Current Actions

Senate and House Reintroduce American Indian and Alaska Native Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (AI/AN CAPTA)

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

On March 24, 2026, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), alongside Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), reintroduced the American Indian and Alaska Native Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (P.L. 93-247). These bipartisan and bicameral bills (S. 4179 and H.R. 8048) would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to increase the amount of funding available for Tribal Nations to support child abuse and neglect prevention activities, and ensure Tribes receive equitable distribution of federal prevention grants.

AI/AN CAPTA would create a separate Tribal set-aside for child abuse prevention funding and increase the set-aside to five percent—supporting sustained investment in Tribal prevention programming and culturally relevant prevention strategies, developed by Tribal Nations and Tribal organizations. Currently, Tribes and Tribal organizations share a one percent set-aside through a competitive grants program, funding only two Tribal grantees for each three-year grant cycle.

The Community Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP), a program established under Title II of CAPTA, is only one of two dedicated funding programs that specifically target the design and implementation of prevention programs in Tribal communities. It empowers Tribes to create programs that will be truly effective at preventing child maltreatment—programs that are community based and tailored to the needs of the local community. Tribes that have accessed this funding in the past have been able to combine this funding with other child welfare dollars, to create programs that increase family stability, child safety, and reduce the number of children that enter foster care. A Tribal set-aside would allow for a much-needed increase in the number of Tribes that can operate this program and would also support state efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect. This investment directly strengthens the safety and well-being of Native children, supports Tribal sovereignty, and ensures Tribal communities have the resources they need to protect their families.

AI/AN CAPTA is supported by NICWA, the National Congress of American Indians, the Navajo Nation, and the Child Welfare League of America.

NICWA encourages Tribal Nations, Tribal organizations, and advocates for Native children and families to contact their Senators and Representatives—calling on them to sign on to S. 4179 and H.R. 8048 as co-sponsors, and to support the passage of this legislation by the full Senate and House.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

For Tribal Nations and Tribal organizations, here is a sample letter that can be edited and sent on your official letterhead.
For individual advocates, click the Take Action button below to send a letter directly to your senators and representatives.
Click the Learn More button for additional information about the legislation, and to access resources.

Promote Truth, Justice, and Healing for Indian Boarding School Survivors, Families, and Tribal Communities

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 04:00:00 GMT

UPDATE (February 2026): H.R. 7325 was introduced by Representative Tom Cole (R-OK-4) on February 3, 2026, to establish the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act - signaling growing bipartisan momentum. H.R. 7325 is the House companion to S. 761, the Senate version introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) on February 26, 2025. H.R. 7325 has been referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the House Committee on Natural Resources for consideration, and S. 761 is awaiting a vote by the full Senate. This means there is still time to contact your senators and representatives to urge them to sign on as co-sponsors. The current list of co-sponsors for H.R. 7325 can be found here, and S. 761 can be found here.

The proposed legislation would establish a commission to investigate the federal government's role in the Indian boarding school era and recommend steps toward accountability and healing. The commission would conduct a comprehensive investigation into the federal Indian boarding school era, locate records related to Native American children, and work to provide answers to families and Tribal Nations. The bill also calls for centering the experiences of boarding school survivors in the historical record. The commission would be tasked with producing a final report and making recommendations to Congress on potential reforms, reparative actions, and support for Native communities.

NICWA has been a supporter of the legislation since it was first introduced in 2022 and submitted written testimony for a May 2022 hearing on the legislation, focusing on the intersection of the Indian boarding schools and the experience of Native children and families in state and private child welfare systems. NICWA is supporting the legislation alongside the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), the leading advocacy organization driving efforts to pass this legislation.

NICWA encourages Tribal Nations, Tribal organizations, and advocates for Native children and families to contact their senators and urge them to sign on to S. 761 as co-sponsors and the same for their representatives to sign on to H.R. 7325 as co-sponsors—calling on them to support truth, justice, and healing for Native peoples affected by U.S. Indian boarding schools.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

For Tribal Nations and Tribal organizations, here is a sample letter that can be edited and sent on your official letterhead.
For individual advocates, click the Take Action button below to send a letter directly to your senators and representatives.
View the NABS advocacy toolkit to help get this important piece of legislation across the finish line.
Select Learn More for additional information about the legislation and to access resources.

Request for Public Comment: Protect ICWA Data Elements in AFCARS

Thu, 07 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

On March 30, 2026, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a Request for Public Comment regarding the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) data elements added to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) per the December 2024 final rule. ACF is specifically requesting comments on (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

NICWA is in the process of developing comments in response to this request and encourages Tribal Nations to reach out to their states to urge them to provide comments that underscore the importance of these ICWA data elements. Currently, ICWA is the only major federal child welfare law that does not have a structured and regular data collection system that tracks implementation. Establishing these data elements will provide Native children with the same opportunities to benefit from data that other children currently have and will inform responses that address the unique needs of Native children and families in both child welfare policy and practice. It will be important for state child welfare agencies and advocates to submit comments emphasizing that the administrative effort is justified by the critical need for data on ICWA implementation—data that can strengthen case planning, guide system-level improvements, and ultimately improve outcomes for Native children and families in state child welfare systems.

The comment period closes on May 29, 2026. You can submit comments by emailing infocollection@acf.hhs.gov and identifying your request by including the title of the information collection activity in the subject line (i.e., Proposed Information Collection Activity; Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS)).

TAKE ACTION TODAY

For Tribal Nations, state agencies, or organizations interested in submitting comments, here is a sample letter that can be edited and sent on your official letterhead.