Women’s Experiences with and Attitudes Towards Family Support Policies Findings from the 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey Authors: Karen Diep, Usha Ranji, Brittni Frederiksen, Ivette Gomez, and Alina Salganicoff Published: Oct 8, 2026

https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/womens-experiences-with-and-attitudes-towards-family-support-policies/ There has been increased attention on declining fertility rates in the U.S. and globally. Fertility rates have been falling for many years, but they have been in the spotlight of media coverage recently, in part because of the current Administration’s focus on pronatalist policies aimed at encouraging people to have more children. Considerable financial and structural barriers face people who want to start families, including expensive and limited childcare options, inconsistent and limited paid leave and workplace flexibility, low economic mobility, and high cost of living. The 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey is a nationally representative survey of 4,688 women and 1,148 men ages 18 to 64, fielded between March 11, 2026 to April 14, 2026. This analysis presents data among women 18 to 49 (n=3,538) and men 18-49 (840), and highlights women’s opinions regarding the possible impact of potential federal actions on their decision to have children in the future as well their experiences with paid parental leave and sick leave in the workplace.