Agencies and individuals making decisions and recommendations for American Indian children in foster care should have a structured approach to the assessment, decision making, and replacement of these children. The underlying goal for all decisions should be to arrange a permanent home where the child can develop tribal identity. Placement decisions must be based on the assessment of the child, parents, extended family, tribe, emotional attachments between each person involved, and the benefits of returning a child to his/her tribe. After completion of the needed assessments, placement options should be identified: return child to parents; leave child with foster parents; adoption by extended family, tribal member, Indian parents of different tribe, or foster parent; or place child with foster parents of another tribe. The role of the judge, social service worker, child, family, and community needs to be clear. When implementing a decision the following should be considered: preparation of the child and family for the child's move, mechanics of placement (e.g., the child's sense of time, nature of visits), stages of adjustment, and various post-placement resources and services. After implementation of a decision, the placement must be monitored so that services can be offered if problems develop. (NQA)