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from their homes in South Dakota each year are sent to foster care in non-Native American homes or group homes, and that Native American children are placed in South Dakota's foster care system at a disproportionate rate than other children.
• The report also suggested that the state's motive for removing Native American children from their home might be for financial reasons, because the state receives money for each child removed from his or her home.
• The NPR piece was found credible in a report recently approved by six of the nine Indian Child Welfare Act directors representing each of the nine tribes in South Dakota.
• The directors' report found circumstantial evidence that state officials may take high numbers of Native American foster children into custody to stimulate South Dakota's economy, because the state gets millions of dollars a year to subsidize foster care programs. The state also receives additional money for every special needs child who is adopted. The directors plan to send the report to Congress soon.
• State officials have acknowledged that a disproportionate number of Native American children are involved in the child welfare system. But they said that is because they receive more referrals for alleged abuse involving Native American children, and that leads to more investigations and removals from homes for those children.
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• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Parts of the Dakotas are in for a snowy weekend.
• The National Weather Service has posted a winter weather advisory for central and east central South Dakota through Friday, and a winter storm watch for the north central and northeast parts of the state Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning.
• Reported snow totals Friday were highest across the vertical middle of South Dakota. About 10 inches of snow fell in Meade County about 8 miles west-northwest of Marcus, while downtown Spearfish recorded 4.3 inches. Some areas around Pierre received 5 inches and Arlington recorded about 4 inches.
• The weather service says accumulating snow and blowing snow also are possible throughout North Dakota this weekend, and wind chills in the region could plummet to as low as 30 degrees below zero.
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