State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Iowa > Title-6 > Subtitle-5 > Chapter-232b > 232b-10

        232B.10  QUALIFIED EXPERT WITNESSES -- STANDARD OF
      PROOF -- CHANGE OF PLACEMENT.
         1.  For the purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise
      requires, a "qualified expert witness" may include, but is not
      limited to, a social worker, sociologist, physician, psychologist,
      traditional tribal therapist and healer, spiritual leader, historian,
      or elder.
         2.  In considering whether to involuntarily place an Indian child
      in foster care or to terminate the parental rights of the parent of
      an Indian child, the court shall require that qualified expert
      witnesses with specific knowledge of the child's Indian tribe testify
      regarding that tribe's family organization and child-rearing
      practices, and regarding whether the tribe's culture, customs, and
      laws would support the placement of the child in foster care or the
      termination of parental rights on the grounds that continued custody
      of the child by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in
      serious emotional or physical damage to the child.
         3.  In the following descending order of preference, a qualified
      expert witness is a person who is one of the following:
         a.  A member of the child's Indian tribe who is recognized by
      the child's tribal community as knowledgeable regarding tribal
      customs as the customs pertain to family organization or
      child-rearing practices.
         b.  A member of another tribe who is formally recognized by
      the Indian child's tribe as having the knowledge to be a qualified
      expert witness.
         c.  A layperson having substantial experience in the delivery
      of child and family services to Indians, and substantial knowledge of
      the prevailing social and cultural standards and child-rearing
      practices within the Indian child's tribe.
         d.  A professional person having substantial education and
      experience in the person's professional specialty and having
      substantial knowledge of the prevailing social and cultural standards
      and child-rearing practices within the Indian child's tribe.
         e.  A professional person having substantial education and
      experience in the person's professional specialty and having
      extensive knowledge of the customs, traditions, and values of the
      Indian child's tribe as the customs, traditions, and values pertain
      to family organization and child-rearing practices.  Prior to
      accepting the testimony of a qualified expert witness described in
      this lettered paragraph, the court shall document the efforts made to
      secure a qualified expert witness described in paragraphs "a",
      "b", "c", and "d".  The efforts shall include but are not
      limited to contacting the Indian child's tribe's governing body, that
      tribe's Indian Child Welfare Act office, and the tribe's social
      service office.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         2003 Acts, ch 153, §11; 2004 Acts, ch 1101, §29

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Iowa > Title-6 > Subtitle-5 > Chapter-232b > 232b-10

        232B.10  QUALIFIED EXPERT WITNESSES -- STANDARD OF
      PROOF -- CHANGE OF PLACEMENT.
         1.  For the purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise
      requires, a "qualified expert witness" may include, but is not
      limited to, a social worker, sociologist, physician, psychologist,
      traditional tribal therapist and healer, spiritual leader, historian,
      or elder.
         2.  In considering whether to involuntarily place an Indian child
      in foster care or to terminate the parental rights of the parent of
      an Indian child, the court shall require that qualified expert
      witnesses with specific knowledge of the child's Indian tribe testify
      regarding that tribe's family organization and child-rearing
      practices, and regarding whether the tribe's culture, customs, and
      laws would support the placement of the child in foster care or the
      termination of parental rights on the grounds that continued custody
      of the child by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in
      serious emotional or physical damage to the child.
         3.  In the following descending order of preference, a qualified
      expert witness is a person who is one of the following:
         a.  A member of the child's Indian tribe who is recognized by
      the child's tribal community as knowledgeable regarding tribal
      customs as the customs pertain to family organization or
      child-rearing practices.
         b.  A member of another tribe who is formally recognized by
      the Indian child's tribe as having the knowledge to be a qualified
      expert witness.
         c.  A layperson having substantial experience in the delivery
      of child and family services to Indians, and substantial knowledge of
      the prevailing social and cultural standards and child-rearing
      practices within the Indian child's tribe.
         d.  A professional person having substantial education and
      experience in the person's professional specialty and having
      substantial knowledge of the prevailing social and cultural standards
      and child-rearing practices within the Indian child's tribe.
         e.  A professional person having substantial education and
      experience in the person's professional specialty and having
      extensive knowledge of the customs, traditions, and values of the
      Indian child's tribe as the customs, traditions, and values pertain
      to family organization and child-rearing practices.  Prior to
      accepting the testimony of a qualified expert witness described in
      this lettered paragraph, the court shall document the efforts made to
      secure a qualified expert witness described in paragraphs "a",
      "b", "c", and "d".  The efforts shall include but are not
      limited to contacting the Indian child's tribe's governing body, that
      tribe's Indian Child Welfare Act office, and the tribe's social
      service office.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         2003 Acts, ch 153, §11; 2004 Acts, ch 1101, §29

State Codes and Statutes

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Iowa > Title-6 > Subtitle-5 > Chapter-232b > 232b-10

        232B.10  QUALIFIED EXPERT WITNESSES -- STANDARD OF
      PROOF -- CHANGE OF PLACEMENT.
         1.  For the purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise
      requires, a "qualified expert witness" may include, but is not
      limited to, a social worker, sociologist, physician, psychologist,
      traditional tribal therapist and healer, spiritual leader, historian,
      or elder.
         2.  In considering whether to involuntarily place an Indian child
      in foster care or to terminate the parental rights of the parent of
      an Indian child, the court shall require that qualified expert
      witnesses with specific knowledge of the child's Indian tribe testify
      regarding that tribe's family organization and child-rearing
      practices, and regarding whether the tribe's culture, customs, and
      laws would support the placement of the child in foster care or the
      termination of parental rights on the grounds that continued custody
      of the child by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in
      serious emotional or physical damage to the child.
         3.  In the following descending order of preference, a qualified
      expert witness is a person who is one of the following:
         a.  A member of the child's Indian tribe who is recognized by
      the child's tribal community as knowledgeable regarding tribal
      customs as the customs pertain to family organization or
      child-rearing practices.
         b.  A member of another tribe who is formally recognized by
      the Indian child's tribe as having the knowledge to be a qualified
      expert witness.
         c.  A layperson having substantial experience in the delivery
      of child and family services to Indians, and substantial knowledge of
      the prevailing social and cultural standards and child-rearing
      practices within the Indian child's tribe.
         d.  A professional person having substantial education and
      experience in the person's professional specialty and having
      substantial knowledge of the prevailing social and cultural standards
      and child-rearing practices within the Indian child's tribe.
         e.  A professional person having substantial education and
      experience in the person's professional specialty and having
      extensive knowledge of the customs, traditions, and values of the
      Indian child's tribe as the customs, traditions, and values pertain
      to family organization and child-rearing practices.  Prior to
      accepting the testimony of a qualified expert witness described in
      this lettered paragraph, the court shall document the efforts made to
      secure a qualified expert witness described in paragraphs "a",
      "b", "c", and "d".  The efforts shall include but are not
      limited to contacting the Indian child's tribe's governing body, that
      tribe's Indian Child Welfare Act office, and the tribe's social
      service office.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         2003 Acts, ch 153, §11; 2004 Acts, ch 1101, §29