Families

Family is the biggest influence on a child’s development.  Parents are a child’s first teachers.  Whether the child lives with birth-parents, other relatives, or non-related caregivers the child will be molded by the lessons and experiences passed on from family.  The topics in this section include:

•  Family Structure:  Family structure can affect children in a number of ways.  A number of factors can change the structure of families, including separation, divorce, death, or incarceration. 

• Child Care: Quality child care allows parents time to work or continue their own education in order to provide a better future for their children.  

• Teen Parents:  Babies born to teen mothers face a higher risk for a number of problems throughout life.  

• Children Living with Relatives:  There are a variety of reasons children live with relatives other than their parents – these children face a number of risk factors those from traditional families do not.

• Parental Employment:  Children who have parents with secure employment face a reduced risk of poverty.  

Read More About It:

Healthy Start / Healthy Families: http://www.pinellashealth.com/HealthyStartFamilies.asp

Healthy Families Florida: http://www.healthyfamiliesfla.org/

Families—Pinellas County Extension Office: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/fcs/index.shtml

DCF Quick Facts: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/publications/docs/quickfacts.pdf

U.S. Census Reports on Families: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/children/index.html

A Child’s Day:  Census Data on Children
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/2006_detailedtables.html