Lesson 13
Families Come in Every Shape
Key Ideas
- Families come in many different shapes and all of them are real and valid.
- Some families have two moms, two dads, a mom and a dad, or a single parent.
- Some parents are non-binary or transgender.
- Some families are formed through adoption, fostering, surrogacy, or donor conception.
- Blended families and chosen family are also real families.
- What every family has in common is care, support, and love.
- Sometimes other people are not kind to families that look different from their own. Kindness and respect are the right response.
| Term | Definition |
| Adoption | When a child legally becomes part of a family that did not give birth to them. |
| Foster family | A family that cares for a child temporarily while their family works on being able to care for them again. |
| Blended family | A family where parents from previous relationships come together, sometimes bringing children from those relationships. |
| Chosen family | People who are not biologically related but who love and support each other like family. |