Becoming Parents and Carers:
Parenting: The process of raising and nurturing children in a family
Caring: The process of looking after the needs and wellbeing of another person due to their age, illness and/or disability
Biological parents: The parent who has provided the genetic material, either sperm or ovum, to create a foetus.
Pregnancy
Planned Pregnancy: * Planned pregnancies involve a strategic choice on when to parent * There are physical, emotional and economic impacts that result form this decision * A planned pregnancy is generally better for both the parents and child
Unplanned Pregnancy: * May result from poor knowledge about contraception or the fertility cycle or failure with contraception methods * Become pregnant due to a consequence of tragic circumstances such as rape
Assisted reproductive technologies: * In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and gamete intra-fallopian transfer (GIFT) are examples of assisted reproductive technologies. This means assistance in terms of expertise and technology is used to aid conception.
Social Parents:
Many individuals have parenting responsibilities towards a child with whom they do not share a genetic relationship.
Adoption:
* Adoption is the process by which legal responsibility of parenting of a child is given to a family or parent other than the biological parent. There are 3 types of adoption: 1. The child is already placed with prospective parents, such as a step-parent 2. Local adoption & overseas adoption 3. Adoption of a child with special needs
Legal Implications: * Adoption Act 2000 (NSW) & Family Law Act 1975 (Commonwealth) * All legal rights and responsibilities are transferred from the birth parents to the adoptive parents * The change in parenting is permanent, so the birth parent loses all rights to the child. They may maintain the right to information and contact * The adoptive