Indian Adoption Project
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Indian Adoption Project was an initiative of the United States government that led to thousands of Native American children being adopted by white families.[1] Officially the program led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, United States Children's Bureau, and Child Welfare League of America placed 395 Native American children with white families between 1958 through 1967.[2] However, thousands of native children were adopted through other agencies during the same time period.[1][3]
While initially seen as an exception to the standard practice of race matching during adoption, Native American advocates reframed it as a continuation of a legacy of "genocidal policies".[4] Congress enacted the Indian Child Welfare Act in 1978 in response to stop the practice and make it harder for native children to be adopted by non-native parents.[4]