Details a collaborative effort to develop a culturally focused practice model for urban Native American child welfare and outlines a strategy to use this model to improve the cultural responsiveness to Native American children in the child welfare system. In Illinois, Native Americans organized a Native child welfare group and became licensed foster parents. They partnered with the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work to develop a professional training program on federally mandated Native American issues for child welfare workers and juvenile court personnel. The Native American Advocacy Program worked with the Child Welfare League of America to create a program to ensure cases complied with federal policies and to support case workers in providing culturally competent case management by creating a web of support that links foster families with tribal communities, mentors children on Native customs and rituals, identifies and documents gaps in service, and acts as a resource to the Juvenile Court. Success was achieved through extensive accessibility and flexibility to meet individual needs, use of community empowerment and participation, recognition of urban Indian culture and history, creation of common training and resources in Indian child welfare for the legal and social work professionals, and use of the university to provide a unique perspective to a collaborative team. (IP)
