Choctaw tribe works to prevent need for foster care

The Choctaw tribe is working to find new ways to help children and families prevent the need for foster care. Tribal judges, attorneys and social workers are working together to find a solution that will be effective.

"There are twice as many kids in foster care as there were in the 1980s. We have 23,000 kids who age out of the system simply meaning that we've taken them away from their parents permanently. They have not been adopted and their life trajectory is very, very poor," says William Thorne, retired judge.

Sixty percent are homeless, in jail or dead within two years. The Indian Child Welfare Act that was passed in 1978 was topic of discussion. It gives the child's tribe and family the opportunity to be involved in decisions affecting services for the child.

http://www.wtok.com/content/news/Choctaw-tribe-works-to-prevent-need-for-foster-care--389770131.html