The three-day event, which is being held at the University of Bristol from 17-19 June, will see academics from around the world coming together to discuss a range of critical issues relating to children’s lives in different parts of the world.

Topics being covered include:

• Alternative care for children
• Donor conception
• Children and young people with special educational needs
• Children as caregivers
• Co-parenting responsibilities in LGBTQ 3 parent families
• Parents’ decision-making when their child has cancer
• Children’s use of their time
• Children’s experiences of parental separation
• The involvement of fathers in children’s lives
• Fosterage practice
• Doing research with children

There will be 56 sessions over the three days with speakers coming from across the UK and 27 other countries, including Norway, Germany, Canada, the USA, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, Namibia, Taiwan, India and Australia.

Dr. Afua Twum-Danso Imoh from the School for Policy Studies, who is leading the event, said: “At a time of a global polycrisis, children’s wellbeing and welfare, regardless of where they live, are at risk and require focused discussion and reflection not just amongst academics, but also between academics and practitioners and policymakers.

“This is why this conference seeks to bring together both academics and practitioners to share their work and consider the urgent issues facing children within the context of their families and communities in different social, political, cultural and economic contexts.

“We hope that this conference will shed light on how issues such as migration affect a range of children, the impact of domestic violence on children, the impact of caregiving on women, the care experiences of different groups of children including those who are refugees or asylum seekers, and the silence of children as a form of participation.”