Print a Copy

A bound copy of A Practical Guide to the Indian Child Welfare Act can be purchased. Or the entire Guide can be used online. Or, you can print the Guide from this web page. All files below are in PDF format.

Note: The Introduction, Frequently Asked Questions/Answers, and abbreviated appendices are available in the bound edition, but the full appendices are only available online. See the Guide home page for the full appendices.

The Guide is approximately 360 pages. Ordering a bound copy may be preferable if you do not wish to print out that many pages or you do not enjoy reading online.

Note: Links to the ICWA home page are welcome and appreciated, but do not download copies of the Guide to publish on other web sites.

The guide is protected by copyright law and rights are reserved under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeris 3.0 Unported License.

Complete book (37 MB)

Print section-by-section:

Preliminary pages
Introduction
FAQ chapter listing

FAQ Chapters:

1. Application
2. Jurisdiction
3. Who has rights under the Act
4. Notice
5. Intervention
6. Emergency removal
7. Transfer
8. Role of tribal courts
9. Recognition of tribal law
10. Tribal-state agreements
11. Foster care placement and removal
12. Active efforts requirement
13. Termination of parental rights
14. Expert witnesses
15. Access to records for tribal enrollment purposes
16. Placement
17. Voluntary proceedings
18. Adoption
19. Application of other federal laws
20. Enforcement of ICWA requirements
21. Application of standards higher than ICWA requirements
22. Resources

Appendix 1 - ICWA Legislative Historywith full text of House Report No. 95-1386
Appendix 2 - ICWA, 25 U.S.C. 1901 et seq. (2000)
Appendix 3 - Federal ICWA Regulations, 25 C.F.R. Part 23
Appendix 4 - Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Child Welfare Act Guidelines
Appendix 5 - Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield, 490 U.S. 30 (1989) court opinion
Appendix 6 - Flow Charts
Appendix 7 - Forms

* Forms in Microsoft Office Word® format are available at this web site

Appendix 8 - Bibliography
Appendix 9 - NICWA Training materials
* Additional appendices are available at this web site

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