WELFARE REFORM: Tribes Are Using TANF Flexibility To Establish Their Own Programs

Abstract

Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss how American Indian families have fared under welfare reform. Recognizing the sovereignty of American Indian and Native Alaskan tribes,1 the Congress included provisions in the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) that give tribes the option to administer Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs either alone or as part of a consortium with other tribes rather than receiving benefits and services from state TANF programs. Because of the difficult economic circumstances on many reservations, the law also gives tribal TANF programs more flexibility than it gives to states to design their programs to meet TANF goals. To date, the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) has approved 36 tribal TANF programs, which serve over 170 tribes. These programs are still in the early stages of implementation; half of the programs have been operating for fewer than 3 years.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 10, 2002
Accession Number
ADA401448

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