The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 gave tribal governments’ new authority to structure and administer their own cash assistance, employment and training, child care, and child support enforcement programs. This report describes some current characteristics of tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs and emerging challenges in serving tribal members through tribal and state TANF programs. It also presents findings from recent studies on welfare reform's impact on tribal members and explores tribal issues likely to be raised during TANF reauthorization in 2002.

Federal law permits American Indian tribes to operate the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for their members. That option entails benefits and advantages, but also risks and costs for tribes. This report discusses the benefits of tribal TANF operation, the challenges and problems tribes have encountered, and lessons from tribal experience. This report describes the experiences of 10 tribal grantees in planning, implementing, and operating TANF programs. It was prepared for the use of tribal, federal, and state officials, and other stakeholders in welfare reform in Indian country. The report is based on data collected between August 2001 and July 2002 through telephone interviews with all 10 tribal grantees, and subsequent in-depth site visits to three of them.

The Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families has released critical documents to inform State, Tribal and Territorial Title IV-B and IV-E agencies and Indian Tribes and Indian Tribal Organizations of the enactment of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 and to provide basic information about the provisions of this law.

Welfare Peer TA conducted a site visit to the Chippewa Cree Tribal TANF program in Box Elder, Montana based on the Tribe's Request for TA. Welfare Peer TA staff joined with consultants from the U.C. Davis Extension at the University of California to provide the Tribe with an in-depth needs assessment in order to strategize on developing solutions for programmatic improvement. The consultants, Julie Gondry and Dr. Geni Cowan, partnered to provide the Tribe with Tribal TANF subject matter expertise with program based skills in training, case management and data reporting. Based upon the assessment results, the Chippewa Cree Tribal TANF program will receive valuable recommendations to further enhance aspects of their program's structure and administration to reach the end goal of self-sufficiency for their TANF participants.

This paper, from the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Utah, provides an overview of the Navajo culture and their Tribal TANF program. The paper also discusses barriers that the Navajo Nation faces in effectively engaging their Tribal TANF clients and promoting self sufficiency. Barriers include support costs and lack of jobs among others.

This report to Congressional Requestors from the Government Accountability Office found that poverty and unemployment is still extremely high on Native American reservations despite Tribes’ efforts to stimulate the economy. According to the study, “57 Tribes with reservations reported that at least half of all families living of their reservations had incomes below the federal poverty level.” The report describes various specific Tribal enterprises. The authors also describe specific challenges that Tribes face in operating TANF programs including developing expertise quickly, obtaining data, and leveraging resources. Through the report, the Government Accountability Office recommended that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provide for more assistance to Tribes in operating their own welfare programs.

Written by Jo Ann Kauffman of the Kaiser Family Foundation, this paper describes case studies of eight Tribes. Of the Tribes studied, six operated their own Tribal TANF programs, one left TANF implementation up to the State, and the remaining Tribe served as a contractor for the State’s TANF program. The paper describes lessons learned in operating Tribal TANF programs and the appendices include the methodology for conducting the interviews.

This resource provides facts about the Administration for Native Americans (ANA). The program administers about 220 projects each year focused on social and economic self-sufficiency for all Native Americans. ANA provides technical assistance, training, and funding. See ANA Web site in related Tribal links section.

On April 29th, 2008, Welfare Peer TA conducted a site visit to the Coeur d’Alene Tribal TANF program in Plummer, Idaho based on the Tribe’s Request for TA. Welfare Peer TA staff partnered with consultants from the U.C. Davis Extension at the University of California to provide the Tribe with an in-depth needs assessment in order to strategize on developing solutions for programmatic improvement. The consultants, Julie Gondry and Dr. Geni Cowan, are Tribal TANF subject matter experts with program based skills in training, case management, and data reporting. Based upon the assessment results, the Coeur d’Alene Tribal TANF program will receive valuable recommendations to further enhance aspects of their program’s structure and administration to reach the end goal of self-sufficiency for their TANF participants.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) sponsored a 3-day conference for Tribal TANF grantees in Regions VI, VIII, and X. The annual meeting was designed to address the needs of grantees who have received funding to operate Tribal TANF programs. A total of 30 Tribal TANF programs were represented at the conference. The objective of the conference was to promote awareness and provide information on effective implementation and service delivery, as well as afford grantees the opportunity to collaborate and communicate with each other.