Register >

Across the Western world, fertility rates have fallen to historic lows; family formation is occurring later in life, and individuals face increasing challenges in reconciling career aspirations, financial security, and reproductive goals. These developments have profound implications for individuals’ well-being, economic growth, labour markets, and long-term public policy.

Hosted by the Behavioural Public Policy Lab at School for Government, Behavioural Policy for Family workshop will bring together leading academics, policymakers, and practitioners from across the public and private sectors to examine the challenges and opportunities shaping fertility and family formation in the twenty-first century.

The workshop will provide a forum for interdisciplinary dialogue on how governments, employers, healthcare systems, educational institutions, and civil society can better support individuals and families in achieving their reproductive and family aspirations.

The event will combine invited plenaries and selected presentations from an open call for abstracts. Through evidence-based discussion and cross-sector engagement, participants will identify priorities for future research, policy development, and practical action.

Workshop Themes

Day 1: Understanding the problem — fertility, family formation and reproductive agency

Drawing on evidence and experience from the UK and internationally, Day 1 will examine what is changing in how people form families, why intended and actual reproductive outcomes are increasingly misaligned, and who is most affected. We will explore the trends, causes, constraints and wider influences such as social norms and culture shaping fertility and family-formation decisions.

Day 2: From evidence to policy — supporting family formation and reproductive agency

Day 2 will move from diagnosis to action, asking how policy can support family formation and empower reproductive choice. We will consider what questions policymakers should ask, what ethical and effective family policy should look like, how policy should be formulated and implemented, and whether behavioural approaches can provide a useful tool.

Discussions will explore:

• Delayed parenthood and changing life-course trajectories
• Demographic change, population ageing, and declining birth rates
• Fertility intentions and reproductive decision-making
• Family planning and career planning across the life course
• Compatibility of work, parenthood, and fertility goals
• Reproductive inequalities and unequal access to opportunities
• Family economics, financial security, and family formation
• Reproductive agency and informed choice
• The role of employers in supporting fertility and family wellbeing
• Comparative policy approaches across the United Kingdom, Europe, and other Western countries

Confirmed Speakers 

• Professor Ann Berrington: Professor of Demography and Social Statistics (Department of Social Statistics and Demography, University of Southampton)
• Professor Yulia Kovas: Research Professor and Professor Emerita of Psychology (Hult International Business School; Professor Emerita, Goldsmiths, University of London; Visiting Professor, King’s College London)
• Dr Paula Sheppard: Departmental Lecturer in Evolutionary Anthropology and Research and Training Lead, Grand Union DTP (School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford)
• Professor Ruth Mace FBA: Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology (Department of Anthropology, University College London)
• Professor Maria Almudena Sevilla Sanz CBE: Professor of Economic and Social Policy (Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science)

Why this conversation matters

Many people today aspire to have children but face growing obstacles in doing so. Rising housing costs, economic uncertainty, delayed partnership formation, workplace pressures, unequal caregiving responsibilities, and limited fertility awareness all influence family planning decisions and family formation trajectories.

At the same time, governments across Europe and other Western countries are grappling with the implications of sustained low fertility and population ageing. While public debate often focuses on demographic outcomes, there remains a pressing need to understand fertility and family formation through the lens of individual wellbeing, reproductive agency, social equality, and economic opportunity.

Addressing these challenges requires a deeper understanding of the interaction between work, family life, health, economics, and public policy. It also requires collaboration between researchers, policymakers, practitioners, employers, and healthcare professionals.

This workshop seeks to move beyond simplistic narratives and foster a nuanced, evidence-informed discussion about the future of fertility and family policy in the United Kingdom and comparable Western societies.

Call for Abstracts – Now Open

The organising committee invites submissions from researchers, policymakers, practitioners, healthcare professionals, and early-career scholars whose work relates to fertility, family formation, reproductive health, demographic change, employment, wellbeing, and family policy.

We welcome contributions from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, including economics, public policy, sociology, demography, psychology, behavioural science, public health, reproductive medicine, anthropology, gender studies, organisational studies, and related fields.

Submissions may address one or more of the workshop themes. You can submit your abstract here.

Submission Guidelines

Authors are invited to submit an abstract outlining:

• Research question or policy challenge
• Methods or approach
• Key findings (where applicable)
• Policy relevance and implications

Both completed research and work-in-progress are welcome.

Selected participants will have the opportunity to present their work during thematic sessions and contribute to interdisciplinary discussions throughout the workshop.

Who Should Attend?

The workshop will be of interest to:

• Researchers and academics
• Policymakers and civil servants
• Healthcare and reproductive health professionals
• Employers and HR leaders
• Think tanks and policy institutes
• Charities and advocacy organisations
• Students and early-career researchers interested in fertility and family policy

Registration Fee

There is a registration fee to attend the workshop, which contributes to the organisational costs of the event. The fee covers coffee breaks and lunch across the workshop. Register here >

Please see the fee structure below:

• Early bird registration: £200, available until 31 August 2026
• Standard registration: £225, available until 25 September 2026
• Workshop dinner: £50, optional additional fee

External attendees can apply for a fee waiver. If successful, an 80 GBP fee waiver will be applied.

Key Dates

• Call for Abstracts Opens: 30 July
• Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 September2026
• Notification of Acceptance: 20 September 2026
• Registration Deadline: 25 September 2026
• Workshop: 1–2 October 2026

About the King's College London Policy Institute

The King's College London Policy Institute connects academic research with public policy and practice. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement with decision-makers across sectors, the Institute seeks to generate evidence-informed solutions to major societal challenges.

Behavioral Policy for Fertility forms part of the Institute's commitment to fostering informed debate and policy innovation on issues affecting individuals, families, and future generations.

Organisers

• Dr Sanchayan Banerjee: Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy, King's College London
• Maria Capt: Doctoral student, King's College London