Tribal Programs

Tribal TANF

Tribal TANF gives federally recognized Indian tribes and consortia of tribes flexibility in the design of welfare programs that promote work and responsibility and strengthen families. Similar to states, tribes and consortia of tribes receive block grants to design and operate TANF programs that accomplish one of the four purposes of TANF.

Native Employment Works (NEW) Program

The Native Employment Works (NEW) program provides annual funding to 78 grantees for a variety of work-related activities to support job readiness, job placement, and job retention for Native Americans. NEW funding enables grantees to serve their designated service populations through these work activities and supportive services.

Tribal TANF Child Welfare (TTCW)

TTCW Grantees demonstrate models of effective coordination by tribal governments or tribal consortia of Tribal TANF and child welfare services provided to tribal families at risk of child abuse or neglect. Each grant is for five years.  The grantees have undertaken diverse means of coordinating the two programs in order to achieve one or more of the following purposes:

• Improve case management for families eligible for assistance from a Tribal TANF program
• Provide supportive services and assistance to tribal children in out-of-home placements and the tribal families caring for such children, including families who adopt the children
• Provide For prevention services and assistance to tribal families at risk of child abuse and neglect

Public Law 102-477

Tribal TANF and NEW programs may be integrated into a "477 plan" under Public Law 102-477. Contact the Bureau of Indian Affairs , the lead federal agency for implementing 477, for more information and guidance related to program integration.. 

Tribal Data and Reports

OFA also complies data and produces reports on the Tribal TANF work participation rate, caseload data, and program participant characteristics data.  This page also features Tribal TANF Child Welfare research and evaluation reports from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE).