Alpine County & Washoe Tribe of California & Nevada Memorandum of Understanding for Child Welfare Services

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

In 1996, the federal government approved the Washoe Tribe of California & Nevada’s petition for exclusive jurisdiction of Washoe enrolled/eligible children related to child welfare cases in Alpine County. Since then, Alpine County Social Services and Washoe Tribal Social Services have not had a working relationship and the most vulnerable Washoe children and families residing in Alpine County did not receive adequate services. During this period there were many attempts to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU); however one was not achieved until March 4, 2014. The Washoe Tribe of California & Nevada is the only Tribe in California and one of only a few in the nation that have exclusive jurisdiction of Tribal children. There are no known examples of such a MOU between a County and a Tribe in the United States. The MOU will provide more comprehensive services to abused and neglected children in Alpine County and has increased intergovernmental cooperation and coordination in addressing a shared problem in Alpine County.