Tribes and States Working Together: A Guide to Tribal-State Child Care Coordination
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Benefits of Tribal-State Collaboration
| "The key to successful work with the State partners is sitting down together at the table and never giving up!" |
Tribal and State CCDF Administrators are learning that there are far more benefits to collaboration than simply meeting the Federal requirements of consulting with each other around the development of their CCDF plans. Overall, both State and Tribal child care leaders cite benefits to the children and families as the greatest rationale for working together. When the two governments sit down together and learn about each other’s programs and issues, they can create opportunities that help both systems reach their shared goals to provide accessible, affordable, and quality child care services.
One of the primary reasons to collaborate is that Indian children have dual eligibility for both State and Tribal CCDF assistance. States and Tribes have both found that it is in their best interests to work out a system that supports families to make their own decisions as to whether to access Tribal or State programs. States and Tribes recognize that by working together they can avoid duplication, and maximize limited resources. They also share and learn about each other’s best practices in such areas as policy development, training, licensing, and developing culturally sensitive and relevant services.
States governments are increasingly finding ways to encourage—and even require-all of their departments to coordinate with Tribes. For example, in its 2004 report Oregon’s Approach to State-Tribal Relations the State of Oregon’s Legislative Commission on Indian Services concludes that State- Tribal coordination benefits all citizens of Oregon. The report states:
In the current weak economy, seeking the most efficient provider of government services—avoiding duplication and supporting efforts to create jobs (particularly in rural areas) is a priority for both the States and Tribes.
| "I think it is important to work closely with the Montana Tribes because it is the best way to ensure coordinated and unduplicated services to our families." |
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) sum up the benefits of State- Tribal coordination efforts in Government to Government—Understanding State and Tribal Governments (June 2002).
No government can operate effectively unless it coordinates with neighboring governments. By collaborating on issues of mutual concern, states and tribes have the opportunity to improve governance and better serve their respective constituents.
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