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• NCFR Nexus: Winter Issue
• Family Life Education Month
• Vote in NCFR Elections Feb. 1
• FR Call for Papers: Ukrainian Families
• Apply for NCFR Student Honors
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• CFLE Conversation: Feb. 25
• NCFR Policy Corner
• Grant Proposals Accepted March 1
• Red Sand Service Project
• >> Job Opportunities << |
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Message on NCFR and Minneapolis
Minnesota and NCFR are deeply intertwined. The state is home to NCFR headquarters, staff, NCFR members, and CFLEs. Minneapolis is also the site of the 2026 NCFR Annual Conference.
Planning for this year’s conference in November continues. Recent events in Minneapolis underscore the need to plan for the care, safety, and security of attendees.
CONTINUE READING
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FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION |
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Family Life Education Month
Send a Thank You to a Family Life Educator
February 2026
Recognize individuals who strengthen families, support communities, and use evidence-based practices to improve lives through a family lens every day. Family Life Educators work in many settings, including schools, community organizations, the military, government, health care, and more, often behind the scenes and without formal recognition.
This February, help NCFR shine a light on their contributions. Has a Family Life Educator you know achieved a career milestone, made a difference, or gone above and beyond in their work? Show your appreciation towards your peers, colleagues, mentors, and more by submitting a personal Thank You message. NCFR will highlight these messages in February 2026 on our website, social media, and other communications.
SEND A THANK YOU
Use the hashtag #FamilyLifeEd to bring attention to work done by CFLEs!
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CFLE Conversation
Supporting Basic Needs in Family Life Education
Feb. 25, 2026 / Noon - 1 p.m. CT / Free for CFLEs
Facilitator: Barbara Sweeney, MSW, MPH, CFLE, LCSW
Are you a CFLE supporting families' basic needs such as food, housing, health care, education, or transportation? Join this active conversation to engage in discussion with other CFLEs doing similar work!
Ms. Sweeney is the Coordinator of Food Security Outreach at the University of Rhode Island (URI). In her role, she manages the university’s basic needs pantries, serves as a case manager on the Student Support and Advocacy team in the Dean of Students office, and works to enhance food security policy throughout URI.
LEARN MORE & RESERVE YOUR SEAT
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POLICY |
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NCFR Policy Corner
This Week's Policy Highlights
Jan. 29, 2026 | Four-Minute Read
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The Federal Appropriations Update – Congress has less then three days to pass the final FY 2026 spending bills to avoid a partial government shutdown with Democrats pushing to advance most of the package, leaving the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) measure up for re-writing or removal.
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ACTION ITEM: Submit Your Comments on Restoring Flexibility in the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) – Due Feb. 4, 2026. There is still time to submit public comments to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF).
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OPPORTUNITY: NCFR Members – Join NCFR in Washington, D.C., March 23-24, to advocate for social science funding and increase visibility! Engage with policymakers on the importance of supporting, utilizing, and funding social sciences. Early bird ends Jan. 31! Are you attending? Join the NCFR delegation! Once you've secured your registration, please fill out this form so we can gather as a group: COSSA NCFR Delegation.
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UPDATE: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule limiting access to programs such as Head Start for undocumented families halted.
SEE FULL HIGHLIGHTS |
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NCFR MEMBER NEWS |
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NCFR Elections
VOTE in NCFR's 2026 Elections Beginning Feb. 1
The Elections Council wants to encourage ALL members to vote in February 2026. We have submitted a nomination slate (ballots will be emailed to members in February 2026) for terms that will be filled at the end of the national meeting in November 2026.
On this year's ballot members will also be able to vote on proposed amendments to the NCFR Bylaws.
NCFR members will receive a link to this year's 2026 NCFR election ballots in their email on Feb. 1, 2026. Check your junk mail, spam, or clutter folders.
VIEW NOMINEES AND BALLOT INFO |
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NCFR Publications
Winter Issue: NCFR Nexus
Theme: Later Adulthood
NCFR Nexus is a quarterly digital publication to serving NCFR’s transdisciplinary community of researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers. Access to Nexus is a benefit for NCFR members and Certified Family Life Educators (CFLEs), designed to encourage professional and transdisciplinary connection and dialogue.
This issue explores later adulthood with an emphasis on enhancing well-being through caregiving, social connectedness, and advanced planning. The articles offer insights into topics that impact older adults and their families, including sibling relationships, housing, emergency preparedness, and grandparenting, highlighting key considerations for research, practice, teaching and policy as life expectancy continues to rise.
READ WINTER ISSUE
Join NCFR or renew your membership or become a CFLE to access articles |
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Graduating This Spring?
Students: Apply Now for NCFR Honors
If you are an NCFR member graduating this spring from an undergraduate, master's or Ph.D. program, you may be eligible to apply for NCFR honors recognition!
Students awarded NCFR Honors will receive a graduation stole, a certificate, and recognition in our NCFR Report member magazine — and it's a great addition to your résumé or CV.
Faculty members: make sure your students know about this opportunity and get the recognition they worked so hard to attain!
STUDENTS: APPLY BY MARCH 1 |
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NCFR Grants
Research Grant Proposals Accepted Beginning March 1
NCFR will open the submission period for its two grants on March 1, 2026. All proposals are due by April 1, 2026.
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NCFR Olson Grant: Bridging Research, Theory, and Practice: $10,000 annual grant available to NCFR members working to creatively contribute to the discipline of Family Science by bridging research, theory, and practice in their work. Learn more.
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NCFR Darling Family Life Education Research Initiative Grant: $5,000 biennial grant available to NCFR members and Certified Family Life Educators with the purpose of integrating Family Science research into the practice of Family Life Education. Learn more.
