The Office of Family Assistance, Division of Tribal TANF has posted National Tribal TANF characteristics data for fiscal years 2016 to 2020 in a set of annual reports. Data in these reports cover: number of individuals participating in Tribal TANF work activities by activity; adults by work participation status; adults by relationship to head of household; types of families receiving assistance (e.g., one-parent, two-parent, child-only); families by the number of children in the family; and average age of recipient children. Data tables for the reports are available for download.

The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) awarded $21.4 million to 26 Tribes and Native organizations to help improve their communities’ social and economic well-being and Native language programs in Fiscal Year 2024. This ANA resource announces the community partners who received funding for the Native Language Preservation and Maintenance programming, the Esther Martinez Language Immersion grant, Strategic Economic Development (SEDS), Strategic Economic Development — Alaska (SEDS-AK), and Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (ERE).

The Center for Native Child and Family Resilience (CNCFR) worked alongside a group of experts in cultural resilience, Tribal child welfare, and trauma-informed practice to review the current trauma-informed care literature and existing programs with the intention of creating a trauma-informed training specifically for use in Tribal child welfare (TCW) programs. Through discussions on their research, the group noted many trauma-informed programs and practices were already in place. The workgroup decided that instead of centering on trauma, they wanted to create a training that centers and builds upon the resilience in the community. This CNCFR training promotes and centers the healing and wellness of individuals, families, and communities—and encourages the community to build their own vision for a resilience-oriented TCW organization.

This National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse brief discusses some of the key issues facing American Indian/ Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Indigenous families in the United States, particularly fathers. The brief highlights three programs that are working with AI/AN fathers to strengthen their roles in Native families, includes an overview of each program, and provides a discussion of key takeaways to help other programs better serve AI/AN fathers and their families.

Many non-Natives work in various capacities in Indian Country, from tribal administrators to front line workers to urban Indian center employees. Other non-Natives work in other agencies that serve or collaborate with Indian Country. Learning by doing is the way most allies become allies. The Native Wellness Institute will host an interactive training on November 19 and 20, 2024 that is intended for non-Natives and Natives who want to learn more about being an ally in Indian Country. The training will include large and small group discussions, opportunities for reflection and assessment, and tools to take back to the workplace. The goal of the training is to better help participants to help the tribe/organization for which they work.

The most sustainable Tribal responses to domestic violence, sexual violence, sex trafficking, and related disparities are those rooted in Indigenous cultures and values. The challenge for those receiving federal funds is balancing the development of their responses with administering varying requirements of federal funds. This recorded Fireside Session, hosted by the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, shares how Tribes and Tribal organizations can develop their sustainable responses, including responding to challenges to best meet the needs of survivors and Tribal communities by pooling together different federal funds and maximizing impact.

This Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network and National Indian Child Welfare Association fact sheet highlights the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (PGST) Kinship Parenting Program. The PGST Kinship Parenting Program provides outreach and support to kin caregivers and their families in Kitsap County, Washington, including helping them identify and connect to services such as childcare, behavioral health, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), TANF non-needy (child-only) grants, assistance with Social Security Income and other paperwork, and much more. Other tribal nations and service providers can utilize the outlined practices as a guide as they develop or modify their own programming that best aligns with their community values, needs, and resources.