The District of Bylas sits on the eastern side of the San Carlos Apache Reservation; about 35 miles from the rest of San Carlos.

Employment opportunities in the area are far and few between.

The residents must travel great distances for jobs or to attend college classes. They also had to travel the 35 miles to receive assistance from the Nnee Bich’o Nii Program.

Fortunately, the program was able to open an office in the Bylas district, fulltime and fully staffed.

The office is located in the Wickiup Village, Suite D and open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (excluding all Federal and Tribal holidays).

Community members are able to go to the office to apply for cash assistance (CA) benefits; the interview for cash assistance is held in the same office.

Gerilynn Williams, employment and training counselor, is conveniently located in the office, on-hand and ready to answer any questions participants may have.

The Nnee Bich’o Nii Program or TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) provides more than just temporary cash assistance to needy families with dependent children. They provide program participants with an opportunity to become financially independent through education, training and employment.

Lelani Olivar, quality assurance officer/office manager, encourages people with dependent children, who have little or no income to go to the Bylas office to apply for services and benefit from all the program has to offer.

The Nnee Bich’o Nii Program begins with education.

If the participant does not have a high school diploma or G.E.D., they are encouraged to attend classes provided by the program.  Transportation to and from the classes are also provided.

The Nnee Bich’o Nii Education Program will have four participants receiving their high school diplomas through Liberty High School on Thursday, May 30.

If the participant has a high school diploma or G.E.D., they are required to volunteer their services to gain work experience; often times, volunteering leads to a full-time position with the department at which they volunteered.

While volunteering, the participants attend job readiness classes, where they learn about effective communication, problem solving, resume building and interview skills.

Another program offered by the Nnee Bich’o Nii is on-the-job training.

The program last 90-days, providing an introduction to office work and construction work. These are paid positions funded by Federal and State grants.

Participants selected for this program receive an hourly wage of $10.50 per hour for office workers and $13 per hour for construction workers.

With all of the positive steps the Nnee Bich’o Nii Program has taken over the years, there is still a sad fact there are children that have been abandoned by their parent(s), to be raised by family members. The answer to this is the kinship program. It does not undo the harm caused by the child being left behind, however, the kinship programs provides cash assistance to the family member to help provide for the child.

It is very important to note that the family member must have legal custody of the child or children.

Ronnie Crowe, onsite investigator, is also housed at the Bylas office.

It is his job to investigate any claims the counselors find suspicious.

An example would be a single mother applying for benefits when she does not have custody of her children.

Violation of the Nnee Bich’o Nii Program policy could result in denial of services for three-month for the first offense; sixth months for the second offense; one year for the third offense for any intentional (IPV).

Members of the Bylas District are strongly encouraged to visit the office and apply for the Nnee Bich’o Nii Program.

The staff is there to help participants get an education, get a job and to help participants provide for their family.