child development revision by chantal smith

Family and parenthood

What a family provides

A family provides:

1. A secure and stable enviroment

2. Encouragement and praise

3. Love, affection and comfort

4. Communication skills

5. Food, clothing and a suitable housing enviroment

6. Physical and health care

7. ulture

8. Socilisation skills

Types of family

Nuclear family

Parents and children  live together in the home. Contact with other family members is limited, and practical help from them isn't easily available.

Extended family

Parents and children live wirh or near relatives like grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. There is practical help with child care and emotional support.

Step family

Is formed when one or both people in a couple, with children from a previous relation ship, ree marry or co habit. New relationship can be difficult to establish.

Single- parent family  

Mostly but not always, comprises a mother and her children. This type of family can be the result of

•  divorce 
• the death of a parent
•  adoption by a single parent
•  a absent parent
•  a surrogacy arrangement
•  a single women giving birth through choice
•  a single women giving birth after a sexual attack

In a  single-parent familly, one parent has responsibilty for daily care and decision making. This arrangement may provide a less stressfull enviroment for the children, but can increase pressure on the parent.

Shared care family

Children live in 2 households and spend time with both parents. Joint descions are nade about the child or children. Children maintain relation ships with both parents. 

Adoptive family 

Adoptive parents have to pass tests by social services. Adoptive parents come from a wide range of backgrounds such as:

•  Nuclear family
• Single- parent family
•  Same sex family

Adoptive parents provide a permanent home for babies and older children. A court gives them the same legal rights and responsibilty as the birth parents. Reasons for adopting are numerous and include

•  Infertility
•  Adoption after remarriage
•  Adoption of a family member
• Aoption of a disavantage child from a uk or abroad
•  Adoption by couples who carry genetic defects

Looked after  children

looked after children are looked after by the local authority, through social services. This could be the result of a care order or in agreement with the parents. looked after children have a named social worker.

Reasons why children may not be able to stay with their parents:

•  Death or illness of their parents 
•  Sexual or physical abuse or neglect
•  If a child has a disability or complex needs
•  If a parent needs respite care

Looked after children are placed with foster families or in a residential care home. Placements may be a short- term, long- term, temporary or permanent.

foster- family provide long or short term care. Carers are checked by social services, and like adoptive parents they come from many backgrounds. They maybe members of the child's birth family.

Residential care homes provide short term care for children.  They're situated in the local community and small groups of children are looked after by carers in a family type structure.

why are family…