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• U.N. Day of Families
• Call for NCFR Awards
• CFLE Conversation: June 24
• Spotlight: Tammy Henderson
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• Apply for NCFR Honors for Summer
• Call for Applications: Editor of JFTR
• New Research From NCFR Journals
• >> Job Opportunities << |
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Coming Soon: 2026 NCFR Conference Registration
Conference Dates: Nov. 18-21, 2026 / Minneapolis
NCFR is getting ready to launch registration in May for the 2026 Annual Conference. We are excited to welcome everyone to NCFR's "home turf" in Minneapolis.
This year's conference will explore how law and policy shape the lives of families and relationships across diverse social and cultural contexts. Centered on the theme, Families at the Nexus of Law and Policy, the NCFR conference will bring together researchers, practitioners, educators, and policymakers to examine critical challenges, foster collaboration, and advance NCFR’s vision of Every Family Thriving.
VIEW 2026 RATES |
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Celebrate International Day of Families 2026
Friday, May 15 is the annual International Day of Families observed by the United Nations to raise awareness of societal issues affecting families worldwide.
The 2026 theme will focus on family policies that reduce inequality and promote child well-being, including parental leave, universal child benefits, affordable early childhood education, and community-based support services.
Past NCFR Plenary Presenter Dominic Richardson, Ph.D., will share findings from the upcoming report Families, Inequality and Child Wellbeing in the Context of 2030 Agenda.
The main observance streams on U.N. Web TV May 15, 10–11:30 a.m. ET.
FULL DETAILS & WATCH LINK |
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Family Policy Spotlight
Dr. Tammy Henderson
A Journey Shaped By Mentorship: A Strategic Leader
For more than three decades, Dr. Tammy Henderson has helped shape the future of Family Science through mentorship, advocacy, and policy leadership.
In this spotlight, she reflects on the experiences that fueled her passion for family policy, the importance of courageous leadership, and why NCFR must elevate its voice in shaping policies that impact families worldwide.
READ FEATURE
If you are interested or would like to nominate a member of the Family Policy Section for a future member spotlight, please contact us at jaarell@ilstu.edu
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NCFR AWARDS |
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NCFR Awards and Recognition
NCFR Awards Deadline is May 22
Nominate Yourself or Others Today
Take this opportunity to nominate yourself, your students, colleagues, or mentors for an award from NCFR and/or its member groups! Here are a few examples that are available to you. Opportunities for students and new professionals indicated by "SNP."
Outstanding Achievements
Recognizing Efforts in International Scholarship
Appreciation for Mentors & Instructors
Spotlight on Those Advancing Family Science
SEE ALL AWARDS
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Apply for the Cognella Innovation in Teaching Award
Deadline May 31, 2026
Cognella and NCFR have partnered to recognize outstanding Family Science teachers through this prestigious award.
We are searching for outstanding higher education instructors in Family Science who bring innovation, passion, and personal drive for excellence to their teaching practices each and every day.
The first-place recipient will receive a $1,000 cash prize, and the second-place recipients will each receive a $500 Cognella book credit.
Submissions will be accepted through May 31, 2026.
NOMINATE OR APPLY |
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NCFR Honors Program: Now Accepting Summer Applications
Your Hard Work Deserves Recognition!
Are you a student graduating this summer who has demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, and serivce? Or do you know a student who fits this criteria?
Applications are now open for summer graudates in the NCFR Honors Student Recognition Program.
Recipients will receive a graduation stole, certificate, and national recognition across NCFR communications.
APPLY BY JUNE 1
Please join us in congratulating the spring 2026 NCFR Honors recipients.
Questions? Contact membership@ncfr.org
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NCFR Mentoring Program Opening Soon!
Applications are opening soon for the NCFR Mentoring Academy, an engaging, one-year opportunity to connect, share knowledge, and bring forward the next generation of Family Science professionals.
Bringing together graduate students, early-career members, and experienced mentors, the program creates space for thoughtful conversations about career pathways, equity and diversity, and work-life integration. NCFR is excited to welcome new mentees and mentors for the 2026–2027 term.
LEARN MORE |
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NCFR JOURNALS |
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Call for Applications
NCFR Seeks Editor for Journal of Family Theory & Review
NCFR's Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR) invites applications and nominations for its next editor. The term of current editor Katherine Allen, Ph.D., concludes with the December 2027 issue.
JFTR publishes original contributions in all areas of family theory, including new advances in theory development, reviews of existing theory, and analyses of the interface of theory and method, as well as integrative and theory-based reviews of content areas, and book reviews.
The five-year editorial term begins in January 2027, with a one-year transition period. The incoming editor’s first issue as editor of record will be published in March 2028.
