BIA to help tribes with background checks for child placements

The Bureau of Indian Affairs will help tribes conduct background investigations to ensure children are being placed in safe homes.

The agency's Office of Justice Services will be on-call 24 hours a day for tribal social services agencies. They will be able to check the names of adults before placing children in a foster or temporary home.

“The BIA-OJS Purpose Code X Program will provide tribal social service agencies with the information they need to protect the children they place into care in emergency situations when parents are unable to provide for their welfare,” Assistant Secretary Kevin Washburn said in a press release. “This program provides BIA law enforcement personnel with the ability to provide our social service agency partners with much-needed information to help to make sure children requiring emergency placements will be placed in safe homes.”

http://www.indianz.com/News/2015/018630.asp