Strengths in Your Family Case Study
Sam (37) and Julie (34) have been struggling to conceive since they were married
5 years ago. Sam and Julie want to have a family, so last year, they took foster classes at
a local church and David (14) was placed in their home a few months later. Sam and
Julie have decided they want to adopt David and have put in the paperwork with the
courts to do this. David has a little sister who is still in foster care in a different city. Sam
and Julie speak with David about the adoption, and he is over the moon, but still seems
sad. When asked by Sam what is wrong, David responds with, I want to be your son
forever, but I really miss my sister Daisy. Sam and Julie know this is important to David
and speak with his Case Manager the next day to see if they can begin fostering Daisy.
Daisy (9) has been living in a foster home with six other kids and does not trust
foster parents. When she goes to live with Sam and Julie, she is excited to see David but
knows Sam and Julie are bad people. David tries to tell Daisy Sam and Julie will be their
mom and dad, but Daisy does not want to be adopted. Sam and Julie adopt David and
ask if Daisy wants to be adopted as well, but they respect that she wants to stay a foster
child. Slowly over the next year, Daisy sees that Sam and Julie do care, they never miss
one of her soccer games and they even came to a field trip with her school. They always
make food she and David like and always take David and Daisy to the store so they can
pick out their food.
Daisy likes Sundays the best because the family goes to church together, and Julie
sings in the choir. After church, they play soccer outside and Sam always helps Daisy
with her math homework; he does not even get mad when she struggles. Overall, Daisy is
very happy and has started to think she wants to be with this family forever. She goes to
Sam and Julie one night and asks if they can adopt her and if she can call them mom and
dad like David does. They happily agree and work on the paperwork the very next day.
Two months later, Sam and Julie adopt Daisy and their family is complete.
Instructions: Based on the case study, addressing the following prompts using two to
three scholarly sources to support your ideas.
Family System
• Describe the family system in 100-150 words.
Answer Here:
© 2023. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
, The family system changes throughout its members’ lives, and this is no different for
the family in this case study; the members appear to shift through two different family
systems. First, the reader is introduced to Sam (37) and Julie (34) who are married and
unable to conceive a child. During this time, Sam and Julie were a family without children:
Enorcerna (2022) defines a family without children as a couple living without children either
by choice or by the inability to conceive. However, their family system changes when they
choose to foster David (14), in which case, this family is now an adoptive family because they
had the intention to adopt when they chose to become foster parents: Enorcerna (2022)
defines an adoptive family as a family who has no biological children and adopts to provide
themselves and a child with a family. Sam and Julie remain an adoptive family when they take
in David’s sister, Daisy (9) because, even though they leave the choice up to Daisy on when
and if she would like to be adopted, they take her in under the assumption that they are going
to adopt her eventually.
Family Dynamics
• Explain the family dynamics found in this case study and why they
are significant in 250-300 words.
Answer Here:
The APA Dictionary of Psychology defines family dynamics as “the process by which
family members influence each other’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and the changes in
the family relationships that these processes bring.” A family dynamic can be healthy or
unhealthy. Within a healthy family, the members of the family can positively contribute to the
welfare of the other members of the family; this includes emotional as well as physical
© 2023. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
Sam (37) and Julie (34) have been struggling to conceive since they were married
5 years ago. Sam and Julie want to have a family, so last year, they took foster classes at
a local church and David (14) was placed in their home a few months later. Sam and
Julie have decided they want to adopt David and have put in the paperwork with the
courts to do this. David has a little sister who is still in foster care in a different city. Sam
and Julie speak with David about the adoption, and he is over the moon, but still seems
sad. When asked by Sam what is wrong, David responds with, I want to be your son
forever, but I really miss my sister Daisy. Sam and Julie know this is important to David
and speak with his Case Manager the next day to see if they can begin fostering Daisy.
Daisy (9) has been living in a foster home with six other kids and does not trust
foster parents. When she goes to live with Sam and Julie, she is excited to see David but
knows Sam and Julie are bad people. David tries to tell Daisy Sam and Julie will be their
mom and dad, but Daisy does not want to be adopted. Sam and Julie adopt David and
ask if Daisy wants to be adopted as well, but they respect that she wants to stay a foster
child. Slowly over the next year, Daisy sees that Sam and Julie do care, they never miss
one of her soccer games and they even came to a field trip with her school. They always
make food she and David like and always take David and Daisy to the store so they can
pick out their food.
Daisy likes Sundays the best because the family goes to church together, and Julie
sings in the choir. After church, they play soccer outside and Sam always helps Daisy
with her math homework; he does not even get mad when she struggles. Overall, Daisy is
very happy and has started to think she wants to be with this family forever. She goes to
Sam and Julie one night and asks if they can adopt her and if she can call them mom and
dad like David does. They happily agree and work on the paperwork the very next day.
Two months later, Sam and Julie adopt Daisy and their family is complete.
Instructions: Based on the case study, addressing the following prompts using two to
three scholarly sources to support your ideas.
Family System
• Describe the family system in 100-150 words.
Answer Here:
© 2023. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
, The family system changes throughout its members’ lives, and this is no different for
the family in this case study; the members appear to shift through two different family
systems. First, the reader is introduced to Sam (37) and Julie (34) who are married and
unable to conceive a child. During this time, Sam and Julie were a family without children:
Enorcerna (2022) defines a family without children as a couple living without children either
by choice or by the inability to conceive. However, their family system changes when they
choose to foster David (14), in which case, this family is now an adoptive family because they
had the intention to adopt when they chose to become foster parents: Enorcerna (2022)
defines an adoptive family as a family who has no biological children and adopts to provide
themselves and a child with a family. Sam and Julie remain an adoptive family when they take
in David’s sister, Daisy (9) because, even though they leave the choice up to Daisy on when
and if she would like to be adopted, they take her in under the assumption that they are going
to adopt her eventually.
Family Dynamics
• Explain the family dynamics found in this case study and why they
are significant in 250-300 words.
Answer Here:
The APA Dictionary of Psychology defines family dynamics as “the process by which
family members influence each other’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and the changes in
the family relationships that these processes bring.” A family dynamic can be healthy or
unhealthy. Within a healthy family, the members of the family can positively contribute to the
welfare of the other members of the family; this includes emotional as well as physical
© 2023. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
