[Skip to Content]
Submit your proposal
2026 NCFR Annual Conference How to Submit Proposals Presentation Formats Proposal Submission Checklist Subject Codes Proposals for NCFR Sections Resources Available

2026 Conference Overview & Theme

Families at the Nexus of Law and Policy: The Intended and Unintended Consequences of Legislating Families and Relationships

Brian G. Ogolsky, Ph.D.
Jennifer L. Hardesty, Ph.D., CFLE
2026 Conference Program Co-chairs 

Ogolsky and Hardesty

Conference Vision

In 2025, NCFR adopted a new strategic framework and put forth a bold vision of “Every Family Thriving.” Central to this vision is positioning NCFR as a leader that informs and elevates the impact of the possible effects of policy on relationships and families. Likewise, NCFR must ensure that researchers, educators, and those in the broader policy ecosystem are well equipped to promote the thriving of every family. The theme of the 2026 NCFR Annual Conference could not be timelier given NCFR’s new vision and rapid shifts in the legal landscape. The overarching goals for this conference are to showcase cutting edge scholarship and practice that positions families at the nexus of law and policy and foster connection, collaboration, and partnership that leads NCFR towards its new vision of Every Family Thriving.

 

Background

Social ecological theorists argue that three levels of analysis are required to understand the dynamics of families and relationships: the individual(s), the dyad/group/family, and the social context. Over the past several decades, family and relationship scientists have meticulously documented the individual and group levels of analysis. The lost cog in family science, however, is the societal or macro level of influence. A disproportionately small amount of attention has been paid to the social and cultural forces that operate on families and relationships despite the critical importance of this level of analysis. Indeed, one might argue that our families and the very individuals who make up those families cannot be understood without the sociocultural context in which they exist.

It is no surprise that less work in family science has been done at the macro level due to the difficulties inherent in studying large structures and systems. Within the sociocultural context are features such as race, culture, neighborhoods as well as legal and governmental policy systems that structure these contexts. Understanding the complex interplay between relationships and structural systems requires large, diverse, costly, interdisciplinary studies that are exceedingly rare. The goal of our proposed program is to zero in on social context with a particular focus on law and policy as these contexts operate on families in a nearly continuous manner.

As the premier organization for family science, NCFR is poised to lead the charge in the next wave of research-based recommendations for scalable law and policy initiatives. Our proposed conference for 2026 is to highlight the consequences, both intended and unintended, of legislating relationships, particularly as they pertain to families at the margins. It is our belief that following this conference, attendees will see new ways to bridge family science, law, and policy in their research, teaching, practice, and activism toward the goal of improving the lives of diverse families.

 

Conference Goals

  1. Position Family Science and NCFR at the nexus of law and policy as we grow into our new vision of “Every Family Thriving”
  2. Examine the social ecology of families by advancing knowledge of the complex interplay between individuals, relationships, and law and policy
  3. Foster diverse and critical perspectives on the processes and impacts of legislating relationships, both intended and unintended
  4. Increase applications of family and relationship science to law and policy arenas
  5. Create opportunities for engagement and collaborative partnerships between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers
  6. Enhance skills necessary to engage with and shape the legislative process

 

A New Approach to Conference Planning for 2026

To offer a more cohesive conference experience, we are organizing each day of the conference around a subtheme and related goals that build upon each other.

Day 1: Wednesday November 18, 2026

  • Theme: Families at the Nexus of Law and Policy
  • Goals: To showcase cutting edge scholarship and practice that positions families at the nexus of law and policy and foreground how we, as family scholars, can catalyze knowledge to actively shape law and policy toward every family thriving

Day 2: Thursday November 19, 2026

  • Theme: The Intended and Unintended Consequences of Legislating Families and Relationships
  • Goal: To highlight the ways in which legal actors and policymakers use law, policy, and family scholarship to help and/or harm the lives of individuals and their families.

Day 3: Friday November 20, 2026

  • Theme: The Untended or Forgotten Issues in Legislating Families and Relationships
  • Goals: To highlight the areas of law and policy that have been neglected or pushed to the margins and to emphasize those impacts that may be underreported or underacknowledged.

Day 4: Saturday November 21, 2026

  • Theme: Family Scholars as Change Agents: Opportunities to Unite Family Scientists, Legal Actors, and Members of the Broader Policy Ecosystem
  • Goals: To create a hands-on interactive space where people can interact, learn, and leave with tangible skills and information.

Our hope is that this structure will enhance the conference experience by providing attendees intentional and streamlined opportunities for engagement, collaboration, and application. Toward this end, proposals must explicitly state a link to the conference theme broadly and/or to specific subthemes. This will not only help build a cohesive program but also foster research to practice pipelines prior to and during the conference.