A Roadmap for Collaborative and Effective Evaluation of Child Welfare in Tribal Communities

Many members of Tribal communities feel impacted by intergenerational trauma, resulting from the experiences of prior generations who had been exposed to adverse conditions. Additionally, some Tribal communities have endured negative experiences that may have caused a distrust of research and evaluation. Some previous research has been invasive or perceived as offering little to no benefits for communities; therefore, evaluation efforts on Tribal lands are often faced with reluctance or refusal. The Children’s Bureau developed this guide to improve evaluation efforts among Tribal child welfare programs. It was informed by a workgroup of representatives from Tribal child welfare programs, evaluators, researchers, technical assistance providers, and Federal partners.