How to Contact ICW

Corinna Evans,

Indian Child Welfare Coordinator
Email: cevans@miamination.com
Cell Phone: (918) 325-9078
Office Phone: (918) 541-1300

 

Trina Grayson,

Assistant Indian Child Welfare Coordinator
Email: tgrayson@miamination.com
Cell Phone: (918) 961-1395
Office Phone: (918) 541-1300

 

Office Fax: (918) 515-6051

Helpful Resources

Mission Statement

"The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Department is committed to providing the highest level of services to the tribal families and children who happen to be involved in an “at risk” situation or involved with a state child welfare agency referral or case. The MTOK ICW Department manages cases that involve children in tribal custody and that are actively involved in state child welfare cases."


Report Child Abuse

A report can be made to any county office of the Department of Human Services. Child abuse can also be reported 24 hours per day, seven days per week by calling the statewide child abuse hotline. Statewide Child Abuse Hotline: (800) 522-3511

If you should have additional questions or concerns about a child that may be at risk, please contact Corinna Evans (918) 961-1381 or Trina Grayson (918) 541-1383.


Vision of the ICW

The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma’s Children and Family Services Department aims to promote and preserve the well-being of all Miami Tribal Families and Children. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma’s Indian Child Welfare Department places a special emphasis on children and families designed being “at risk” – focusing on early intervention, trauma-informed practice, and the promotion of foster and adoptive families. The MTOK ICW Dept. provides resources, support, and case management services to enrolled and eligible tribal members nationwide involved in an ICWA case.

The Indian Child Welfare program is funded by federal funds known as the Title IV-B part I and part II, and Family First Transition Act. Each grant has specific regulations and guidelines for services to be provided. There is no service are for the Miami Tribe Indian Child Welfare program. The only stipulation for services requires that the child/children involved be eligible for enrollment or are already an enrolled member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. There is no application process to receive services from the Indian Child Welfare Program. The MTOK ICW Department intervenes and monitors state child welfare cases involving tribal children regardless of adjudication status or substantiation of abuse/neglect allegations. In addition to monitoring the state cases involving Miami Tribal children, the MTOK ICW program offers resource referrals and support to the involved tribal children and families.

The MTIK ICW program also assesses, on a case-by-case basis, the need for transference of these state cases to Miami Tribal court. Transference is dependent on several factors including, but not limited to, proximity, need for intervention, lack of ICWA compliance in state proceedings, preferential placement not being adhered to, request for transference by tribal family, etc. In the event of a transference to tribal court, the MTOK ICW Department then serves as the full-time case management entity for the case.

Programs from ICW:

The Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (PSSF) is a child welfare prevention program that aims to assist “at-risk” tribal families and reduce the number of child welfare cases involving tribal children.

In addition to the ICWA notices used to identify child welfare involved tribal families and children, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma ICW department works with area agencies, tribal services, and self-referrals (applications) to identify families “at-risk” or in crisis that are in need of PSSF Prevention program services. Some crisis situations include families facing unemployment, substance abuse, recovering the impacts of COVID-19, death of a parent, etc. When a referral is received for prevention services, the ICW department contacts the family to conduct a further assessment to help in the development of a prevention case plan. These case plans focus heavily on areas of stability: employment, substance use, transportation, education, food/clothing, and housing. Other areas of focus when developing these case plans include physical health, mental health, social supports, dental health, utilities, childcare, etc. Using this evaluation/service plan development, the ICW Department makes appropriate resources provisions and referrals.

Like ICW cases, PSSF Prevention cases are treated from a trauma-informed, client-centered perspective. All prevention case plans/service plans are developed collaboratively with the families to ensure the goals are realistic and attainable.

If you or your family believe that you may qualify for the PSSF Prevention Program, please complete an application, and submit the application to one of the following email addresses:

ccampbell-green@miamination.com tgrayson@miamination.com

Please note that only enrolled Miami Tribal families with children are eligible to apply.

Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program Application

Every year, a quarter of a million children come into foster care in this country. Many of them will be placed in group homes or other group residential settings because there are simply not enough foster families to care for all of the children. In the state of Oklahoma, 65% of native children are in non-ICWA-compliant homes.

Foster parents play a critical role in helping children heal. They show children stability and teach them life lessons that last a lifetime and potentially impact future generations. Miami Tribe ICW is looking for individuals that are compassionate, understanding, and committed to playing a key role in children’s lives. Every child deserved a family and the opportunity to preserve their culture in an ICWA-compliant home.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent or have questions, please call the MTOK ICW Department at (918) 541-1300

You can download an application and submit to one of the following email addresses:

cevans@miamination.com tgrayson@miamination.com

Foster Placement Application 

FAQ:

A: "ICWA" stands for the Indian Child Welfare Act, which is a federal law passed in 1978. ICWA was passed in response to the alarmingly high number of Indian children being removed from their homes by both public and private agencies. The intent of Congress under ICWA was to "protect the best interests of Indian children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families" (25 U.S.C. $ 1902). ICWA sets federal requirements that apply to state child custody proceedings involving an Indian child who is a member of, or eligible for membership in, a federally recognized tribe. Child custody proceedings under ICWA include hearings focused on foster care placement, termination of parental rights, adoption, and placements related to status offenses. Status offenses are actions committed by a child that if committed by an adult would not be deemed a criminal act, such as truancy from school or being incorrigible.
A: ICW has the discretion to ask for a transfer but a parent, caseworker, or either Judge of state or CFR court may object to the transfer.
A: Contact the ICW office to request a foster care/adoption packet, the applicant must pass a criminal background check, fingerprinting, and home study.
A: No. In the State of Oklahoma, the Supreme Court has ruled that grandparents do not have visitation rights.
A: No. ICW intervenes and advocates for the best interest of the child.
A: When ICWA applies to a child's case, the child's tribe and family will have an opportunity to be involved in decisions affecting services and placements for the Indian child.