Family

A family is defined as the smallest social unit. A family is a group of people who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption.

There are two major types of family, they are;

• Nuclear Family
• Extended Family

There are three other types of family that are formed and related through other means, namely;

1. Stepfamily
2. Foster family
3. Adoptive family

1. Step Family:

This is a family that is formed when a divorced or widowed person remarries it includes a child or children. It is a family formed by a man and a woman and their child or children from their previous marriage or relationship. In this situation, the children are the “step-children” while the adult who is not the biological parent becomes the “step-parent”.

2. Foster Family:

A Foster family is a family that provides custody or guardianship for children whose parents are dead or unable to care for them. The parents in this type of family are not the legal parents of the child or children. There are also Foster Homes which are approved by the government, where children who have parents who are not able to take care of them can be placed for proper care. The person or persons who care for such children are referred to as their “foster parents”.

3. Adoptive Family:

This is a family that is formed when a child is adopted from an orphanage and welcomed into a new family. An adoptive family legally adopts that child as their own and the child bears the surname of their new parents. The adopted child or children have all the rights and responsibilities a biological child has, they are entitled to and enjoy all the benefits of their new family.