No placement may be perfect when you are a foster youth. I can speak from personal experience. I have been in and out of the foster system with my younger siblings since I was 9. Amid so many unknowns, one thing remains certain: I am grateful I was placed within my tribal community.
The Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA, ensures that American Indian and Alaska Native youth, such as me and my siblings, who are in state child welfare systems, remain connected to their families, cultures and communities.