United for Tiospaye families: The Collaborative Hocoka (Circle) for Wicozani (the Well-being) of South Dakota’s Native Wakanyeja (sacred children) 1

State-Tribal Collaboration: The Collaborative Circle for the Well-Being of South Dakota’s Native Children Looking Back, Moving Forward: Building the Future on Traditional Values MCWIC Tribal Convening August 27-28,

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SOUTH DAKOTA COLLABORATIVE HOCOKA (CIRCLE) Is a unique entity because four core partners have committed themselves to work together to improve the outcomes for Native Children and Families who are in South Dakota’s child welfare system 4

Up to 38 Members representing the four core partners The nine Sioux Tribes (18 members: theICWA Director and one appointed member from each tribe, [plus one alternate member]). South Dakota Division of Child Protection Services (9 members: the assistant CPS division Director, the state ICWA specialist, and seven regional CPS managers). Native family members (6 members: parents, youth, and foster parents who have been involved with CPS). The major child welfare service providers in South Dakota (at least 4: representatives from Bureau of Indian Affairs, Children’s Home Society, Lutheran Social Services and the South Dakota Association of Residential Care Providers). 5

The Nine Sioux Tribes Cheyenne River. Crow Creek. Flandreau. Lower Brule. Pine Ridge. 6

The Nine Sioux Tribes (continued) Rosebud. Standing Rock. Sisseton-Wapeton. Yankton. 7

The Conception of the Collaboration The four core partners began working together in 2003 by forming a Work Group to recruit and retain Native Resource Families. In March 2005, the four partners decided to formalize their work by creating the Collaborative Circle, in part to address the disproportionate numbers of native children and families in South Dakota who come into the child protection system. We believe that the Native (Lakota/Nakota/Dakota) children of South Dakota who come into the child protection system need and deserve better results in the areas of safety, stability and well-being than were being achieved. 8

Vision of the Collaborative “We, the Collaborative Hocoka (circle), envision a system of child and family services and supports in South Dakota that ensures each Native child is safe and thriving in a permanent, appropriate home, that families are supported in their communities, and that communities themselves take responsibility for ensuring that this vision becomes a reality” 9

The Collaborative Circle’s Vision of a Service Delivery System Matches Native Children with their culture. Empowers families (birth, kinship, foster/adoptive) to create a safe and nurturing home for the children. Provides family preservation services that prevent children and families from accessing child protection services. Helps children and families who enter the system leave as soon as possible with the resources they need to be successful. 10

Establishment of the Collaborative Circle in South Dakota Is unique in the United States. Could serve as a model for other tribes and states. Represents an opportunity in South Dakota to impact positively lives of our Native children and families. Is a unique opportunity that may not arise for another generation if we don’t build on what we have currently created. 11

The Collaborative Circle: Holds Quarterly meetings with members from the four core stakeholders present. Created a charter which defines our purpose, mission, vision, principles areas of focus and rules of operation. Improves our working relationships through direct and respectful dialogue always mindful of our universal commitment to improve the outcomes for our Native Children and families. Has an Independent Contractor to help the Circle do its work. Analyzes, discusses and reviews collectively the outcomes for Native Children and families at each meeting. 12

Ten Standing Committees The Executive Committee has the authority to act for the Collaborative Circle between meetings and meets each month by conference call to conduct Circle business, follow up on the work of the Circle’s last meeting, and prepare for the next meeting. 13

Ten Standing Committees (cont’d) The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Implementation and Compliance Committee has assumed the responsibility of the Governor’s ICWA Commission to monitor the implementation for the Commission’s recommendations for better ICWA compliance. 14

Ten Standing Committees (cont’d) The Legislative Review and Development Committee regularly reviews proposed legislation and monitors existing legislation and related activities as they impact Native children and families, and advocates as necessary and appropriate. 15

Ten Standing Committees (cont’d) The Services and Stability Committee has the responsibility to help create a service array that prevents Native children from being abused, as well as community-based services as needed to prevent Native children from being removed from their families. 16

Ten Standing Committees (cont’d) The Placement Resources Committee 1.Educates communities about Family Group Decision Making and promote its implementation for Native children. 2.Support s the recruitment and retention of Native American resource families for Native children. 3.Creates and implements a kinship orientation/training for our Native kinship resource families. 17

