Family TypesChild Development

Types of Families Married – Natural Nuclear Family Joint/Shared-Custody Families Single Parent Families Blended Families

Step Families Adoptive Families Foster/Group Home Families Cross Generational Families

Extended

Married No Children You are a family even if you do not have

children. May be unable to conceive or choose to

remain childless. Remain in this family structure until they

have children and enter the nuclear family structure.

Focus more time and energy on their own relationship.

Married-Nuclear Families In these families, both adults are the biological or

adoptive parents of children. There are three types of married nuclear families depending on employment status of the woman and man.

In the first type, the man works outside the home while the woman works inside the home caring for the children

In the second type of married nuclear family, the woman works outside the home and the man cares for the children.

In the third kind both the husband and the wife work outside the home or are income providers. In some situations, the woman might have a home-based business, such as a day care center.

Married - Natural Advantages

Social support Legal support Belief that is provides

most stable setting for raising children

Share responsibility

Disadvantages

Marriage might fail Dual-careers leave

less time for children. Finding a day care you

both agree to

Joint/Shared-Custody Families In these families, children are legally

raised by both parents who are not living together. Generally, the children move back and forth between the residences of each parent, depending on the legal agreement between the parents.

Joint/Shared Custody Advantages

See both parents Both parents have say

in raising of child

Disadvantages

Parents may not get along

Parents disagree on how to raise child

Each household may have different rules

Single-Parent Families In this family there is only one parent in

the home. Due to high divorce rates and adults choosing not to marry, this is currently the fastest growing family form in America. More than half of all children will spend some of their lives in a single-parent family. Currently, 88 percent of these families are headed by women.

Single Parent Advantages

Learn how to be independent

Develop strong relationships with friends and other relatives

Role models from relatives, neighbors, teachers and friends

¼ of all children in the US will spend at least part of their childhood in this type of family.

Disadvantages

Less money Parent may have

unpleasant feelings about their situation.

Carries the burden of providing all the care and guidance

Cohabitation FamiliesTwo unmarried adults who are

committed to a long-term relationship and, sometimes, children from this union or from previous relationships are included. This can include heterosexual or homosexual partners.

Step-FamiliesThese families are generally created by

divorce and remarriage rather than by the death of the mother or father. In step families, biologically unrelated children often live in the same household. There are 9,000 new step families being created each week in this country.

Blended Families Advantages

Readjust their budget and set new financial goals

Learn cooperation, and good communication skills

Share parenting responsibilities

Disadvantages

May find it hard to adjust

Have to share space May cost more to run

Foster and Group-home Families

Foster parents and institutional child-care workers often provide a substitute family for children referred by the courts or government agencies. While problems with their parents or guardians are being resolved, the children may live in these families.

Foster Families Advantages

Have satisfaction of helping children grow and develop

Disadvantages

Different backgrounds

Cross-generational Family Two or more adults from different generations of a

family, who intend to share a household in the future. This family type may include children. Sometimes children are raised by their grandparents when their biological parents have died or no longer can take care of them. The number of these families has increased by 40 percent in the past ten years. In addition, many grandparents take some primary responsibility for child care, particularly when both parents work

Advantages

More relatives than immediate family live in one home

Grandparents help with household chores

Develop close relationships

Disadvantages

May be temporary or long-term

Providing care for elderly parents may cause stress