CAFS: Family Structures Influence Roles Individuals Adopt '19 →  

FAMILY  SPECIFIC NEEDS THEY FULFIL  HOW IT BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS  HOW IT PROMOTES WELL-BEING 
STRUCTURE 

1. Adoptive  Safety and security  - The child will be more exposed to  Social 
- Provide housing and care for a  a family setting which will impact  - Provides a new environment for 
child who may not have been  their socialisation skills with other  the child and this causes them to 
given it in their previous home.  individuals.  socialise more with others within 
- Rigorous checks of the family    the family or close family friends. 
willing to look after the child will  - Through their new supportive  - If there are any siblings within the 
ensure the best possible housing  environment, the child will be  family the child will be able to 
situation for the child  influenced and more open to  form new relationships and 
Health  creating new relationships with  friendships with new people 
- If a child was in a situation where  friends or family  Physical 
biological parents abused drugs,    - The physical state of the child 
an adoptive household will be  - If the child was not exposed to  may be improved after being 
able to improve the health of the  schooling and has been  adopted as the child will be 
child by promoting safe choices  introduced, they will experience  influenced positively through the 
Education  new friendships with classmates  health of their parents 
- Adoptive parents are able to send  and teachers.  Emotional 
the child to an appropriate school    - The child may gain emotional 
that suits their own personal  - Siblings can impact this change  support from their adoptive 
needs.  as they create a fun environment  parents who will look out for the 
Sense of identity  for the child to be introduced to  child and promote healthy 
- Through the support of the  and therefore their personality  wellbeing. 
adoptive parents, the child will be  may become more outgoing  Economic 
able to develop their personality  rather than introverted.  - The new home will provide the 
in an accepting environment  child with insight into working 
Employment  parents who have a well paying 
- In order for a family to adopt  job. This will influence the child 
they must have a sustainable job  positively as the child gains a new 
that provides enough income to  role model for inspiration. 
look after the child  Cultural 
Adequate standard of living  - The child will witness new 
- Needs will be met through  experiences and will be able to 
constant checks of the house and  experiment with more cultures  
family situation, ensuring that the  Spiritual 
CAFS: Family Structures Influence Roles Individuals Adopt '19 →  

child will live in a well funded and  - If the parents are religious then 
loving home.  the child will be exposed to 
various religions. 

2. Blended  Safety and security  - Allows the family structure to  Emotional 
- Having up to 4 parent figures   broaden in having up to 4 parent  - May develop an emotional 
- Having more than one household  figures may help an individual  connection with new parents  
Health  within the family to feel safer and  - A child may gain further 
- Each individual must accomplish  develop strong relationships with  emotional support from new 
this need especially in a blended  parent figures to gain a sense of  parent figures in the family  
family where each child is a  security   Social  
priority    - May cause children to socialise 
Education  - Allows for child to have a  more with the new parent and/or 
- Blended families must provide  father/mother figure if they had  siblings in the family structure  
their children with an equal  lost their parent.A sense of  Economic  
opportunity towards education  comfort as it allows for child to  - More financial support available 
-   have a role model to guide them  allowing them to have access to 
- A situation like a divorce can  throughout their life  more resources  
change the attitudes and values   
of children which can be affected   
in regards to manners.    
   
Employment   
- Financial support from 2 sides  
- Child to engage with both 
parents jobs 
 
Adequate standard of living  
- This is required for children so 
that they may live comfortable 
and safely being supported by 
possibly 4 incomes 
 

3. Childless   Sense of Identity  - The parents living with no  - Childless families may promote 
- The parents could have lost a  children may grow on their own  social wellbeing as the parents 
child and need to find themselves  relationship and focus on  living with no children have more 
CAFS: Family Structures Influence Roles Individuals Adopt '19 →  

again and try to adapt to life  themselves.  time for themselves and each 
with the loss of an child// or they  other, meaning their social life will 
aren't able to have children so  improve. 
they are able to focus on 
themselves. 
Employment  
Health (mental health) 

4 Communal  Security and safety:  - The families and/or individuals  - Communal families may promote 
- The families and/or individuals  living with each other would have  wellbeing as the families and/or 
living under the same roof have a  a stronger bond and therefore  individuals living together will 
sense of security and safety by  become closer as they are living  help assist and provide for their 
everyone looking over each other.  in the same environment   specific needs which will inevitably 
Employment   - Could find common interests with  enhance everyone’s wellbeing. 
Adequate standard of l​iving the others living with them and  Having less funds to pay for and 
build a relationship off that.  having people around to talk too 
may reduce stress and create a 
positive environment. 

5. De facto  Sense of Identity​ →   - You and your former partner may  - Promotes economic well being as 
  be the same or opposite sex, had  they are able to access the 
- They have an identity within their  a relationship as a couple living  financial benefits of a married 
family structure as they have the  together on a genuine domestic  couple without being legally 
benefits of a married couple and  basis.   married.  
therefore have a sense of     
belonging with one another  - It also can help build relationships  - Promotes emotional wellbeing as 
  by not having a specific  both individuals can lean on each 
Adequate Standard Of Living  legislation.   other for support during difficult 
and Safety and Security​ →     times. 
  - The family is able to build   
- Both individuals will most likely be  relationships through their mutual  - Promotes social wellbeing as the 
making an income, thus they can  friends and family, thus meeting  defacto family will be able to go 
support each other with these  new people.   out together and meet new 
needs.  people (for example friends of 
each individual). 
 
