The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) has made available $4.8 billion to States, Territories, and Tribes in Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2004. This program, authorized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, PL 104-193, assists low-income families, families receiving temporary public assistance, and those transitioning from public assistance in obtaining child care so they can work or attend training/education.
The CCDF is administered by the Office of Office of Child Care (OCC), Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). By statute, DHHS is required to provide one to two percent (as determined by the DHHS Secretary) of the total CCDF monies allocated by Congress to Federally recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages. The Secretary has elected to provide the full two percent set-aside to Tribes.
In (FY) 2004, 263 tribal grantees in 32 states were funded under this provision. This Federal set aside for Tribes is based on the government-to-government relationship between the United States Government and Tribal Nations. Both States and Tribes are required by Federal statute and CCDF regulations to describe within their CCDF two-year plans how they are coordinating with each other to provide child care services within their boundaries.