Definitions for "Indian Child Welfare Act"
Keywords:  icwa, tribe, custody, foster, welfare
A federal law (Public Law 95-608) regarding the placement of Native-American children which establishes the tribe's sovereignty as a separate nation over the welfare of children who are tribal members of who are eligible for tribal membership.
a law that applies to custody proceedings in state courts involving foster care placement, termination of parental rights, preadoptive placement, and adoptive placement of Indian children. The ICWA may apply to divorces or custody proceedings where custody of the child(ren) is given to a third party. This law is significant because abusers often threaten to use the ICWAagainst battered women even though the ICWAdoes not apply to custody proceedings between the parents of the child(ren).
A federal statute providing Native American families and tribes special notice regarding possible adoptions or other custody orders about Native American children.