1.  According to government stats, more than 330000 babies are now being born in Canada each year.  Each of these children comes into the world with the biological, social, and emotional supports of 2 or more pre-existing families.  Each child may also belong to many other families throughout his or her lifetime.  Biologically, each child has inherited a chromosomal package at conception from both the sperm and egg that will determine the child’s physical makeup.

2.  Socially, each child arrives in a family that already has a social status, a culture, and one or more languages, and that lives in a rural or urban community in a particular geographical location.  Emotionally, each child may be loved and wanted, viewed with indifference, or rejected by one or more family members.  The family into which you were born, or your family of orientation, is the family that nurtures, provides for, and instructs you.

4.  “ Any combination of 2 or more persons who are bound together over time by ties of mutual consent, birth, and/or adoption or placement. Together they assume responsibilities for variant combinations of some of the following: physical maintenance and care of group members; addition of new members through procreation or adoption; socialization of children; social control of members, production, consumption, distribution of goods and services; and affective nurturance”

5.  “ a married couple ( with or without children of either or both spouses); a couple living common-law ( with or without children); or lone parent of any marital status, with at least one child living in the same dwelling.

6.  Is the child’s connection to the outside world  Provides a safe environment  Provides a sense of belonging for every member  Provides an opportunity to be loved and love  Provides an opportunity to care and be cared for.  Provides an opportunity to help others and to receive help.  Provides an opportunity to preserve values and beliefs

7.  Provides economic support  Provides emotional support  Provides a sense of identity and acceptance  Teaches a child acceptable behaviour, appropriate language, and social relationships  Enables individuals to express anger and frustrations.