Caregivers & Parents Resources

"Families are big, small, extended, nuclear, blended, and multi-generational, with one parent, two parents, and grandparents. We live under one roof or many. A family can be as temporary as a few weeks, as permanent as forever. We become part of a family by birth, fostering, adoption, marriage, or from a desire for mutual support. Together, our families create our neighborhoods and communities."

A family consists of a group of individuals united by biology or by marital, adoptive, or other intimate ties. The family is the fundamental social unit of most human societies, but its form and structure can vary widely, including the biological family, extended family, stepfamily, and even groups of friends known informally as “families.”

Family members influence each other’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Family dynamics refers to the impact of these influences on the members of the family. (Source: APA Dictionary of Psychology)

Family-driven means families have a primary decision-making role in the care of their own children as well as the policies and procedures governing care for all children in their community, state, tribe, territory and nation (Source: National Federation of Families, 2008). This includes:

Choosing culturally and linguistically competent supports, services, and providers;

Setting goals;

Designing, implementing and evaluating programs;

Monitoring outcomes; and

Partnering in funding decisions.