HMRF Programs

There are three federal programs that fund Healthy Marriage & Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) projects. All of them are funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA). Per the HMRF website:

  • HEART: The HMRF website still calls this the “Family, Relationship, and Marriage Education Works” (FRAMEWorks) program, but the program is now called “Helping Every Area of Relationships Thrive – Adults” (HEART). It funds “healthy marriage and relationship education promotion activities for adults.” You can find the grant opportunity here. It was posted July 15 and is due July 29!
    • Post date: July 15, 2025
    • Application due date: July 29, 2025
    • Total program funding: $34,650,000
    • Total expected awards: 40
    • Ceiling: $1,250,000
    • Floor: $400,000
    • “Scope of Service”
      • Large: $750,000 to $1,250,000
      • Small: $400,000 to $749,999
      • Emerging (“for organizations that are not prior HMRF award recipients”): $400,000 to $749,999

  • FORGE Fatherhood: The HMRF website still calls this the Fatherhood Family-focused, Interconnected, Resilient, and Essential (Fatherhood FIRE) program, but the program is now called “Family, Opportunity, Resilience, Grit, Engagement – Fatherhood” (FORGE Fatherhood). It funds “responsible fatherhood promotion activities for adult fathers.” You can find the grant opportunity here. It was posted July 15 and is due July 29!
    • Post date: July 15, 2025
    • Application due date: July 29, 2025
    • Total program funding: $55,000,000
    • Total expected awards: 66
    • Ceiling: $1,250,000
    • Floor: $400,000
    • “Scope of Service”
      • Large: $750,000 to $1,250,000
      • Small: $400,000 to $749,999
      • Emerging (“for organizations that are not prior HMRF award recipients”): $400,000 to $749,999

  • READY4Life: Relationships, Education, Advancement, and Development for Youth for Life (READY4Life) funds “healthy marriage and relationship education promotion activities for youth, including parenting youth.” You can find the grant opportunity here. It was posted July 15 and is due July 29!
    • Post date: July 15, 2025
    • Application due date: July 29, 2025
    • Total program funding: $23,100,000
    • Total expected awards: 26
    • Ceiling: $1,250,000
    • Floor: $400,000
    • “Scope of Service”
      • Large: $750,000 to $1,250,000
      • Small: $400,000 to $749,999
      • Emerging (“for organizations that are not prior HMRF award recipients”): $400,000 to $749,999

HMRF has always been provided in 5-year cycles and funded at a combined $150 million/year. The “FRAMEWorks, Fatherhood FIRE, and READY4Life” (now HEART, FORGE Fatherhood, and READY4Life) framework was introduced in the third cycle. The upcoming fifth cycle will begin in fiscal year 2026, which begins in calendar year 2025.

  • First Cycle: FY 2006–2010
  • Second Cycle: FY 2011–2015
  • Third Cycle: FY 2016–2020
  • Fourth Cycle: FY 2021–2025
  • Fifth Cycle: FY 2026–2030

To be notified when the HMRF 2025 NOFOs are posted, sign up here. Now that the grants are out, please contact us by email or phone.