Research and Policy Briefs
About NCFR Research and Policy Briefs
The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) is in the position to provide policymakers with research on families — in the form of research and policy briefs — to help inform decisions that affect families at the federal, state, and local levels. The purpose of the briefs is to educate policymakers and others who have an investment in families.
Topics are timely and include a family perspective. Briefs are based on high-quality research; are educational, non-partisan, and objective; and are written by experts in the field. Briefs will go through a peer-review process, and authors work with our editor.
Latest Briefs
-
Reducing the Digital Divide for Families: State and Local Policy Opportunities
Christine McCall, Ph.D.; Robert Duncan, Ph.D.; Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Ph.D.; and Roberto Gallardo, Ph.D.
Read full brief -
State Paid Parental Leave Policy: A Tool to Reduce Inequality Within and Between Families
David W. Rothwell, M.S.W., Ph.D.
Read full brief -
Tackling Housing Concerns at the State-Level: Lessons From Family Impact Seminars
Nayantara Nair, Ph.D., Lauren Bellamy, B.A., B.S., Robert Duncan, Ph.D., Richard A. Settersten, Jr., Ph.D., Heidi Normandin, M.P.A., and Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Ph.D.
Read full brief -
Improving the Nutritional Intake and Physical Activity of Children from Low-Income Households via Family, School, and Workplace Policy
Daphne C. Hernandez, Ph.D., M.S.Ed., FAAHB, Kendall Brice, B.A., and Jerica M. Berge, Ph.D., M.P.H., LMFT, CFLE
Read full brief -
LGBTQ+ Parents and Their Children (2021)
Charlotte J. Patterson, Ph.D., Rachel H. Farr, Ph.D., and Abbie E. Goldberg, Ph.D.
Read full brief -
A Family Health Impact Analysis of Current United States Gun Policy
Deirdre A. Quinn, Ph.D., M.Sc., M.Litt. and Samuel H. Allen, Ph.D.
Read full brief -
Transforming Child Welfare: Prioritizing Prevention, Racial Equity, and Advancing Child and Family Well-Being
Krista Thomas, Ph.D., and Charlotte Halbert, M.Pub.Pol.
Read full brief -
Juggling Child Protection and the Opioid Epidemic: Lessons from Family Impact Seminars
Brittany Paige Mihalec-Adkins, M.S.Ed, Elizabeth Coppola, M.A., Denise A. Hines, Ph.D., Sarah Verbiest, Dr.P.H., M.S.W., M.P.H., and Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Ph.D.
Read full brief -
Understanding the Challenges and Meeting the Needs of Military and Veteran Families
Elizabeth C. Coppola, M.A., Christine E. McCall, B.A., Keisha Bailey, B.A., Brittany P. Mihalec-Adkins, M.S.Ed., and Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Ph.D.
Read full brief -
Farm Family Stressors: Private Problems, Public Issue
Bonnie Braun, Ph.D.
Read full brief -
Immigrant Families Across the Life Course: Policy Impacts on Physical and Mental Health
Colleen K. Vesely, Ph.D., Diamond Y. Bravo, Ph.D., and Mariana T. Guzzardo, Ph.D.
Read full brief
More Published Briefs
Parent Education and Family Life Education: A Critical Link in Early Childhood Education Policy
How Parental Incarceration Harms Children
Alleviating the Stress on Working Families: Promoting Family-Friendly Workplace Policies
Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children (2016)
Interested in Writing a Brief?
Please complete this webform to indicate your interest.
Rachel H. Farr, Ph.D., NCFR's research and policy briefs editor, will review all inquiries and contact you about the possibility of submitting a brief.
To learn more about the content and format of NCFR briefs, see our guidelines for policy briefs and for research briefs at the bottom of this page. We've also posted the reviewer guidelines and evaluation form.
If you have questions, please email Rachel H. Farr.