9000-2          BACKGROUND

From the outset, the State of Alaska has supported the establishment and development of Native TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families programs and has been committed to collaboration in the delivery of services to needy families applying for public assistance (TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families, SNAPSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Adult Public Assistance, and Medicaid). In October 1998, the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCCTanana Chiefs Conference) began the first Native Family Assistance Program in Alaska. At that time, the Division of Public Assistance (DPADivision of Public Assistance) partnered with TCCTanana Chiefs Conference and through a demonstration model was able to grant state funding to TCCTanana Chiefs Conference to supplement their federal TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families block grant. TCCTanana Chiefs Conference established a "significantly similar" program and used the same eligibility rules as the Alaska Temporary Assistance Program (ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program).

Building on TCCTanana Chiefs Conference's success, in 2000, the 21st Alaska Legislature passed a law allowing the Department of Health (DOHDepartment of Health) to award Alaska Native Family Assistance grants on a temporary pilot program basis to four Alaska Native organizations: Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCPAssociation of Village Council Presidents), Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITACentral Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska), Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCCTanana Chiefs Conference), and Metlakatla Indian Community (MICMetlakatla Indian Community). AVCPAssociation of Village Council Presidents, TCCTanana Chiefs Conference, and CCTHITACentral Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska chose to take advantage of the pilot program. Instead of requiring the Native organizations to follow the same eligibility rules as ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program, the legislation allowed state funding for Native Family Assistance Programs that were comparable to ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program; the program rules no longer had to be the same as ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program.

In 2005, the 24th Alaska Legislature further acknowledged the achievements of the pilot programs by passing a law that made the Native Family Assistance Program permanent. The law was also amended to expand the availability of Native Family Assistance grants to all of the thirteen Native organizations listed above that are authorized in the federal law to operate Tribal TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families programs.

As a result of this change in law in 2005, four more Native organizations began operating Native Family Assistance Programs: Cook Inlet Tribal Council Incorporated, Bristol Bay Native Association, Kodiak Area Native Association, and Maniilaq Area Native Association.