PAIRS Foundation Awarded $3.75 Million to Launch Iron Bond Fatherhood Initiative

Five-Year Federal Cooperative Agreement to Strengthen Fathers, Families, Futures

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, October 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The PAIRS Foundation has been awarded a $3.75 million, five-year cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to implement Iron Bond – Forging Stronger Fathers, Families, and Futures, a comprehensive fatherhood initiative serving 600 low-income and underserved fathers throughout South Florida.

Funded through the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) Program, Iron Bond is a transformative, trauma-informed initiative designed to equip fathers with skills in responsible parenting, healthy relationship building, and economic stability. The initiative focuses on fathers overcoming barriers related to poverty, incarceration, housing instability, and systemic disadvantage.

“Iron Bond is about giving fathers the tools and support to heal, reconnect, and lead — in their families and communities,” said Rachel Marmor, LMHC, Project Director for Iron Bond and PAIRS Foundation’s Director of Wellness. “Through emotional education, communication skills, and practical guidance, we’re creating spaces where fathers can rediscover their strength, confidence, and capacity for love. Every father who participates in Iron Bond takes a step toward breaking intergenerational cycles of disconnection and instability.”

Developed in partnership with Carrfour Supportive Housing, Florida’s leading nonprofit provider of affordable and supportive housing for individuals and families overcoming homelessness, Iron Bond will deliver culturally responsive, evidence-informed services directly within affordable housing communities, reentry centers, and workforce hubs across Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Fathers will participate in workshops based on the PAIRS Essentials – Iron Bond Edition curriculum, receive individualized coaching and wraparound services, and gain access to digital learning through the AI-powered PAIRS YODI app.

“At Carrfour, we believe stable housing is the foundation for stronger families and healthier communities,” said Stephanie Berman, President and CEO of Carrfour Supportive Housing. “Through Iron Bond, we’re expanding that foundation by providing fathers with tools for emotional wellness, responsible parenting, and connection. When fathers heal and grow, their families — and entire communities — thrive. We’re proud to partner with PAIRS Foundation on this life-changing initiative.”

“The Iron Bond initiative builds on PAIRS’ long history of helping people turn pain into purpose and isolation into connection,” said Seth Eisenberg, President and CEO of the PAIRS Foundation. “This investment by the Administration for Children and Families recognizes that strong families begin with emotionally healthy, involved fathers. By teaching practical, evidence-based skills for communication, empathy, and responsibility, we are giving fathers the tools to nurture love, stability, and opportunity for generations to come.”

Over the next five years, Iron Bond will:

— Serve 600 fathers across South Florida.

— Train and certify 200 community-based facilitators and mentors in the PAIRS Iron Bond model.

— Partner with workforce and social service agencies to advance job readiness, financial literacy, and employment stability.

— Use technology to provide 24/7 access to emotional literacy and parenting tools through the YODI mobile app.

“Iron Bond is a movement for fathers who want to show up differently — for their children, their partners, and themselves,” Marmor added. “It’s about helping men rediscover hope, connection, and their essential role in their families’ well-being.”

The PAIRS Foundation, headquartered in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, is a nationally accredited leader in relationship and emotional education, with more than two decades of experience delivering evidence-based programs to veterans, families in crisis, and communities across the nation.

Seth Eisenberg
PAIRS Foundation
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