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ACORN Community Legal Education Series
 California Indian Legal Services
 Bishop · Escondido · Eureka · Oakland · Santa Rosa · Washington, D.C.

At a Glance:
What is Tribal TANF?

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Helpful Information

What is TANF?

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, or TANF, is a federal welfare program that is "administered" (run) by states or tribes.
  • TANF is a "welfare-to-work" program that provides cash and other assistance to low- income families.
  • Under the old AFDC program, families primarily received cash benefits. Under TANF, recipients have to engage in a number of activities that would make them more employable.
  • Under TANF, there are limits on the number of years needy families can receive cash benefits. After that time limit is up, people who get money from the state must work for their benefits.

California’s TANF program is known as the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program.

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What is Tribal TANF?

  • Like states, tribes can administer TANF. These programs are called Tribal TANF programs.
  • Some Tribal TANF programs are run by a single tribe. Other programs are run by a "consortium" -- a group of tribes that agree to work together to run the program.

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Who do Tribal TANF programs serve?

  • Tribes can provide welfare services to:

    • members of their own tribe

    • all Indians who live in the counties that are served by the tribe’s TANF program
  • Tribal TANF programs have the right to determine their "service populations" (who they serve) and their "service territories" (the geographic areas they serve). Some Tribal TANF programs serve all the low-income Native Americans in a county, while some only cover part of the county.
  • If there is a Tribal TANF program in a county, an Indian family that lives in that county may be able to get welfare assistance from either the program run by the state (CalWORKs) or from the Tribal TANF program.

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Why would an Indian family choose a Tribal TANF program instead of CalWORKs?

Tribal TANF programs offer services that CalWORKs doesn’t. Tribal TANF programs offer American Indians:
  • a broader range of services than CalWORKs
  • services designed to meet the specific needs of Indian people

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What specific services do Tribal TANF programs offer?

It depends on the program. Generally, Tribal TANF programs:
  • provide cash benefits to eligible Indian families
  • help their clients find job openings
  • offer their clients job training
  • offer language classes and other cultural programs
  • help Indian families find other programs, organizations, and agencies that can help them

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How do I find out if there is a Tribal TANF program in my county?

Your county welfare department should be able to tell you, or you can contact your local CILS office. You can find the phone number for your local county welfare department by looking in the County Government section of the White Pages; look for a listing for CalWORKs or welfare under the Department of Human Services or Department of Social Services.

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REVISION 09/03

Disclaimer

This information is intended to assist you with your legal problem. Each area of the law is complex and changing. Your case may have special factors that could affect the applicability of this information. CILS does not guarantee that this information is sufficient to resolve your legal problem. If you have any questions, you should seek the advice and counsel of an attorney.

ACORN Community Legal Education Series

The Advocacy, Collaboration, and Referral Network (ACORN) is a project of CILS. ACORN’s mission is to expand access to legal resources that increase Indian self-sufficiency. This guide is part of our Community Legal Education Series, providing Indians and Indian tribes with user-friendly information and self-help assistance pertaining to their legal status and rights. ACORN Community Legal Education guides, and more information about CILS and California Indian issues, are available on our website at www.calindian.org.

California Indian Legal Services

Central Office:
510 16th Street, Fourth Floor, Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 835-0284;  Fax: (510) 835-8045

Do you have a legal problem? For assistance, contact your local CILS office:

Bishop: (760) 873-3581, or (800) 736-3582
Escondido: (760) 746-8941, or (800) 743-8941
Eureka: (707) 443-8397, or (800) 347-2402
Oakland: (510) 835-0284, or (800) 829-0284
Santa Rosa: (707) 573-8016, or (866) 251-8016
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