Considering IHS with children

[craziwrld]

I'm currently a nursing student. I am considering joining the IHS (Indian Health Services) to help pay off my student debt once I'm done. Seeing as I have a family that includes 2 younger children this seems like a plus to me. But I am concerned about what kind of impact it could have on my children. I talked to my grandmother about it, she used to work for the VA as a travel nurse going to different reservations in Arizona and New Mexico back in the 80's-90's. She said not to do it because there is a lot of discrimination and the children get a lot of it also, but this was back then. Does anyone with a family have any advice for todays day and age that has done work through IHS. My children and my husband and I are very accepting of every ones culture. I do not, however, want to put my children in a situation they do not feel safe in. Can you choose where to go, do they give you any word of how accepting a reservation is? Any input would be welcome.

[lassenlake]

It depends on how old your children are. School age children will experience somewhat different experience and that education may be inferior to traditional schools. If you site visit I would make an appointment with the schools and look around. The plus side is that the cultural experience may be truly interesting for your kids. I lived in the Navajo for one year and it was frequently a topic of conversation about the schools and their approach for the parents there.