Submit applications or nominations by Aug. 1, 2026.
VIEW FULL INFORMATION |
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Scholarly Research
New NCFR Journal Articles Available Online
Read 12 New Early-View Articles Published May 3-9
Read the newest research from NCFR's scholarly journals — Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR) — including three new scoping reviews from JFTR:
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Parental Racial–Ethnic Socialization in the Early Years: A Scoping Review
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A Comprehensive Mapping of Intergenerational Caregiving: A Scoping Review of Dyadic and Family Caregiving (open access)
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How to Study Family Learning Practices Mediated by Digital Platforms: A Scoping Review (open access)
SEE ALL NEW NCFR RESEARCH
If you are an NCFR member subscribed to one of our journals, you can access articles by logging into your NCFR account. You can also sign up for email alerts. |
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Family Relations
By May 30: Submit Letters of Intent for FR Special Section
Theme: Ukrainian Forced Migrants' Transnational Families
NCFR's Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR) seeks letters of intent to submit for a special section themed "Ukrainian Forced Migrants’ Transnational Families: New Relationality and Shared Agency."
Submit letters of intent by May 30. For authors then invited to submit manuscripts, manuscripts will be due Dec. 30.
SEE CALL FOR PAPERS |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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CFLE Conversation
New Professionals in Family Life Education
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 / Noon – 1 p.m. CT
Free for CFLEs to attend
Facilitator: Kaley Turner, Ph.D., CFLE
Are you a newly Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) looking to make connections with other CFLEs? Join this conversation to network and engage with fellow new professionals navigating the discipline. Come prepared with any questions you have and to chat with others. The facilitator will share their experiences and guide the conversation.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER
The CFLE credential, provided by NCFR is recognized in the U.S. and Canada as a professional standard for Family Life Education professions. Learn about the benefits of certification. |
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OneOp Webinar
Early Intervention Support for a Unique Population: Serving Those Who Serve
Thursday, May 28, 2026 / 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
Free to attend
This presentation explores challenges unique to children in military families and how these experiences may affect developmental milestones. It highlights how early interventionists use Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices to support positive outcomes for children and families impacted by military-related transitions and stressors.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe challenges unique to children in military families and how they may affect developmental milestones
- Explain how early interventionists use DEC Recommended Practices to support children and families impacted by military-related stressors and transitions
- Summarize how the EDIS coaching framework empowers families and promotes child development in daily routines
LEARN MORE & REGISTER
All OneOp webinars are free and approved for CFLE continuing education credit. |
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ON-DEMAND WEBINAR |
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On-Demand Webinars
LGBTQIA+ Parenting Strengths: Implications for Policy-Engaging Scholarship and Practice
Presented by: Rachel H. Farr, Ph.D.
Free for NCFR members and CFLEs
This webinar will provide attendees with a strengths-based research summary of LGBTQIA+ parenting and child and family outcomes and empirically based recommendations, as they are generally applicable to all families.
Tools for theoretical, conceptual, and strengths-based and community-oriented methodological approaches will be shared. Techniques to integrate new and foundational approaches while engaging mixed method techniques and intersectional perspectives will be discussed.
Attendees will leave this webinar with the ability to:
Approved for 1.0 hour of CFLE continuing education.
WATCH WEBINAR
Want to use in your classroom? Request here.
Check out our full library of past webinars — Most are free for NCFR members and CFLEs — Become a member or become certified.
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NCFR JOBS CENTER |
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Employment Opportunities
Employers: Get your job opening included in Zippy News by posting it in
NCFR's online Jobs Center! Get started here. |
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University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln seeks a director and full professor to lead the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS), a nationally recognized interdisciplinary research center within the College of Education and Human Sciences. This senior leadership role is designed for an accomplished research scholar with a strong record of externally funded research, strategic leadership, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The Director will guide CYFS’s long-term vision, expand external funding opportunities, oversee fiscal and administrative operations, and strengthen partnerships across the university and beyond. The position also includes administrative leadership responsibilities, limited teaching duties, and mentoring faculty and staff while maintaining an active research agenda.
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Required Education: Doctorate
Application Deadline: Review of applications begins May 21, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.
SEE FULL DETAILS
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Find the right candidates — faster.
The NCFR Jobs Center connects your opening directly to a highly targeted network of Family Science professionals across academia, Extension, family practice, and policy. Reach qualified candidates who are actively engaged in the field and ready to make an impact.
Post your position today and connect with talent that understands families — and the work that supports them.
All job posting purchases include a free listing here in NCFR's Zippy News. Additional weeks in Zippy can be purchased separately.
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