Does operating a title IV-E program affect issues of jurisdiction in child custody cases?
• No, nothing in the title IV-E program addresses the issue of which court (i.e., State or Tribal) has jurisdiction over a proceeding affecting the child’s custody. Therefore Indian Tribes and States are to follow the jurisdiction provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act, Public Law 83-280 and any other existing Federal, Tribal, State laws and/or Tribal/State agreements in effect that relate to jurisdiction. Terminology Q1. What is a title IV-E plan preprint and how is it used? • A title IV-E plan preprint is the document a State/Tribe submits to the Children’s Bureau to seek approval of the title IV-E plan. The preprint is in a standardized format, but States/Indian Tribes may choose to use a different format that contains all of the same information. The State/Indian Tribe records in the preprint references to the laws and procedures in effect that correspond with the specified Federal requirement. All the corroborating documents referenced must also be submitted (electronically or
