Childhood and families
Over seven research centres, the Social Research Institute carries out groundbreaking studies of children’s lives and the life circumstances of families, whether local, national or global.

SRI is home to six major longitudinal cohort studies, a recent being the Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study and the Children of the 2020s Study. Nationally representative cohort studies produce valuable evidence about growing up in the UK and young people’s health and wellbeing.
SRI researches the experiences of marginalised young people whether in local authority care, recent arrivals through migration, or the intersection of poverty with global childhoods. SRI pioneered the study of the ‘new’ Sociology of Childhood attracting students from across the globe to its Masters programme and coordinates a UCL Critical Childhood Studies Research Group.
SRI researchers have developed qualitative and participatory research methods for evoking childhood experiences such as everyday practices in families. We work in multi-disciplinary teams to develop interventions to promote children’s healthy lives and to develop baby and family-centred approaches to health care.
We study family life and the intersection with work and family support services. We are the UK home to the International Network on Leave Policies and Research on care, employment and gender. We document equalities and inequalities in families, the emergence of new family forms and their implications for children’s wellbeing.
A major concern is the workforce in children’s services, contributing evidence on characteristics and capabilities of staff and the organisation of services such as early childhood education and care. We co-lead the Children and Families Policy Research Unit and the Children’s Social Care Data User Group designed to understand and improve services and the welfare of children and families. We lead UK research on social pedagogic approaches to working with children and young people. We co-edit the UCL Press’ International Journal of Social Pedagogy.
A series of studies of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the lives of families, family support services and children have been undertaken. In January 2022, SRI researchers recorded a debate about families’ experiences of the pandemic for an IOE120 podcast.