Morongo Tribal TANF

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians was granted approval to administer and implement a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program in 2005. The Morongo Tribal TANF Program is a federal- and state-funded program for Morongo descendants residing within Riverside County as well as federally-recognized Indians and members of the California Judgment Roll residing on the Morongo Reservation. This time-limited assistance is for eligible native families with children who are in need of cash assistance and supportive services.

 
MTTP prepares current and future generations to meet the challenges of achieving self-sufficiency. Through the resources of the Morongo Tribal TANF Program, self-sufficiency is achieved through various means, such as insuring native children are cared for in either their own homes or in the homes of relatives, providing job preparation, reducing out-of-wedlock pregnancies and promoting the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
 
A key team of professional staff members focuses on maintaining tribal communities by providing the necessary tools that develop self-responsibility, self-respect, and self-awareness. 
 
A Brief History
 
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act - On August 22, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (popularly known as the Welfare Reform Act). The act eliminated some federal welfare programs such as the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program. The Act also authorized federally-recognized tribes to manage their own TANF programs. Funding is awarded and administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) through the Administration on Children and Families (ACF) and the Office of Family Assistance (OFA).
 

Four Purposes of TANF

The Morongo Tribal TANF program is designed to provide opportunities for eligible needy native families to support in the development of native communities.

 
The following are MTTP goals:
  1. To provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives;
  2. To end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage;
  3. To prevent and reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies;
  4. To encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families
     
The Morongo Tribal TANF program provides supportive services and important tools and skills with regards to job preparation, work, and education to enable parents or caretakers to become self-sufficient. It is the intent of the program that assistance and services be provided promptly with due regard for the preservation of Indian family life.

Core values:
  • Self-Responsibility
  • Self-Respect
  • Self-Awareness