Native Children
Watch

A federal meeting about services affecting Native children and families has ended, but authorized Tribal voices still have a short window to add written comments. That is a government-to-government process—not a public campaign or invitation to speak for a Nation.

The Administration for Children and Families held its Annual Tribal Consultation August 25–26. The National Indian Child Welfare Association’s current September update says written comments from Tribal Nations and Tribal organizations remain due September 25 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. ACF’s event page contains the official agenda and materials. The meeting is complete; the written-comment window is open; no new rule, mandate or outcome is announced by that deadline notice.

NICWA submitted its own written comments on child-welfare and human-service access and prepared a sample-comment document. NICWA is a Native child-welfare membership organization with an all-Native board elected by its members. Its comments are one Native-led contribution to the record; they do not represent every Tribal Nation, organization or family.

Only an authorized Tribal leader, designee or organizational representative should decide whether and how to submit. A policy comment does not require a child’s name, family case narrative, address, medical information or community-specific knowledge that the Nation has not authorized for public or federal use. This letter is a status note about the process, not legal advice or a request for private stories.

Make room for authorized Tribal voices; do not borrow one.