CWS-CARES Public Library

Currently there are two Tribes with Title IV-E agreements with CDSS: the Karuk Tribe and Yurok Tribe. Title IV-E agreements allow for funds to pass from the State to the Tribe for the provision of comprehensive child welfare programming and services, depending on the Tribe’s agreement with CDSS. This may include foster care, transitional independent living programs for children, guardianship assistance, and adoption assistance for children.  

Representatives from the Karuk and Yurok Tribes are actively involved as Core Constituents and will use CWS-CARES Version 1. Tribal representatives have participated in the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Steering Committee to provide feedback and inclusion of ICWA and Tribal cultural and social standards into the development of CWS-CARES. In 2020, CDSS made a commitment to federally recognized Tribes in California to build all the ICWA AFCARS data elements from the 2016 Final Rule into the new CWS-CARES System. 

In September 2023, the steering committee completed gathering input on all ICWA AFCARS data elements, a Race and Ethnicity Model, a Tribal Organization Directory, and additional ICWA best practices. Thank you to the Tribal representatives who have participated in this important work.  

About the Karuk and Yurok Tribes

The Karuk Tribe is located in the northwestern corner of present-day California, in Humboldt and Siskiyou counties. The Karuk Tribe is one of the largest Indian Tribes in California. They have a population of 4,800 enrolled members. The Yurok Tribe is located in the  northwestern corner of present-day California stretching from Trinidad in the south to Crescent City in the north, spanning Trinity, Del Norte, and Humboldt Counties. They have a population of 6,567 members in the United States and its territories. 

Originally published in the CWS-CARES Explorer.