Alaska Missed Opportunities to Protect American Indian and Alaska Native Children Missing from Foster Care

Why OIG Did This Review

• Nationwide, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children go missing at a rate more than double their representation in the population and are more likely to go missing from a foster care placement than from any other location.
• AI/AN children in foster care are at an increased risk of human trafficking and other forms of victimization as compared to their non-AI/AN peers.
• ACF—which oversees State foster care agencies—requires State agencies to develop policies and implement protocols regarding children who go missing from foster care.

What OIG Found

For the population of AI/AN children who went missing or ran away from a foster care placement in 2023 (as documented in Alaska’s case management system), Alaska missed opportunities to protect children from the risks associated with these incidents. Our review of children’s case file documentation found that:

• Alaska often did not notify parties who could assist with locating children and returning them to foster care.
• In 25 percent of incidents, Alaska did not take additional steps (beyond notifications) to locate children and return them to foster care, as required.
• Alaska frequently did not assess children for signs of sex trafficking or determine their experiences while missing or after running away, as required.
• In nearly 60 percent of incidents, Alaska did not conduct all required caseworker visits before children went missing or ran away from care.
• Tribes that OIG interviewed reported experiencing a lack of communication and collaboration from Alaska when children went missing from care.
• Thirty-eight percent of children reviewed had additional incidents that were not documented in Alaska’s case management system.

What OIG Recommends

1. ACF should support Alaska in improving compliance with Federal and State requirements related to children who go missing or run away from foster care.
2. ACF should develop resources for Alaska, and other States as appropriate, on working with Tribes to support children in foster care.
3. ACF should support Alaska, and other States as appropriate, to improve States’ abilities to accurately track children’s whereabouts.

ACF concurred with all three recommendations.

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