Family Issues

Summary

There are many kinds of families. Some have two parents, while others have a single parent. Sometimes there is no parent and grandparents raise grandchildren. Some children live in foster families, adoptive families, or in stepfamilies.

Families are much more than groups of people who share the same genes or the same address. They should be a source of love and support. This does not mean that everyone gets along all the time. Conflicts are a part of family life. Many things can lead to conflict, such as illness, disability, addiction, job loss, school problems, and marital issues. Listening to each other and working to resolve conflicts are important in strengthening the family.

Find an Expert

• Administration for Children and Families Administration for Children and Families
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
• National Foster Care and Adoption Directory Search Children’s Bureau

Related Issues

• Adoption and Foster Care American Academy of Pediatrics
• Family Arguments American Academy of Pediatrics
• Home Alone Children American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• How to Support Your Child’s Resilience in a Time of Crisis American Academy of Pediatrics
• Importance of Family Routines American Academy of Pediatrics
• Improving Family Communications American Academy of Pediatrics
• Infidelity: Mending Your Marriage after an Affair Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Parents American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Military Families American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Roles Within the Family American Academy of Pediatrics
• Stepsiblings American Academy of Pediatrics
• Taking Care of Your Grandchildren Nemours Foundation
• Thinking about Adoption American Academy of Pediatrics
• Travelers’ Health: International Adoption Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Children

• Children and Divorce American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Preparing Your Child for a New Sibling (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Running Away Nemours Foundation

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Family National Institutes of Health

Statistics and Research

• Do Social Ties Affect Our Health? Exploring the Biology of Relationships National Institutes of Health
• FastStats: Marriage and Divorce National Center for Health Statistics

Treatments and Therapies

• Family Therapy Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Start Here

• Myth of the Perfect Family American Academy of Pediatrics
• Normal Functioning Family American Academy of Pediatrics

Journal Articles

• Family therapy

Teenagers

• Why Do I Fight with My Parents So Much? Nemours Foundation