of facilities and services for the counseling and treatment of Indian families, Indian foster and adoptive children and for the temporary custody of Indian children;
3. Family assistance, including homemaker and home counselors, day care, after school care, and employment, recreational activities, and respite care; family assistance including homemaker and home counselors, day care;
4. Home improvement programs;
5. The employment of professional and other trained personnel to assist the tribal court in the disposition of child welfare matters;
6. Education and training of Indians, including tribal courts judges and staff, in skills relating to child and family service programs;
7. A subsidy program under which Indian adoptive children may be provided support comparable to that for which they would be eligible as foster children, taking into account the appropriate State standards of support for maintenance and medical needs;
8. Guidance, legal representation, and advice of Indian families involved in tribal, State or Federal child custody proceedings.
Program Services:
1.Family Preservation Services (Case Management)
a. In-home family counseling
b. Crisis Assistance
c. Resource referral, such as, parenting classes, budgeting and therapy
2. Investigation of Child Abuse Complaints
a. On State Land (OKDHS)
b. On Indian Land (BIA)
3. Foster Care Placement Services
a. Kinship Family Placements
b. Tribal Foster Homes
c. Use State Foster Homes- as required
4. Family Reunification Services
a. Transfer cases to Tribal Court
b. Establish Individual Service Agreements
c. Monitor State Court Cases
d. Provide Children and Family Social Services
5. Permanency Planning
a. Seek to prevent foster care drift
b. Supportive Services for Adoptive Families
c. Qualify Adoptive Placements
6. Research Grant Development
a. Seek additional funding to implement each of the above areas
b. Conduct research to measure the effectiveness and impact of the total ICW program
Services Which May Not be Available at all ICW Offices:
1. Assistance with private adoptions and home studies which did not originate in local tribal or state court as a result of dependency hearings
2. Assistance with juvenile delinquency petitions when the juvenile is not a ward of the tribal child welfare court
3. Assistance with divorce custody home studies or custody disputes between parents
4. Assistance with legal fees
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM
Emergency After-Hours, 4:30PM-8:00AM
For more information:
Jamie Metcalf
101 White Eagle Drive
Ponca City, OK 74601
(580) 763-0133 – Office
(580) 485-5116 – Cell Phone
[email protected]
Jana Grass
(580) 576-0485 - Cell Phone
Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM
Emergency After-Hours, 4:30PM-8:00AM
For more information:
Jamie Metcalf
101 White Eagle Drive
Ponca City, OK 74601
(580) 763-0133 – Office
(580) 485-5116 – Cell Phone
[email protected]
Jana Grass
(580) 576-0485 - Cell Phone