Alaska Native communities are rich with tradition and family bonds that stretch back generations—yet children are still being sent away from their homes, cut off from their relatives and way of life, when families hit rough patches. This devastating scenario, one that happens far more often than many realize, is precisely what prompted Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto to introduce the Promoting Strong Native Families and Children Act, a bipartisan effort that aims to fundamentally reshape how the federal government supports Tribal child welfare systems.
The bill arrives at a critical moment. Native families and children across the United States have long faced barriers that other communities take for granted—access to mental health services, housing support, education resources, and child welfare assistance. When crisis strikes, Tribal communities often lack the local infrastructure to keep families together, forcing children into the foster care system in distant towns where they lose connection to their culture, languages, and relatives. The legislation seeks to reverse this pattern by redirecting federal power and resources back to Tribal governments themselves.
The measure increases federal funding for Tribal child welfare programs while cutting through the red tape that has historically made it difficult for Tribes to access and deploy federal support. Critically, it gives Tribal governments greater flexibility to design and deliver services rooted in their own cultural values and traditions—keeping Native children connected to their families and communities rather than removing them. Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico joined Murkowski and Cortez Masto as original cosponsors, signaling bipartisan commitment to the issue.
"The same communities often lack local services and support to help families who've fallen on hard times," Murkowski explained, addressing the heart of the problem. "Without the right support, kids may be sent away from their community to another town for foster care, completely cut off from their way of life and relatives."
Cortez Masto pointed to Nevada's 28 Tribes, bands, and colonies as an example of communities working tirelessly to support vulnerable members—young children, single mothers, and seniors—despite lacking access to key social services that other Nevadans rely on. "This commonsense, bipartisan bill will help level the playing field," she said.
Tribal and Native advocacy organizations swiftly endorsed the legislation. Larry Wright Jr., executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, called it a critical step forward that prioritizes early intervention, family preservation, and Tribal-led prevention services. Dr. Sarah Kastelic, executive director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association, highlighted how the bill creates equitable access to federal programs funding basic services for children, people with disabilities, domestic violence victims, and elders, while also increasing support for Tribal courts and streamlining administrative requirements.
Ben Mallott, president of the Alaska Federation of Natives, characterized the legislation as "a bold step in the right direction" that puts real funding behind commitments to strengthen Tribal coordination and authority. For generations, Native communities have faced compounding barriers in education, housing, mental health, and child welfare that ripple across future generations. This bill represents an opportunity to rebuild those systems from the ground up, placing the power and resources in the hands of the people who know their communities best.