In the United States, there are 1.2 million American Indian and Alaska Native individuals under age 25. This website from the National Congress of American Indians highlights their year-round, ongoing programs for Native Youth.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Regions IX and X hosted the Tribal Technical Assistance Meeting on July 25‐27, 2016 at the Isleta Resort and Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The meeting brought together Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) stakeholders to discuss innovative strategies and collaborations to promote economic and social well‐being for individuals, families, and tribal communities. During the meeting, tribal representatives engaged in listening sessions, shared best practices, and participated in workshops in order to more successfully serve the program participants in their communities.

The OFA Peer TA Network developed Tribal TANF Community Assessment and Planning Tool is intended for federally recognized Indian Tribes interested in starting a Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The Assessment is a practical tool designed to help Tribal community members consider critical issues, build a profile of their community, and outline any strengths to be leveraged or needs to be addressed prior to developing a Tribal TANF Letter of Intent (LOI) and plan. The Tool is intended for Tribes’ internal use only, and includes detailed questions regarding demographics, employment and training activities, partnership opportunities, Tribe infrastructure, and staff capacity. The Tool can be used to outline the Tribe’s current situation and highlight any gaps to address prior to developing a Tribal TANF LOI and future plan. The Tool also provides space for goal setting, which should be aimed at addressing identified gaps or needs; this process is essential for successful program development and implementation. The Tool is available in Word format and can be completed in paper or electronic form.

On September 3 - 4, 2014, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), held a meeting titled the “2014 Tribal TANF Case Management Meeting” in Tulalip, Washington. This meeting provided staff from Tribal TANF and workforce development agencies with structured forums and presentations about TANF case management, case plan development, client engagement strategies, and service delivery with the goal of transitioning hard-to-serve clients out of poverty. The presenters were Region X ACF staff and Tribal leaders. Participants were able to engage with ACF administrative staff to gain in-depth guidance on financial management, as well as network with other Tribal TANF agencies.

The focus of this technical assistance (TA) request was to take the overall concepts and ideas the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) developed through the Promising Pathways Initiative and expand them to other Client Development Division programs, so TCC can better integrate the way they describe the logic/theory of their programs; identify practice implementation activities; strengthen service delivery; and collect, analyze, and share program results with various stakeholders. The TA request included assisting TCC in thinking globally about a division-wide theory of change that would include an examination of underlying assumptions, values, and traditional wisdom that contribute to program design throughout Client Development. Additionally, TCC was interested in continuing to explore an overarching practice framework that could inform service delivery across programs, as well as the development of outcome measures for the Client Development Division as a whole.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance publishes work participation rate data for State and Tribal TANF programs.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance publishes caseload data for State and Tribal TANF programs.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) hosted the 2013 Tribal TANF--Child Welfare Coordination Projects Annual Grantee Meeting on August 14-15, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The meeting provided Tribal TANF--Child Welfare Coordination Project grantees with the opportunity to share information with their peers regarding their program structure and performance. The meeting also addressed grant requirements for Year Two of the projects, strategies for building coalitions in Native American communities, home visiting programs, program sustainability, and approaches for documenting cross-agency coordination and collaboration.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Division of Tribal TANF Management hosted the first national Tribal TANF Summit to Improve Program Performance and Strengthen Native Families on August 12-14, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The workshop focused on Tribal TANF program administration and participant engagement. Experts from the field shared information on a variety of topics including: career pathways and subsidized employment, TANF policies and procedures, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, opportunities for economic development, and effective prevention and treatment programs for substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.

Acknowledging the needs of Tribal TANF programs in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, Region X Office convened the Region X Tribal TANF Fiscal and Data Meeting in Seattle, Washington, on April 26-27, 2011. The meeting was a direct response to requests of Tribal TANF Programs regarding further guidance on data management, processing, reporting, and fiscal procedures.