Indian Child Social Services

•  Esmeralda Flores, Administrative assistant ext. 238   eflores@sihc.org

Who We Serve:
We provide services to all the Consortium tribal members under 18 years of age and their families. They need to be tribal members or eligible for enrollment in one of the Consortium tribes. A tribe may provide documentation indicating that they are eligible for benefits for the purposes of ICWA if the child is a part of the community.

What We Do:

• We provide case management for both voluntary and court ordered services
• Cases come to our office either through Child Protective Services, when a child is removed, or through voluntary means when parents request services.
• Voluntary basis is when parents request, we then provide services to at-risk families prior to children being removed.
• If the child enters the San Diego County Child Protection Services system, the ICSS workers accompany parents to court and helps them understand the case plan and what they must do to reunify with their children.
• If the child/ren must be placed in out-of-home placement, the ICSS worker helps to identify appropriate relatives who can provide temporary care while the parents complete the reunification plan.
• We actively seek Indian foster homes for children in out-of-home placements. We continue to work with the Indian foster parents to provide additional services.
• We work with the County COS worker, to ensure that the Indian Child Welfare Act is applied.
• We provide declarations to the court when requested.
• We contact attorneys who are appointed to clients whenever necessary.
• We arrange and transport parents and children to supervised as well as unsupervised visitations.
• We contact the Tribe regularly to keep them informed as to the progress of clients that are in the CPS system.
• We accompany parents/guardians to IEP meetings at school for support.
• We are available to teach “Parenting Classes” at the La Posta facility for parents in the eastern service area who have transportation difficulties.
• We provide car seats, clothing, and bicycle helmets for Consortium children and their families.