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Home > Adoption > Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)

Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a law passed by Congress in 1978 to help preserve Indian families and culture. It provides enhanced procedural protections to stop the wrongful removal of Indian children from their homes, and to ensure that when Indian children are removed, they are placed in culturally appropriate homes whenever possible.

ICWA provides flexibility to protect the best interests of Indian children. It gives birth parents the right to place their children with families of their choosing. The Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) lawyers have developed effective procedures to comply with the ICWA and work in conjunction with birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoption agencies to safeguard voluntary Indian adoptions.

There are over 5,000 case opinions interpreting the ICWA. By far, the most significant violations of the ICWA in adoption cases occur because agencies and attorneys fail to apply the ICWA and its heightened requirements. This law is simply too complex for an agency, adoptive parents, or tribes to handle without legal advice.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs, with input from AAAA, has recently issued new regulations that apply in adoption proceedings in the United States.

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AAAA Mission

The Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) is a credentialed organization dedicated to the competent and ethical practice of adoption and assisted reproduction law. It advocates for laws and policies to protect the best interests of children, the legal status of families formed through adoption and assisted reproduction, and the rights of all interested parties.

Contact Info

Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA)
859 Riverside Drive, #9
Greenwood, IN 46142

T (317) 407-8422
Info@adoptionART.org

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DISCLAIMER: The Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) website is designed for general information only. Nothing on this website establishes an attorney-client relationship with AAAA or any of its member-attorneys.  AAAA website content does not constitute legal advice from AAAA or its member-attorneys to any reader or to the general public.  The law constantly changes and varies across state and international borders.  Consult qualified legal counsel in your jurisdiction regarding your particular situation. Click here for the AAAA Attorney Directory. The names and contact information included on this site are for the purpose of searching for an attorney for a particular legal case. The contact information may not be used for commercial, promotional, or advertising purposes.

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