Morongo Tribal TANF Program
Our Mission
To support and encourage Native American self-reliance by promoting cultural preservation, healthy families, education and career development
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.
- To provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives
- To end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage
- To prevent and reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies
- To encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families
Program Services
The Morongo Band of Mission Indians began administering its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program in Riverside County in 2005. In March of 2014 the program expanded its service area to include families in need throughout San Bernardino County. The Morongo Tribal TANF Program (MTTP) is a federally and state funded program designed to prepare current and future generations to meet the challenges of achieving self-sufficiency through education, career development, and financial assistance. MTTP is one of 74 approved Tribal TANF programs in the nation, and one of 17 Tribal TANF programs in California.
MTTP provides time-limited assistance to eligible Native American families with children through the provision of cash aid and supportive services, including child care, transportation, and work supports. Education and job training is offered to enhance the employability of parents and caretaker relatives. MTTP provides diversion assistance, prevention, and family formation services designed to support and encourage Native American self-reliance. A key team of professionals is available to provide referrals to community resources, education and activities for youth, and life skills to promote healthy families. It is the intent of the program that assistance and services be provided promptly with due regard for the preservation of Indian family life.
A Brief History
On August 22, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). The Act (popularly known as the Welfare Reform Act) eliminated some federal welfare programs such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and dramatically changed the nation's welfare system into one that requires work in exchange for time-limited assistance. The Act also authorized federally-recognized tribes to manage their own Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs. Funding is awarded and administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Office of Family Assistance (OFA).
Service Area and Population
Banning Site
Eligible Morongo Tribal members and Morongo descendants that reside on the Morongo Reservation or reside in the off-reservation areas of Riverside County, excluding the city of Riverside, and federally recognized Indians, members of the California Judgment Roll, and their children and descendants who reside on the Morongo Reservation.
San Bernardino Site
Eligible members of a federally recognized Tribe, members and descendants of the California Judgment Roll, and their families who reside in the off-reservation areas of San Bernardino County.
Program Eligibility
- Eligibility limited to families with at least one minor child
- Native or Non-Native parent(s) with an eligible child
- Income equal to or less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
- Needy/ Non-Needy Caretakers with an eligible child
- Resources - Countable resources not to exceed $10,000.00
Families seeking information regarding program eligibility and services should call 1-844-TANF-411 to speak to Morongo Tribal TANF Program Staff.
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