Foster-2026 - foster care

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families awarded Cherokee Nation $4.225 million on October 1, 2025, under the Foster Care Title IV-E program (CFDA 93.658).

The award funds out-of-home foster care services for children under the jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation tribal child welfare agency. Cherokee Nation, a federally recognized tribe based in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, operates comprehensive child welfare services across 14 counties in northeastern Oklahoma serving over 400,000 registered citizens. Place of performance is Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The funding period runs through September 30, 2026.

Title IV-E formula grants support safe and stable out-of-home care for children until permanency is achieved through reunification, adoption, guardianship, or other appropriate placements. Cherokee Nation receives direct formula allocations as a tribally eligible recipient under the program's tribal set-aside. The award is structured as a formula grant with quarterly estimates due based on estimated expenditures, later revised to reflect actual allowable claimed costs. This award represents part of Cherokee Nation's broader federal grant portfolio in child welfare and family preservation, which includes $1.687 million in annual funding under the MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program for related family preservation services.