Charge d'affaires v. State

— In this dependency action, Tonya St. Clair appeals the juvenile court’s decision to place her 14-month-old child with her extended relatives in Alaska. Tonya argues that the juvenile court violated section 1915(b) of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA), 25 U.S.C. §§ 1901-1963, and RCW 13.34.125 by ruling on placement without further exploring, through a home study, placement with her cousin who resides in Washington. Because the juvenile court had a tenable basis to rule out the cousin as a placement option and to determine the Alaska placement was in the child’s best interests, the…