Are there resources to support tribal communities?

There are several national organizations that are working to support state child welfare and tribal child welfare agencies during the pandemic:

• The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) works to eliminate child abuse and neglect by strengthening families, tribes and the laws that protect them. NICWA has created a library of COVID-19 related resources, including a series of webinars on COVID-19 and Indian Child Welfare; Tribal National COVID-19 Human Service Funding and Indian Child Welfare; and Practice Impacts and Responses to COVID-19.

• National Conference of American Indians (NCAI) also has an extensive list of COVID-19 Resources for Indian Country and offers weekly updates with the latest news of federal funding tribal set-asides and pandemic-related relief.

• The Indian Health Service, the federal health programs for American Indians and Alaska Natives, also has a series of COVID-19 resources, including Frequently Asked Questions on the Federal Response in Indian Country and a Guide on Funding Distribution to Tribal Communities.

• Children’s Bureau’s Capacity Building Center for Tribes and its Tribal Information Exchange: https://tribalinformationexchange.org

It's also important to acknowledge how tribal communities are innovating to provide crucial services. The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, for instance, has built a number of partnerships to provide services like mental health, medical care, and child/youth services.

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