The California Tribal Families Coalition was established by tribal leaders from across the state to provide a strong and unified voice on behalf of tribal children. Formed in 2017 to implement the comprehensive findings of the California ICWA Compliance Task Force, CTFC has worked with its member tribes to successfully pass key legislation that helps protect Native children and tribal sovereignty, including:

• Codifying the 2016 ICWA regulations, which amended more than thirty provisions of California’s Welfare and Institutions Code to better protect tribal youth and families
• Mandating that all tribes may appear telephonically and without incurring fees in California child welfare cases involving ICWA;
• Mandating that the tribal social and cultural standards of the Indian community are adhered to when approving a resource family for an Indian child;
• Waiving fees and streamlining the process for out-of-state tribal attorneys to represent tribes in ICWA cases in California;
• Partnering with Assemblymember James Ramos to successfully secure more than $10 million in state funding for tribal youth diversion programs in 2019/20.

Despite these successes in California, ICWA remains under attack across the country, while compliance issues continue to hamper its effectiveness. Through the leadership and guidance of our member tribes, the California Tribal Families Coalition will continue to ensure that tribes and tribal families are strengthened and united through advocacy and legislative efforts.