Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood

This webpage provides resources to support TANF programs in supporting positive outcomes for families by providing strategies to align and partner with Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) programs.
Young daughter with her mother, father and dog, enjoying together in park.
Stakeholder Resource

Fathers are often the missing piece in family service plans — not because they don't want to be involved, but because systems were not built with them in mind. This Child Welfare Information Gateway webpage addresses that directly, offering…

Stakeholder Resource

Saying "fathers are welcome" is not the same as actually engaging them. This toolkit from the University of California, Davis offers concrete activities and approaches that help social services organizations make fathers feel like genuine…

Profile / Case Study

The most effective father-engagement programs listen, adapt, and improve over time. The Fathers and Continuous Learning project explored exactly that, and researched how organizations can build feedback loops so they're learning from fathers'…

Stakeholder Resource

States across the country are finding new ways to connect child support participants with employment opportunities. This federal webpage highlights child support-led employment programs operating across the country and the services they provide…

Regulation

Child support payments can make a meaningful difference for families receiving public assistance. This National Conference of State Legislatures resource explains pass-through and disregard policies, which allow some or all child support payments…

Stakeholder Resource

Families participating in Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) may face challenges that extend beyond financial hardship. This guide helps Tribal TANF staff recognize family strengths, connect caregivers with supportive services…