Alloparenting

Alloparenting is when people other than a child’s mother and father help to raise them. Alloparent is derived from the Greek words 'allo' and 'parens.' Allo means "other," and parens means "parents." So alloparents mean other parents. Other caregivers may include family members or people in the community who are not related to the child. In humans, alloparenting is a common practice to help raise children. The people that take care of the children are called their alloparents.

Humans have a very long infancy and childhood compared to other species. They depend on the adults around them. Adults need to provide children with shelter, food, water, education, love, and support. Children need people to take care of them for many years until they are older. Parents also pass down culture to their children and teach them all about life. They teach them traditions and how to act in the community. They rely on other people as they grow and learn new things. When the birth parents are not the regular caregivers, alloparents take over this role.

Alloparenting Media

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  Vervet monkey with young in Tanzania

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  Reed warbler feeding a common cuckoo chick in a nest. An example of brood parasitism.

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  Black-backed jackal pups playing

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  Barbary macaque with its young in Cap Carbon (Gouraya National Park).

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  A mother sperm whale and her calf off the coast of Mauritius.

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  Bagrus meridionalis catfish in Lake Malawi