Page 45

45 North Carolina

The Department encourages the utilization of law enforcement, domestic violence, and other community-based agencies to educate teen fathers, non-custodial fathers, and young males. These institutional and community-based programs are ongoing and adhere to acknowledged philosophies and practices. The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives, housed in the Division of Public Health, offer training to fund parenting programs regarding fatherhood involvement and legal issues, including child support. The Department continually works to identify opportunities for appropriate program expansion while reviewing the efforts of other states.

FORMATION AND MAINTENANCE OF TWO-PARENT FAMILIES

Researchers have found many benefits for men, women, children, and their communities when adults are in healthy marriages. Some individuals are less likely to remain or end up in poverty and children and youth are less likely to become pregnant as teenagers when raised by parents in healthy marriages. The mission of the Healthy Marriages Initiative is to help couples that have chosen marriage for themselves gain greater access to marriage education services, on a voluntary basis, where they can acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage. Local community-based family resource centers provide a comprehensive array of family support programs, services and activities to encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBAL PLAN The State of North Carolina recognizes eight Native American tribes: • Eastern Band of Cherokee (tribal reservation in the Mountains) • Coharie (Sampson and Harnett counties) • Lumbee (Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, and Scotland counties) • Haliwa-Saponi (Halifax, Warren, Nash, and Franklin counties) • Sappony (Person County) • Meherrin (Hertford, Bertie, Northampton, and Gates counties) • Occaneechi Band of Saponi Nation (Alamance, Caswell, and Orange counties) • Waccamaw-Siouan (Columbus and Bladen counties) The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is the only North Carolina tribe recognized by the Federal government. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is approved to operate a Tribal TANF plan by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The EBCI TANF Tribal plan provides for the intake, eligibility determination, cash assistance, employment services, and case management for tribal families. The EBCI continues to operate a pre-existing Native Employment Worker (NEW) program. North Carolina does not include these individuals in the state’s federal work participation rate. The State will provide each member of an Indian tribe, who is domiciled in the State and is not eligible for assistance under a tribal family assistance plan, with equitable access to assistance under the state program funded under Title IV-A of the Social Security Act.