Indian child welfare: legal services.

Existing federal law, the Indian Child Welfare Act, governs the proceedings for determining the placement of an Indian child when that child is removed from the custody of his or her parent or guardian. Existing provisions of state law govern child custody proceedings, adoption proceedings, and dependency proceedings, including termination of parental rights, the voluntary relinquishment of a child by a parent, and guardianship proceedings. Existing law recognizes that the federal Indian Child Welfare Act applies if the subject of these proceedings is or may be an Indian child, and specifies conforming procedures in these cases with regard to the right to notice and intervention accorded…