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Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
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The 477 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) department provides case management, monthly cash assistance, supportive services, and other services to eligible families within Southeast Alaska (with the exception of Metlakatla, which is located on the Annette Islands Reserve).
Services are primarily designed to assist low-income families with dependent children to become self-sufficient. The TANF department also provides TANF adult-not-included benefits to families with a disabled parent or other non-needy caretaker relative.
TANF is funded by the State of Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (under the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Family Assistance).
There are four main purposes that guide TANF’s day-to-day activities: » Provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives; » End the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage; » Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies; and » Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Keegahn William Martin Acting Manager
2021 Highlights
Provided TANF services to 292 families: » $1,740,552 – Cash Assistance » $178,521 – Supportive Services » $18,315 – Work Experience Contracts Continued partnership with the Business & Economic Development department to provide work experience and on-the-job training opportunities to tribal citizen clients. Coordinated a drive-thru Back to School
Backpack event in Juneau and backpack distributions in 19 Southeast Alaska communities; 2,073 backpacks filled with school supplies were distributed to tribal citizen youth in grades K-12. Distributed 579 backpacks to tribal citizen youth in grades K-12 residing in 30 states in the continental U.S. (outside Tlingit & Haida’s service area) through the Rescue Relief program.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Assisted the Employment & Training department with the virtual Power Conference & Job Fair to help ensure TANF clients participated in the two-day intensive employability training conference. Continued partnership with the Tribal Family & Youth Services department to provide parenting and relationship-oriented groups as families work towards self-sufficiency.
2022 Goals
Increase employment opportunities for 477 recipients through partnership with the Business &
Economic Development department. Continue to develop the partnership between TANF and the Tribal Family & Youth Services department to reduce the disproportionate number of tribal youth in the custody of the State of
Alaska’s Office of Children Services. Create a resource reference guide for tribal families as an alternative to those who are ineligible for
TANF services.
