SVT offers a variety of Youth and Family Services to support our youth and families of all ages and stages. The Tribe is committed to providing quality care and services that add to our overall quality of life.
Youth & Family Services
Connect Program
The Connect Program is designed to do just that… to connect. To connect youth, elders and people of all ages with one another, with our community, with our culture, and with the incredible natural resources that we have been blessed with. Connect’s goal is to weave responsibility, moral integrity, confidence, personal strength, cultural awareness, community service and environmental stewardship into the daily lives of the youth and community of Seldovia. We do this by incorporating these values into active, hands-on programming involving sports, outdoor education & skills, training, resiliency, arts and creativity.
Child Welfare Services
Seldovia Village Tribe has the authority through the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) to advocate for – and to govern jurisdiction on behalf of – at-risk Native American children who face removal from their families.
SVT’s Child Welfare Worker advocates in all ICWA cases pertaining to Tribal children in state custody anywhere in the United States. We strive to act in the best interests of the child, guided by the leadership of our Tribal Council members, and working directly with the Tribal family, Office of Children’s Services, State Courts, court-appointed guardians, lawyers, birth families, foster and adoptive families, and others.
In our communities, we also function as a resource for all families, Alaska Native and non-native, connecting them with our services and those of other agencies across the Kenai Peninsula. We strive to see families thriving through a support network including parenting classes, academic, and cultural enrichment programs through our Ch’anik’na Children’s House and our Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program. The goal of SVT is to strengthen families and give them the tools to be successful.
For more information, contact our Child Welfare Worker by email or by phone at (907) 435-3252.
Ch’anik’na – Children’s House
Ch’anik’na (pronounced cha-NEEK-nuh) is a Dena’ina word for children’s house. The word, unique to our area, was specially chosen to represent our dedication in exploring and enriching all of our children’s various cultures, Alaskan and worldwide, and exploring the surroundings and culture of our Seldovia community.
Ch’anik’na is open for children birth to entering Kindergarten for academic and cultural enrichment programs Mondays through Fridays. Weekly activities include going to the library, science time, hikes, arts and crafts, and music and movement time. The maximum number of children at any given time is limited to 12. Attendance is based on a scheduled basis and then as needed on a space available basis.
