Promoting Strong Native Families and Children Act

Key Points

• The bill increases the tribal set-aside for key federal child welfare programs from 3% to 5%, covering the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program, the Promoting Safe and Stable Families mandatory funding, and its discretionary funding. This means more federal dollars flow directly to tribal communities for child welfare.
• Tribes gain the option to run prevention-only programs without being forced to also operate full foster care, adoption, or kinship guardianship systems. This lets tribes focus specifically on keeping families together and preventing child removals.
• The bill creates a new 5% tribal set-aside from Social Services Block Grants, which are normally distributed only to states. Each tribe with an approved grant would receive a base of $25,000 plus a population-based share, giving tribes direct federal funding for social services including cultural preservation.
• The Secretary would gain authority to waive or reduce matching fund requirements for tribes in two major programs, making it easier for smaller or less wealthy tribes to participate without needing to come up with their own money first.
• Tribes are explicitly authorized to use federal child welfare funds for tribal customary adoptions, which follow cultural traditions rather than standard state legal procedures. The bill also increases tribal court improvement program funding from $2 million to $5 million per year.
• All changes take effect 30 days after the bill is signed into law, providing a quick implementation timeline for tribes to begin accessing expanded funding and new program options.

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