Stockard, JeanQuash-Mah, SusanJohnson-Shelton, DeborahCrowley, Ryann2024-05-152024-05-152009-10-22https://hdl.handle.net/1794/29442https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S019074091000054X?via%3Dihub28 pagesThis paper suggests that long-term foster care, especially when it is provided within an American Indian Cultural Environment (AICE), may be a culturally appropriate alternative form of permanency for American Indian children. Administrative data on foster care placements of children from four California counties over a five-year period indicate that children in the county with the strongest AICE had fewer placements and placements that were, on average, significantly longer. Within counties that had recognized tribes, children from local tribes had longer placements. Data on individual placements were available for one county and indicated that children whose home tribes were within that county and who were placed on Rancherias had significantly longer placements than other children. These relationships remained significant when children’s demographic characteristics were controlled. Implications for policy and practice related to ICWA are discussed.en-USCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USAmerican Indian Cultural Environmentlong-term foster carefoster careAICEIndian Child Welfare ActArticle