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FEDERALhearing transcript
High Impact

Senate Hearing on Native American Child Safety and Foster Care

Original title: SAFEGUARDING TO THE SEVENTH GENERATION: PROTECTION AND JUSTICE FOR INDIAN CHILDREN AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN CHILDREN'S SAFETY ACT OF 2016

January 1, 2018

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing evaluates federal and tribal progress in implementing safety reforms for Native American children in foster care, aiming to reduce the cycle of abuse, neglect, and subsequent involvement in the criminal justice system.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Native American youth

They are the primary subjects of the safety and foster care policies discussed in the hearing.

Spirit Lake Tribe

The tribe is subject to federal oversight regarding the implementation of social services and child safety programs.

U.S. Department of the Interior

The agency is responsible for the administration of Indian Affairs and the implementation of federal policies.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2018.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a 2017 U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held at the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota. The hearing focused on the implementation of the Native American Children's Safety Act of 2016 and efforts to address high rates of child abuse and neglect within Native American communities.

Key Facts

  • The hearing was held on April 21, 2017, at the Cankdeska Cikana Community College in Fort Totten, North Dakota.
  • Native American youth are statistically 2.5 times more likely to experience child abuse or neglect than children of other races.
  • The hearing focused on the implementation of the Native American Children's Safety Act of 2016.
  • The Committee reviewed a June 14 report from the Administration for Children and Families regarding improvements to Spirit Lake Social Services programs.
  • The hearing addressed the correlation between foster care placement and future involvement in the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
  • 2017 marked the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of 1867, which established the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation.

Why It Matters

The hearing evaluates federal and tribal progress in implementing safety reforms for Native American children in foster care, aiming to reduce the cycle of abuse, neglect, and subsequent involvement in the criminal justice system.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the Native American Children's Safety Act of 2016?
The Act establishes requirements for background checks and safety standards for foster care placements to protect Native American children.
Why was this hearing held at the Spirit Lake Reservation?
The Committee held the hearing there to conduct oversight on local social services and to mark the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of 1867.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Focus on Foster-to-Prison Pipeline

The committee explicitly identified the transition from foster care to juvenile delinquency as a critical cycle to be broken.

Connected Entities

personMichael S. BlackActing Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the InteMap →
personCynthia LindquistPresident of Cankdeska Cikana Community College.Map →
personMyra PearsonChairwoman of the Spirit Lake Tribe.Map →
personNikki HatchRegional Administrator for the Administration for Children and Families, Region Map →
personJohn HoevenU.S. Senator from North Dakota and Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs.Map →
locationSpirit Lake Indian ReservationThe site of the field hearing and focus of the oversight.Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

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