Ten Standing Committees (cont’d) The Education, Training and Public Relations Committee has the responsibility to educate the public about the need for Native resource families, promotes training for Native resource families,and works to inform the public about the needs of our Native children and families in the child protection system. 18

Ten Standing Committees (cont’d) The Regional Collaborative Support Committee is focused on helping South Dakota’s regions create and support Regional Collaboratives, modeled after the State-level Collaborative Circle. 19

Ten Standing Committees (cont’d) The Resource Development and Finance Committee seeks out additional needed human and fiscal resources from benefactors who are committed to the innovative collaboration we are developing through the Circle in order to support the work of the Circle and the regional collaboratives. 20

Ten Standing Committees (cont’d) The Reconciliation/Trust Building Committee Commits itself at the level of the Circle to build trust in Native child welfare through truth telling, acknowledging, restoring, and relating. Promotes trust building in child welfare among the four kinds of Circle members and other community Stakeholders across the State of South Dakota. 21

Ten Standing Committees (cont’d) The Membership Recruitment and Retention Committee Continuously works to ensure full participation and retention on the Circle of all four kinds of Circle members. Works proactively to recruit and retain the participation of other community stakeholders in South Dakota in the work of the Circle, Circle committees, and special projects. 22

Our Accomplishments: Secured a two year grant from Casey Family Programs to support the work of the Circle and the Circle’s development. Casey has worked as a partner with the Circle for these two years. Creation of a Collaborative Circle website ( to provide an overview of what the Collaborative Circle is doing, initiatives involved in, schedule of meetings, minutes, list of education resources, newsletter and links to other relevant sites. Developed and printed the Collaborative Circle Brochure, distributed to CPS offices, ICWA offices, tribal child protection agencies, and other private agencies. 23

Our Accomplishments: (cont’d) Developed and printed a Kinship Brochure that describes what it means to be a Native kinship care provider, options to achieve this, basic services available, etc., which has been widely distributed. Developed and printed a Native Kinship Guide that serves as a more intensive education an awareness product. The 30 page document addresses topics such as issues affecting children in care, how kinship providers can help, the legal/court process, services available in the community, cultural considerations, etc., widely distributed. 24

Our Accomplishments: (cont’d) A commercial targeting the recruitment of Native American Foster Parents, a 30 second spot aired across the State from March 2009-March Beginning with its airing, Children’s Home Society (a Circle Partner) began receiving calls from Native families, and the agency works with these callers to connect them to a state, tribal or private agency in their community. Collaborative Circle members have collaborated professionally to provide services and education for one another. One example, CHS staff consulted with ICWA-Pine Ridge staff on completing Kinship Home Studies. 25

Our Accomplishments: (cont’d) Regularly quarterly meetings of the Collaborative Circle since its inception in March, Meetings are two or three days in length and circulate across the State, frequently meeting at the different Sioux reservations. Kinship Caregiver Appreciation Month was developed by the Collaborative Circle and is a recurrent event every September when the State and the Tribes honor those relatives caring for their family members. 26

Our Accomplishments: (cont’d) A Regional Collaborative was established on a local level with the Yankton Sioux Tribe/Lake Andes/ Yankton communities, establishing significant partnerships and relations to help care for Native children in those communities. Major efforts to create a healthy foundation for the work of the Circle by building trusting relationships. Most recently, reconciliation training was held in December, 2008, Caring Across the Boundaries—Touch Stones for Leadership in Reconciliation in Indigenous Child Welfare. 27

Our Accomplishments: (cont’d) Most recently, the Collaborative Circle has embarked upon a refined approach to the issues that have impacted the child welfare system, most notably the disproportionality and lack of family resources. With a firm foundation laid, the Circle has developed strategic plans to impact these areas of work. In a related vein, the South Dakota’s Division of CPS and the Collaborative Circle has made an application to the Mountains and Plains Child Welfare Implementation Center to both support the continuing development of the Circle and to implement a Pilot Family-Group Decision-Making at Rosebud, to be extended to the entire State after the Pilot. 28

Questions ??????? Thank You, Emily Iron-Cloud Koenen, Community Development Specialist, and Independent Contractor for the Collaborative Circle Steven Preister, Associate Director, National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement, a service of the Children’s Bureau, 29