Supreme Court and the Legislature made each other superfluous on ICWA issue, Supreme Court says

In In re Ja.O., the Supreme Court today addresses under what circumstances California statutes complementing the federal Indian Child Welfare Act require a county welfare department to inquire of extended family members whether a child placed in temporary custody is or might be an Indian child. The inquiry is important to promote ICWA’s goal of “ ‘[M]inimizing separation of Indian families and maximizing early placement of Indian children with extended family, other members of the child’s Indian tribe, or other Indian families.’ ”