The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners proclaimed Thursday, August 26 as “Native American Foster Parent Honoring Day” at the board meeting on the same day.
Terry Cross, executive director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) and Tawna Sanchez, director of Family Services at the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), spoke to the commissioners and a large crowd at Thursday’s board meeting. Cross addressed the cultural differences and institutional racism faced by Native American children in the welfare system and thanked the Native foster families whose homes have served as safe harbors.
“It takes a special family to open its home and heart to a child in foster care and some open their hearts over and over again,” said Commissioner Deborah Kafoury, who spearheaded the proclamation. “This proclamation honors dedicated members of our community who have made an immense commitment and positive impact on the lives of over 364 native children.”
After the meeting, 10 Native American foster parents addressed the crowd, followed by a song of prayer. Among the families honored, two have taken in over 100 native children each. Several of the parents honored said they did not see themselves as foster parents or adoptive parents, but members of one, all-inclusive family. “I believe we are all related,” said one parent.
A recent study conducted by Portland State University and the Coalition of Communities of Color reported that Native American children are up to 26 times more likely to end up in foster care than white children in Multnomah County.
The same study found that Native American children, once removed from their homes, spend more time in foster care than any other cultural group. Native families are four times more likely to be reported to the Child Abuse hotline, although research indicates that Native American families do not abuse or neglect their children at higher rates than other cultural groups.
There are approximately 400 Native American children in Multnomah County’s child welfare system. Yet, for many years there has been a shortage of Native American families willing to foster non-related children.
In response to these trends, NAYA began actively recruiting Native American foster families in October 2009. In less than a year, NAYA has already recruited seven families.