Please note: Application for IRB approval must be submitted prior to submitting the grant application and match the project name. |
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NCFR JOURNALS |
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NCFR Journals
Read the Latest NCFR Journal Research
See Articles Published Jan. 18–24
Catch up on the latest 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 these open-access articles addressing family care, parenting, and work–family arrangements:
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FR: Parental After-Hours Telework and Adolescent Psychological Adjustment: Insights From Adolescents' Perspective — Christopher Rodrigue, Wendy Nilsen, Jacinthe Dion
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JFTR: Expectations for Families to Care for Older Adults in the United States: Rapid Scoping Review 2011–2023 — Sarah E. Patterson*, Adriana Reyes, Huijing Wu, Emily M. Agree, Sung S. Park, Amilcar Matos-Moreno, Gabriella Oudsema
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JMF: Differently Educated US Couples and Their Work-Family Arrangements, 1968–2023 — Léa Pessin, Federica Querin
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.
*Denotes NCFR member
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CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS |
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NCFR Journals
New: Family Relations Special Section Call for Papers
Special Section Theme: Ukrainian Forced Migrants' Transnational Families
NCFR's Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR) has released a call for papers for a special section with the theme "Ukrainian Forced Migrants’ Transnational Families: New Relationality and Shared Agency." The guest editors are Viorela Ducu, Ph.D., Áron Telegdi-Csetri, Ph.D., and Mihaela Nedelcu, Ph.D.
Letters of intent from interested authors are due April 30, 2026. For authors invited to submit, manuscripts will be due Sept. 30, 2026.
For Ukrainian forced migrants’ transnational families, the liminality and distinctiveness of the situation is matched only by the urgency of research. They are among the most rapidly studied displaced populations, emerging suddenly and unexpectedly and receiving special status across many social settings — yet their circumstances have continued to evolve.
This special section will provide discovery researchers with a framework for understanding and discussing Ukrainian forced migrants’ transnational families, while also enabling practitioners to learn about the specificities and differences that matter in applied work. In turn, this can inform policy by deepening understanding of these families’ lived realities in the external context of increasing security pressures and migration-control perspectives. It can also support intervention by clarifying the key challenges and unmet needs within this target group.
SEE FULL CALL FOR PAPERS |
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NCFR Nexus
Call for Articles: Exploring Shifts in Work and Education for Family Professionals
Submission deadline: Feb. 1
The spring 2026 issue of NCFR Nexus will examine ongoing changes in work and education and the impacts on individuals and families.
Potential topics include:
- Research about changing trends in work and education
- What support families need as they navigate work, education, and caregiving
- How higher education is preparing family professionals to serve people in this changing landscape.
- Practitioner experiences on how Family Life Education is changing.
NCFR Nexus invites articles from researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers. Submissions are due Feb. 1, 2026, via the NCFR Nexus Article Submission Form.
READ MORE
Questions or ideas? Contact editor Beth Magistad, Ph.D., CFLE, at nexuseditor@ncfr.org. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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OneOp Webinars
2026 Tax Updates: What Service Providers Need to Know
Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 / 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET / Free to attend
This webinar is designed to equip service providers and financial counselors with the knowledge they need to better support the military community. Participants will learn when military pay and benefits are taxable or non-taxable, explore key tax advantages available to service members and their families, and review important tax law updates taking effect in 2026.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER
And don't miss these upcoming webinars from OneOp:
Nutrition Accommodations in IEPs and 504 Plans for All Students
Wednesday, Feb. 4 / 11 a.m. – Noon EST
Supporting Military Couples Through Employment and Financial Transitions
Thursday, Feb. 12 / 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST
Multidisciplinary Evidence-Based Approaches to Problematic Sexual Behavior in Children
Thursday, Feb. 19 / 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
All OneOp webinars are free and approved for CFLE continuing education credit. |
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NCFR PUBLICATIONS |
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NCFR Publications
Second Editions of 2 NCFR Books Available for Purchase
Edited by Wm. Michael Fleming, Ph.D., CFLE; and Michael J. Walcheski, Ph.D., CFLE
$79.99 retail. $69.99 for NCFR members and CFLEs
Useful and informative for seasoned and emerging professionals, as well as for students, this textbook provides a comprehensive examination of the profession from the perspectives of many leading family scholars and educators.
The second edition includes four sections that consider the knowledge and skills needed for the effective practice of Family Life Education (FLE) and chapters on FLE with various populations and relevant issues.
Learn more & purchase >
Wisdom for Parents. Key Ideas from Parent Educators
Edited by Elizabeth A. Ramsey, Ph.D., CFLE
$29.95 retail. $25.95 for CFLEs
Family Science professionals from across the discipline share stories, reflection, and poems in this extensive collection of parenting knowledge that can benefit anyone— teachers, researchers, students, and parents!
A variety of relevant topics on the joys and challenges of parenting are woven together to create a valuable resource both in and out of the classroom setting. This second edition includes updated entries, new contributions, and discussion questions.
Learn more & purchase > |
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SERVICE PROJECT |
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Human Trafficking Awareness
Red Sand Project Update
Globally, an estimated 50 million individuals are being trafficked or living in modern slavery, whether in forced marriages, forced labor, or for sexual exploitation. January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and you can help raise awareness of this issue by participating in the Red Sand Project.
Pouring red sand into sidewalk cracks signifies those who have slipped through the cracks and a commitment to no longer tolerate the exploitation.
Attendees at the 2025 NCFR Annual Conference were invited to participate and bags of red sand were distributed during the Affiliate Councils panel session. If you received your red sand, create your sidewalk installation and take photos. Share your images to social media and include a hashtag for your NCFR affiliate or organization, #RedSandProject and #ncfr2026.
If you did not receive a bag of red sand, it is free to order online. You only need to pay for shipping.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
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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.
No new job postings this week. |
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