Through a partnership with Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) initiatives, the Office of Family Assistance is excited to offer the opportunity to receive compliance support and technical assistance on strengthening employment outcomes for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants by integrating new and effective approaches for meeting various needs of families within the TANF system. This TANF HMRF learning community is a great opportunity to listen and engage with peers and learn new and innovative ways of integrating employment and relational skills into TANF programs. 

The Family Routes Initiative seeks to engage with TANF programs interested in integrating evidence-based HMRF practices. Participants will have access to tools and information for integrating these strategies throughout programs, especially ways to integrate soft skills, goal setting, self-regulation, accountability, and personal responsibility into programs to improve employment outcomes and promote stable families. 

The initiative promotes the dissemination and application of HMRF program research conducted by ACF to other programs that serve fathers, families, and children. By participating in this initiative, participants will learn how to adapt HMRF practices to their unique program context.

 What’s involved?

• Learn, connect, and try out new ideas without funding or reporting requirements
• Apply practical, low- or no-cost adaptations in your program
• Contribute your experiences to guide the development of effective HMRF practices for TANF recipients

Why participate?

• Peer collaboration: join a network of TANF programs to share experiences, challenges, and approaches
• Tailored support: receive guidance and support that fit unique needs (no one-size-fits-all approach)
• Flexible time commitment: participate in monthly virtual group sessions from July to October 2025, with optional additional office hours and one-on-one support

Interested in learning more? Attend an informational webinar on June 26, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET to learn more about the Family Routes Initiative – no preparation or prior commitment is required.

Questions? Contact familyroutes@deloitte.com.

The Office of Family Assistance’s TANF Outcomes Technical Assistance and Logistics (TOTAL) team will host a webinar on June 17, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. ET to review key definitions, eligibility rules, and case studies related to the new Secondary School Attainment Rate reporting requirement. They will discuss the data that needs to be collected, possible data sources, and how to calculate the secondary attainment rates.

This Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network primer was developed to offer service providers basic information about federal programs that can be used to finance kinship services and programs. Information for each source includes which federal agency administers the funding source, services the funding source can finance, and basic eligibility information. This funding primer is not intended to be an in-depth explanation of each source but, rather, a high-level overview that can be used to aid further research.

Family Resource Centers (FRCs) are community-based resource hubs where families can access support to promote child safety and child and family well-being. As conveniently located community or school-based hubs, FRCs bundle and co-locate many services, such as home visiting, parenting education, health screenings, childcare resources and referrals, playgroups, family counseling, government benefits screening, healthy eating and living activities, and food pantries. This Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network resource highlights takeaways from learning collaboratives in three states that explored increased collaboration between kinship navigators and FRCs.

This Sutherland Institute report catalogs some important examples of how religious groups and those who belong to them provide important services not only to their own adherents but to their neighbors. The examples highlighted in the report are the provision of emergency relief, charitable giving, social services (particularly for the elderly, prisoners, vulnerable children, families in need, and the un- and under-employed), and medical care.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief report describes the ways in which Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policies vary within the context of the federal program requirements and includes dozens of detailed tables showing policy choices across each state and territory.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief provides a graphical overview of some of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policy differences across states and territories. It includes information about initial eligibility, benefit amounts, work and activity requirements, and ongoing eligibility and time limits.

Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Programs (HMRF) programs are part of the Administration for Children and Families strategy to help interested adults and youth build stronger relationships, marriages, fathers, child engagement, and families.

HMRF programs help accomplish several of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program’s key purposes, including promoting marriage, encouraging the formation and maintenance of two parent families, promoting employment, and providing support for children to be raised in their homes or the homes of relatives. In this podcast episode, listeners will learn more about HMRF programs and how states are utilizing TANF funds to support HMRF work.

As the TANF program nears its 30th year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is committed to reinforcing the program’s core values of personal responsibility and work as a pathway to reduced dependency and family self-sufficiency. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) authorized a new opportunity for states to pilot program performance and accountability measures in TANF. Pub. L. No. 118-5, § 302. The pilot can play a pivotal role in the design of modern approaches to moving work-eligible individuals into the labor force, while providing critical insights on ways to operationalize personal responsibility. To align with Trump Administration priorities, ACF is issuing a new request for pilot proposals and encourages all states and territories, including members of the prior cohort of applicants, to submit a proposal. The up to five pilot states will focus on moving TANF recipients from dependency to independence by promoting work, personal responsibility, and strong, stable families as the foundations of self-sufficiency. This draft request for proposals is available for public comment. Email any comments on the proposed collection of information to infocollection@acf.hhs.gov for consideration by ACF.