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: “Helping Every Area of Relationships Thrive – Adults” (HEART) funds “healthy marriage and relationship education promotion activities for adults.” These were some key details from the 2025 grant opportunity:
    • 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.” These were some key details from the 2025 grant opportunity:
    • 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.” These were some key details from the 2025 grant opportunity:
    • 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” framework was introduced in the FY 2016 cycle, and the current “HEART, FORGE Fatherhood, and READY4Life” framework in the FY 2026 cycle. Presumably, the next cycle will be FY 2031–2035 with a NOFO posted in mid-2030.

  • 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
  • Sixth Cycle: FY 2031–2035

To be notified when the HMRF 2030 NOFOs are posted, sign up here.