A waiver was recently signed by the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs that applies to BIA and Tribal Social Service Programs eligibility requirements – specifically enrollment in a federally recognized Tribe for children up to one year of age if they are need of protection. It is the same kind of waiver for BIA programs in this region working with drug affected babies coming from the hospital. It only applies to children up to one year of age, if the child is eligible for enrollment and the parents are enrolled, and the child is drug affected or in need of protection. This does not waive any of the other eligibility requirements.
For more information, please see the Signed Memo that waives the tribal enrollment requirement to allow BIA and tribal staff to provide child protection services and child assistance services when placement is necessary for any child: (1) less than 1-year old who is eligible for tribal enrollment and whose parents are tribal members and (2) if the child is identified as drug-affected or in need of protection.
