Title IV-E Prevention Plan 2025-2029: Request for Tribal Input
DCYF is drafting a new, 5-year Title IV-E Prevention Plan. The current FFPSA Plan extends through October 2024. The application for the next five years is due on or before Dec. 31, 2024. The FFPSA Team would like the Tribes to provide input on the overall draft of the 2025-2030 FFPSA Plan. One strategy will be to initiate a government-to-government consultation, through a formal Tribal Consultation with the 29 Tribes. Tribes will be asked to provide input, and to later review the draft to ensure it accurately describes the unique needs and appropriate culturally responsive services of the Tribal Communities, and that of the public. Continued partnership with the DCYF Office of Tribal Relations and the Tribal Policy Advisory Committee will continue to support the development of the plan.
Title IV-E Prevention Plan 2020-2024
DCYF is committed to continuing collaboration efforts with the 29 federally recognized Tribes and Tribal agencies to reduce the disproportionality of AI/AN children in out-of-home placements, and to improve the overall outcomes of AI/AN children, youth, and families. Throughout the development of the 2020-2024 Washington State Title IV-E Prevention Plan, DCYF engaged with Tribes for their input.This was accomplished through participation in the DCYF Tribal Policy Advisory Committee, partnering with the Office of Tribal Relations, and other Tribal Community outreach efforts to solicit input on the development of the Prevention Plan.
View the literature review on the four identified tribal prevention practices
Title IV-E Agreements
Over the last several years, DCYF has been especially focused on improving relationships with Tribes by ensuring that the needs of the Tribal Communities are at the forefront of policy development. DCYF currently has Title IV-E Agreements with the Quinault and Lummi Tribes. Within these agreements, the two Tribes are able to directly provide approved prevention services that are approved within the DCYF Title IV-E prevention plans. The IV-E Agreements further affirms the Tribes’ right to make decisions on programs and services that strengthen AI/AN children and families.
The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe has a direct Title IV-E agreement with the federal government.
Tribal agencies that operate direct Title IV-E agreements with the federal government may submit their own Title IV-E prevention plan. Port Gamble S’Klallam is only one of four Tribes throughout the nation that has an approved FFPSA Plan which allows them to provide more culturally responsive prevention services, meeting the unique needs of families within their Tribal Communities.
Compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)
Washington is committed to meeting the needs of AI/AN children and families by ensuring that culturally responsive services are provided in a manner consistent with the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. Sec. 1901 et seq.). AI/AN children may be provided prevention services either by a Tribal Title IV-E Prevention Program, through Title IV-E Prevention Program Agreements, or through a future community-based service pathway.
Title IV-E prevention services to an AI/AN child under the Title IV-E Program is closely intertwined with the requirement of ICWA that must be made to maintain an AI/AN child with their family or kinship caregiver. When applying prevention services to Active Efforts, they should be consistent with the cultural and social conditions of the child's Tribe, and should be conducted in partnership with the child, their parents, extended family, and Tribe.