Children and Families

Our Children and Families programme supports work to help ensure that the laws and institutions governing family life in the UK are operating in the best interests of children and families.

We are particularly interested in applications in the following areas:

• Links between education and child development, either in the case of adolescent mental health or younger children.
• Consideration of policies relevant to child welfare in a broader institutional context: parents’ paid working patterns; childcare and early years provision.
• Consideration of the well-being of children growing up in adverse conditions, and what institutional responses may be appropriate.
• Family law, including cohabitation, child contact and child support.
• Child protection and placement (adoption and fostering), but only when it raises significant issues.

Our interests are not limited to these areas.

Where a proposal is for a research study, Trustees are interested in the dispassionate examination of evidence. They recognise that this evidence is likely to be different in different cases, for different types of children and families, and are more likely to support work that takes this approach. 

In all its areas of interest the Foundation is interested in supporting work that has an international comparative dimension and is particularly interested in fostering work that considers European perspectives.

The Foundation does not make grants for the running costs of voluntary bodies but will consider making a contribution to voluntary sector overheads on funded projects. 

Interested in applying?

For information about submitting an application see our how to apply page.