Summary CAFS General Notes

General Notes

Family structures:
Adoptive Adoption​​is​​an​​option​​where​​permanent​​care​​is provided​​for​​children​​who​​are​​unable​​to​​live​​with​​their birth​
​parents.​​It​​is​​a​​legal​​process​​where​​all​​legal​​rights and​​responsibilities​​are​​transferred​​from​​birth​​parents to​
​adoptive​​parents.

Blended A​​blended​​family​​is​​a​​couple​​families​​that​​contain​​both​​a biological​​parent,​​and​​a​​stepparent.​​A​​blended​​family
has​​at​​least​​one​​child​​who​​is​​the​​biological​​child​​of​​both parents​​and​​at​​least​​one​​child​​who​​is​​the​​stepchild​​of
either.

Childless A​​couple​​with​​no​​children​​(of​​any​​age)​​present​​is​​known as​​a​​childless​​family.​​They​​can​​be​​childless​​for​​a​
​number of​​reasons;​​temporary​​stage​​prior​​to​​beginning​​a​​family, the​​child​​may​​have​​left​​home,​​death​​of​​the​
​child.​​Other reasons​​include​​not​​being​​able​​to​​cope​​with​​the economic​​and​​emotional​​demands.


Communal A​​group​​of​​families​​or​​individuals​​either​​related​​or unrelated​​living​​and​​sharing​​resources​​together. Resources​
​include​​food,​​child-​​rearing,​​social​​life,​​living space,​​decision​​making​​and​​political​​or​​religious ideology.



De​​facto A​​de-facto​​family​​is​​where​​a​​couple​​of​​the​​same​​sex​​or​​a couple​​of​​the​​opposite​​sex,​​who​​may​​or​​may​​not​
​havechildren,​​live​​together,​​but​​are​​not​​legally​​married.​​They can​​be​​partners,​​common-law​​husband​​and​​wife,​
​lovers, boyfriends,​​or​​girlfriends.​​This​​may​​be​​similar​​to​​a nuclear​​family,​​the​​only​​difference​​being​​the​​legal
contract​​of​​marriage.

Extended An​​extended​​family​​is​​described​​as​​at​​least​​one​​core family​​plus​​at​​least​​one​​relative​​living​​in​​the​​same​​house.
The​​relative​​may​​include,​​for​​example,​​a​​grandparent, aunt,​​uncle​​or​​cousin​​who​​is​​not​​part​​of​​another​​core
family​​within​​the​​same​​house.

Foster When​​children​​and​​young​​people,​​through​​no​​fault​​of their​​own,​​cannot​​live​​with​​their​​own​​parents​​or families.​
​Foster​​carers​​can​​provide​​short-​​or​​long​​term care.​​It​​is​​the​​responsibility​​of​​the​​family​​to​​provide​​a safe,​
​nurturing​​and​​stable​​environment​​for​​the​​foster child.​​The​​parents​​have​​no​​legal​​rights​​in​​regards​​to making​
​decisions​​for​​the​​children.


Nuclear A​​nuclear​​family​​is​​viewed​​as​​a​​heterosexual​​couple​​and their​​children.​​This​​family​​structure​​is​​the​​traditional
norm,​​and​​the​​most​​common​​family​​structure,​​but​​it​​has the​​lowest​​growth​​rate,​​in​​that​​it​​will​​become​​less
common​​in​​the​​future​​due​​to​​declining​​marriage​​rates, and​​fertility,​​rising​​divorce​​rates,​​and​​other​​social​​trends.


Same​​sex​ A​​same​​sex​​couple​​can​​be​​defined​​as​​two​​people​​of​​the same​​sex​​in​​a​​sexual​​relationship,​​living​​either​​with​​or
​couple without​​children.


Sole​​parent A​​sole​​parent​​family​​consists​​of​​a​​lone​​parent​​with​​at least​​one​​dependent​​or​​non dependent​​child​​living​​with
them.​​The​​adult​​member​​will​​usually​​have​​to​​take​​up more​​roles​​and​​responsibilities​​than​​those​​in​​a​​couple
families.​​Reasons​​for​​sole​​parent​​families​​include divorce,​​separation,​​death​​of​​a​​partner,​​or​​the​​use​​of artificial​
​reproductive​​technologies.