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Nnee Bich’o Nii Program hosted the 6 Tribes TANF Conference

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The Nnee Bich’o Nii Program hosted the six Tribes TANF Conference on Oct. 8 and 9 at the Apache Gold Casino Resort. The conference brought together six Arizona tribes that operate their own TANF programs; The San Carlos Apache Nnee Bich’o Nii Program, Pascua Yaqui Tribal Program (YOEME), Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, White Mountain TANF Program, Hopi TANF Program and the Navajo Nation Department for Self-Reliance. Representatives from the Hopi tribe were unable to attend.

Federally recognized tribes submit three-year plans to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to operate their own TANF program. If DHHS approves the plan, the tribe receives a portion of the State’s block grant. Nnee Bich’o Nii was recently approved for another three years.

There are currently 74 Tribal TANF programs operating in the United States. These programs are given the flexibility to design programs that meet the specific needs of their community.

Terry Rambler, Chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe welcomed the attendees. Mr. Rambler praised the achievements of the Nnee Bich’o Nii program, sharing the news of their recent award of the 2019 Tribal Transit Champion of the Year.  He also talked about future projects between the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Nnee Bich’o Nii program.

Representatives from the Department of Economic Security (DES) Tribal Liaison Office and Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) were also in attendance.

Each Tribal program shared an update on their individual programs; success stories and drawbacks they faced. They provided suggestions on how to overcome those obstacles.

The six Arizona Tribal TANF programs take turns hosting this conference on a quarterly basis. The next one will be held at the Salt River Indian Community in January 2020.