This research was commissioned by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Foundation approached the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development with an invitation to help it define and understand the forces affecting families and children in Indian America. Specifically, the Foundation asked the Harvard Project to identify the primary actors and activities that are effectively addressing the needs of families and children; help the Foundation understand the context in which progress is being made and the reasons why some initiatives and programs are particularly effective; and to draw from these examples implications for the roles of the many actors who contribute to the well-being of children and families--tribal governments, non-tribal governments, Native NGOs, non-native NGOs, and philanthropic foundations. This report is divided into the following sections: (1) Introduction; (2) The State of Children, Families, and Communities in Indian America; (3) Case Studies in Effective Family Strengthening in Indian America; (4) A Framework for Understanding Family Strengthening in Indian America; (5) Observations on Effective Family Strengthening in Indian America; and (6) Recommendations to the Philanthropic Community. Appended are: (1) Consultative Session on Family Strengthening in Indian America; and (2) Case Studies.