Resource Library

The National Tribal Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement offers a curated library of over 150 resources to support the work of Tribal child welfare professionals, programs, and communities. This library is more than a collection of documents—it is a reflection of years of wisdom, innovation, and dedication from across Indian Country.

Types of Resources

Resources include practical tools, reports, templates, tip sheets, and training materials created to uplift Tribal child welfare systems and respond to the unique needs of Native children and families. Whether a program is building a new initiative, navigating federal requirements, or strengthening cultural practices, the library offers support grounded in lived experience and community knowledge.

Many resources were developed through past Children’s Bureau projects—such as the Capacity Building Center for Tribes and the Center for Native Child and Family Resilience—and continue to provide relevant guidance rooted in cultural humility and Indigenous values.

How to Use the Library

Resources are organized by topic and type. Use the search bar or filters to quickly find materials related to areas such as prevention, data management, workforce development, ICWA, and more. Each item includes a short description so users can decide what will be most useful.

Help the Library Grow

The Center welcomes suggestions for new resources. If there’s a tool, report, or template that has been helpful in your program—or a gap you think we can fill—please reach out. Sharing knowledge is an act of reciprocity, and your contribution could support other Tribal programs across the country.

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Unlocking Opportunities Under Title IV-E: The Pathways for Tribal Child Welfare Systems

This 60-minute session will:

Provide a deeper exploration of the various pathways available to Tribal Child Welfare programs to access title IV-E funding, including direct title IV-E plan approval, Tribal–State agreements, and Tribal or State contracting options.
Clarify the requirements, benefits, and considerations of each pathway.
Support informed Tribal decision making about how to pursue title IV-E.

Staff across all roles within a Tribal child welfare program will benefit from a foundational understanding of title IV-E to support successful implementation and long-term sustainability. We encourage participation from leadership, court personnel, data and fiscal staff, and program teams to strengthen shared knowledge and coordination.

Author:  National Tribal Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement
  • Topic: Federal Funding, Title IV-B and IV-E
  • Tags: Federal Funding, Title IV-B and IV-E, Title IV-E, webinar
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Unlocking Opportunities Under Title IV-E: The Foundations Basics, Requirements, and Resources for Understanding Title IV-E Funding

If you aren’t familiar with title IV-E or it’s something you’ve been wanting to learn more about, this is the session for you. This 60-minute session will: Clarify the basics of title IV-E, specifically the part of the federal legislation designed to support foster care and adoption assistance programs; Explore the requirements associated with each pathway to accessing title IV-E funds; Share and walk through title IV-E resources available through the NTCWCIA; Provide an overview of how the NTCWCIA team can support communities in exploring and pursuing title IV-E pathways.

Author:  National Tribal Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement
  • Topic: Federal Funding
  • Tags: Federal Funding, Title IV-B and IV-E, Title IV-E, webinar
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Culture as Safety: Embedding Tribal Culture into Child Welfare Organizational Policies

This brief highlights the importance of embedding Tribal culture into child welfare policies and practices to support the well-being, identity, and rights of Indigenous children and families. It outlines how culturally grounded policies—guided by Tribal sovereignty and laws like ICWA—can strengthen family stability, preserve cultural connections, and address historical trauma. The resource provides practical strategies for agencies, including workforce development, community collaboration, and integrating traditional practices into services and decision-making. It also introduces frameworks and tools to help organizations build respectful, culturally responsive systems that reflect Tribal values and priorities.

Author:  Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Analytics
  • Topic: Workforce
  • Tags: cutural competence, ICWA, Indian Child Welfare Act, Policy, practice, Tribal Sovereignty, workforce
PDF

Culture as Safety: Data Governance and Sovereignty

This brief introduces the importance of data governance in Tribal child welfare systems, emphasizing that Tribes have the inherent right to control and manage their own data. It defines key concepts such as Tribal sovereignty, data sovereignty, and the federal trust responsibility, while highlighting the need for meaningful Tribal consultation. The resource also outlines core values for working with Tribal communities, including respect for Indigenous knowledge, cultural responsiveness, and collaborative approaches. It offers practical guidance for building ethical, reciprocal partnerships that ensure data practices are transparent, culturally grounded, and beneficial to Tribal communities.

Author:  Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Analytics
  • Topic: Data & Evaluation
  • Tags: Data Governance, Data Sovereignty, Reciprocity, Tribal Child Welfare Systems, Tribal Soveregnty, workforce
PDF

Developing Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Specific Services

This micro-learning module helps you understand the difference between being trauma-informed (creating a safe environment) and providing trauma-specific care (treating the trauma directly). Grounded in the “Seven Generations” principle, you will learn how to support healing through Tribal culture, ceremony, and community connections. By focusing on strengths and resilience, this course gives you practical tools to build a “Community of Care” that honors Tribal sovereignty and helps families thrive.

Author:  National Tribal Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement
  • Topic: Trauma-Informed Services
  • Tags: Healing, Kinship, Resilience, Sovereignty, Trauma-Informed, trauma-specific
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Human Trafficking Prevention: Resources for Developing Trauma-Informed Systems

Human Trafficking Prevention: Resources for Developing Trauma-Informed Systems offers curated tools and guidance to help Tribal child welfare programs strengthen prevention, identification, and response efforts related to human trafficking.

Author:  National Tribal Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement
  • Topic: Prevention
  • Tags: Human Trafficking, Prevention, Tribal Child Welfare
PDF

Cross-Systems Resources to Support Healthy Generations

Cross-Systems Resources to Support Healthy Generations brings together tools and guidance to help Tribal child welfare programs address the complex intersection of substance use, domestic violence, and intergenerational trauma. Grounded in trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices, this collection supports communities in strengthening families, promoting safety and permanency, and advancing long-term health and wellness for future generations.

Author:  National Tribal Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement
  • Topic: Prevention
  • Tags: Prevention, Substance Use Disorders, Trauma-Informed, Tribal Child Welfare
PDF

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

This resource provides an overview of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. It highlights how ACEs affect lifelong health and well-being, while emphasizing resilience, cultural strengths, and Indigenous healing frameworks. The resource brings together research articles, training opportunities, and practical tools to support tribal child welfare professionals, communities, and leaders in promoting healing, equity, and healthy development across generations

Author:  National Tribal Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement
  • Topic: Prevention
  • Tags: Families, Healing, Historic Trauma, Resilience, Trauma-Informed, Tribal Child Welfare, Wellness
PDF

The Cost of Caring, Part 2

This 60 minute session will be practice oriented and will focus on group discussions with the goal to: Discuss practice-oriented strategies for managing burnout and its impacts in the workplace; Hear from others regarding how burnout impacts them, and how they have practiced protective strategies regarding burnout prevention or management; Discuss how compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and/or vicarious trauma can be considered in professional development.

Author:  National Tribal Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement
  • Topic: Workforce
  • Tags: Burnout, vicarious trauma, Workforce supports
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Other parts in this series:

The Cost of Caring, Part 1

Part One of this two-part series is focused on reflecting on ways in which burnout might show up in your workplace, as well as discussing and strategizing with others on ways to address those challenges in your own work.

Author:  National Tribal Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement
  • Topic: Workforce
  • Tags: Burnout, vicarious trauma, Workforce supports
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Other parts in this series: