Cherokee Nation Expands Services With New Indian Child Welfare Headquarters

By Staff-Cherokee 411

October 21, 2025

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Cherokee Nation leaders celebrated the grand opening of their new 40,000-square-foot headquarters for the tribe’s Indian Child Welfare (ICW) department.

Indian Child Welfare department in Tahlequah.

The facility, located at 3227 S. Muskogee Ave., was formerly a Mean’s Furniture store. The Nation purchased and remodeled the space to accommodate more than 70 ICW employees, with room for up to 98 staff members. The expansion comes as the department serves more than 1,100 Cherokee children across Oklahoma and beyond.

“This building represents far more than bricks, wall and office space. It represents hope, safety and belonging,” said ICW Senior Director Sally Wilson. “It reflects our Nation’s promise to ensure that every Cherokee child grows up connected to their family, their culture and their community.”

Completed in under two years, the building includes 6,000 square feet of storage, a drive-up loading dock, offices, conference rooms, classrooms, visitation rooms, an indoor playroom and two outdoor playgrounds.

Wilson said every element of the new space was intentionally designed to promote comfort, teamwork and healing. “The rooms where families reunite were built to bring them comfort and calm,” she said. “The Cherokee language and art throughout the building serve as a daily reminder of our identity and the sacred responsibility to care for our children.”

Hettie Charboneau, ICW Director of Foster Care, said uniting all staff under one roof strengthens collaboration and community. “That’s what we’re about — being unified for our children and for our families,” she said. “Our children will come and get to play here, do crafts, and learn about our culture and language. … I’ve been with the tribe for 32 years, and this new building shows how far we’ve come.”

The ICW department processes roughly 1,400 notifications a month from child-welfare agencies and currently supports 95 active Cherokee foster homes across Oklahoma and Arkansas.