Tribes can now decide who gets federal child care aid

Federal rules for child care aid just got looser for Native American tribes. Tribes can now decide who gets help based on their own community needs, not federal income limits.

For years, federal rules dictated who could get child care aid, even for programs run by Native American tribes. This change means tribes can now decide for themselves which families need support, regardless of federal income or asset limits. It shifts control over a critical social program from Washington to tribal governments.