New data from the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) shows that very little of the $31.3 billion expenditures and transfers made by states for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 supported activities dealing with TANF priority 4, which deals with fatherhood and the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Although FY 2022 expenditures for fatherhood ($126,604,275) were 7.3% higher than they were in FY 2021 ($118,017,254), they comprised only 0.4% of all money spent. Percentages of expenditures on fatherhood made by states ranged from 0-25.1% with 30 states and the District of Columbia spending nothing and 20 states spending at least something. Forty states and the District of Columbia ended FY 2022 with unobligated TANF balances of $6.4 billion. Sixteen states ended the year with unobligated balances that exceeded their annual federal TANF awards. 

This FRPN/CPR brief explores specific expenditures of TANF and state maintenance-of-efforts (MOE) monies on fatherhood programs and other father-supportive services in FY 2022.