 
CAFS: Family Structures Influence Roles Individuals Adopt '19 →  

    - Combining with family other than  - Promotes social wellbeing as the 

    your immediate family  family structure is quite large thus 
6.Extended   Security and safety   encourages new relationships to  providing everyone with 
  be built as you will grow closer  opportunities to meet new people. 
- They are able to have strength in  when living together and  They also might feel more 
numbers.  spending time together.  comfortable going out in a large 
    group. 
Adequate standard of living   - You may meet friends and family   
- If the family is unable to live in a  from your extended family,  - Promotes emotional wellbeing as 
safe, functioning home with  leading to new relationships to be  they will be able to lean on family 
resources they may live with their  built.   members for support and will 
extended family, bettering their    have a large number of people to 
standard of living.   - The opportunity to meet new  go to for help. 
people will be extended due to 
the family’s large size, promoting 
meetings with new people (e.g 
friends of friends). 
 
- Planning meaningful experiences 
so that when you do see them 
instead of going to the movies, 
you could go out to a restaurant, 
that way you spend more quality 
time.   
 

7. Foster Families  Security and safety  - It helps an abandoned child with  Emotional wellbeing  
- They provide a safe environment  no family or a family with no  - Provides a stable home for 
for children who are living in  children become complete leading  children who have been through 
unsafe homes  to a child having a better sense  traumatic experiences. For 
Adequate standard of living   of identity and their security and  example, a child who has been 
- Provides a home that is safe,  safety as they now feel supported  fostered may have come from a 
loving and also provides an  and protected within a family  home where they were physically 
opportunity for foster children to  environment.  and mentally abused by their 
have an education  - Foster families provide an  parents. A family who fosters 
Sense of identity  opportunity for foster children to  them are able to provide a good 
- Provides a sense of identity for  create bonds with people who  emotional wellbeing as they can 
CAFS: Family Structures Influence Roles Individuals Adopt '19 →  

children who don’t have a home.  they can trust and who will look  support the child and help them 
Allows foster children to feel like  after them and provide a safe  heal from their traumatic 
they belonging somewhere  home for them  experiences.  
Education     Physical wellbeing  
- Foster Families provide foster  - Foster families provide a safe 
children an opportunity to have  home for children who are living 
an education   in unsafe living conditions. Not 
only do they provide a safe home 
to live in, but they also provide 
needs such as food and education 
Economic well being 
- Families fostering a child can 
provide an opportunity for them 
to have an education  

8. Nuclear  Security and Safety  - It helps as the family has always  Physical wellbeing  
- Since both parents have legal  been together and each  - There are 2 parents in the family 
decisions they are able to  individual is comfortable with  that provide and support the 
completely assist their children  each other, as well as the fact  child so they can have food and a 
with any legal matters.  that it's easier to create stronger  safe home to live in  
Education  bonds within each other.  Emotional wellbeing  
- Can afford education  - The child is emotionally supported 
- Educate their children with their  by 2 parents who are able to give 
family traditions that have been  them advice and create an 
passed on, as there is a continual  emotional connection with their 
blood-related line.  child. For example, a child who is 
Employment  having problems with friends is 
- Two incomes rather than one  able to go to their parents for 
- When the mother may take time  support and advice on what to do 
off from work due to maternal  about the situation. 
reasons, the male partner can still  Economic well being 
continue working.  - Parents in a nuclear family 
Adequate standard of living  provide the family with 2 incomes 
- Two incomes create more of an  which then allows them to provide 
advantage to a stable and  their children with an education  
adequate standard of living. 
CAFS: Family Structures Influence Roles Individuals Adopt '19 →  

9. Same Sex Couples  - They can provide everything that  - Can provide all of the advice and  - Can both be positive role models 
a nuclear family can provide  care that a nuclear family can,  for the child to look up to in life 
Education  excluding the different lessons  - If the child is the opposite sex to 
- They can’t provide both a  that a masculine and a feminine  the couple, it can be much harder 
masculine and a feminine role for  figure can  for the child to relate to the 
the child to look up to, but can  parent. 
educate them about their way of 
life. 

10. Sole parent    Employment:  Relationships may not be able to  - Being a single parent can 
- A sole parent may have multiple  be built due to the one parent  influence the needs being 
roles, they might not be able to  having to try to satisfy all needs,  unreachable as they have to fulfil 
provide all the resources that the  therefore could also result in the  both parent roles, this can impact 
child wants due to a single  needs of the children not being  on a child’s wellbeing. For 
income.  met.   example, it can affect their 
Education/Adequate standard of living  emotional well being as they may 
- They can provide a home with a 
positive role model that can 
influence them to be more 
  not have that emotional 
connection to there parent as the 
parent is constantly busy with 
responsible  trying to obtain the basic needs.   
- This includes the children having   
to clean for themselves or make   
food for themselves.   

11. Kinship   Education  - There would be stronger  Spiritual Well Being 

- Passes down knowledge through  relationships involved in the  - Can strengthen the families 
tradition  kinship families as they are more  spiritual well being as they can be 
- Due to their broad extended  spiritually connected and strong.  bound spiritually.  
family younger generations are 
taught how to take care of people 
Sense of identity 
- Enables younger generations to 
understand their culture, which is 
who they are and what they 
identify with.