Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption & Foster Care - TopPodcast.com

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Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption & Foster Care - TopPodcast.com

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Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption & Foster Care — Kids & Family
Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption & Foster Care

Are you thinking about adopting or fostering a child? Confused about all the options and wondering where to begin? Or are you an adoptive or foster parent or kinship caregiver trying to be the best parent possible to this precious child? This is the podcast for you! Every week, we interview leading experts for an hour, discussing the topics you care about in deciding whether to adopt/foster or how to be a better parent. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are the national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: weekly podcasts, weekly articles, and resource pages on all aspects of family building at our website, CreatingAFamily.org. We also have an active presence on many social media platforms. Please like or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

Copyright: ℗ & © 2020 Creating a Family: Talk about Infertility, Adoption & Foster Care

Latest Episodes:

Red Flags When Choosing an International Adoption Agency - Weekend Wisdom May 05, 2024

What are the red flags that may alert that a potential agency may not have the child’s or your best interest in mind? Your adoption agency will guide your international adoption, so choose wisely. Dawn highlights some of the red flags to be aware of and Creating a Family has a 3-step process for finding an adoption agency, and we include a list of questions you must ask agencies before you select. Note that all international adoption agencies must have Hague accreditation to place children in the US.
Resources:

US Dept of State Complaint Registry
International Adoption (Resource Guide)
Questions to ask an international adoption agency

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

The Joys of Being a Foster Parent May 01, 2024

Have you ever considered being a foster parent but thought that it was just too hard? You need to listen to this podcast with a group of experienced foster parents sharing the joys of being a foster parent.
In this episode, we discuss:

Why did you become a foster parent?
We talk a lot about the challenges of fostering because we want people to go into it with realistic expectations, but we also need to talk about the many joys you have experienced as a foster parent. Let’s go around round-robin style to share some of the joys.
Does the pain of when a child leaves outweigh the joys?
Does it bother you that many of the children you love and care for won’t remember you?
How to build a support system.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Traveling with a Newborn When Adopting Out of State - Weekend Wisdom Apr 28, 2024

Question: My husband and I have been matched with a mom expecting twins any day now. One topic that was a particular stress point for us that we found difficult finding resources on was the logistics of flying/traveling with a true newborn, let alone two, and handling the waiting period for ICPC (Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children). We're working with a national agency and in our particular case, we live in Texas and our twins are being born in New York. We have a lot of questions.

Is it better to fly or drive?
Weighing the risk of communicable disease in an airport vs the risk of driving cross-country while sleep deprived
What the options if flying - carseat, plane bassinet, or carrying the infant?
How to travel and feed the infant - powdered or pre-mixed formula?
What is needed for the stay away from home while waiting for ICPC?

Resources:

Adopting a Child from Another State (CreatingaFamilyEd.org Online Course)
Basic Baby Care (CreatingaFamilyEd.org Online Course)
Adoption Resource Guide

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Suicide Awareness and Prevention Apr 24, 2024

Join us to talk about the very important topic of youth suicide. Our guest will be Dr. Angela Tunno, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor at Duke University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. One of her areas of specialty is trauma-informed suicide prevention.
In this episode, we cover:

Suicide is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the US.
How prevalent is suicide in the US for all ages?
How common is suicide for people under 21?
How common is suicide for children and youth in foster care or otherwise connected to child welfare?
Why are youth in foster care at greater risk for suicide?
What are some warning signs that a child or youth may be considering suicide?
What are the risk factors for a youth or child who may be at greater danger of suicide?
Are youth with other diagnoses more at risk for suicide? (For example, ADHD?)
Who is in the position when a child is in foster care to recognize these signs?
If you are worried that a child/youth may be contemplating suicide, what are the evidence-based steps you should take? How to be trauma-informed when helping to prevent a child or youth from committing suicide?
Get support or therapy for yourself to help you cope and to help you support the youth better.
When should we take the youth to the hospital?

Resources

AFSP: https://afsp.org/
SPRC: https://sprc.org/
TREVOR: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
International Association for Suicide Prevention https://www.iasp.info/
The Jason Foundation https://jasonfoundation.com/
The Jed Foundation https://jedfoundation.org/

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

I Feel Awful, But I Wish We Hadn't Adopted - Weekend Wisdom Apr 21, 2024

Question: I was the one who wanted to adopt. My husband agreed because I wanted it so bad, but now, I’m the one who wishes we hadn’t done it. We adopted a 5-year-old little girl, who is now 7. The awful truth is that I don’t love this child. I don’t even like her very much. I wish I could turn back the clock.
Resources:

Creating and Cultivating Attachment (Resource)
Understanding and Overcoming Blocked Care (Free Course)
Creating a Family Online Support Group

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

What You Need to Know About Open Adoption Apr 17, 2024

Are you confused about having an open adoption? Do you worry about what this means for your family. Join us today to talk about open adoption with Sara Easterly, an adoptee, Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, a birth parent, and Lori Holden, an adoptive parent. In addition to co-authoring the book, "Adoption Unfiltered", they host a podcast of the same name.
In this episode, we cover:

What is meant by the term “open adoption”?
Contact vs. openness.
What open adoption is not:
- Co-parenting
- A courtesy to birth parents
- Confusing to the kids
- About/for the parents
What are some of the challenges of open adoption from the birth parents’ perspective?
- Lack of understanding of what open adoption means when they place their child.
- Renewed pain after each contact
- Two vs. one
- Lack of power
- Fear
What are some of the challenges of open adoption from the adoptive parents’ perspective?
What are some of the challenges of open adoption from the adoptee's standpoint?
What are some of the benefits of open adoption from the adoptee’s perspective?
What are some benefits of open adoption from the birth parent’s perspective?
What are some of the benefits of open adoption for adoptive parents?
How to establish healthy boundaries with an open adoption, including both ways.
- Examples of healthy boundaries from the adoptive parents’ perspective.
- Examples of healthy boundaries from the birth parents’ perspective.
- Examples of healthy boundaries from the adoptee standpoint.
- Keys to establishing healthy boundaries.
How do you handle “openness” when birth parents are unreliable?
How to maintain an attitude of openness or the spirit of openness without contact.
Importance of birth siblings. How the existence of children that the birth parents are parenting affects adopted children.
Allow space for change and growth on all sides of the adoption constellation: birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Should I Use a Public or Private Agency to Get My Foster Parent License? - Weekend Wisdom Apr 14, 2024

Question: Hubby and I are finally ready to take the plunge and become foster parents. We wanted to wait until our youngest was in high school. We’ve started listening to your podcast, and you’ve mentioned on several of the shows that we would likely have a choice between the local county child welfare agency and a private agency. Which should we choose?

Resources:

Choosing a Foster Care Agency (Resource page)
Becoming a Foster Parent (Resource page)
Working as Part of a Foster Care Team (Resource page)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard Apr 10, 2024

Do you worry about applying the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard as a foster parent? Check out this interview with Rhonda Serrano, a senior attorney at the ABA Center on Children and the Law, and Kate Schultz, the Deputy Director at Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina and a licensed foster parent.
In this episode, we cover:

Where does the concept and term for “reasonable and prudent parent” come from?
What were the problems that the reasonable and prudent parent standard is trying to address?
The intent is to promote and support normalcy. Why is normalcy so important for foster youth?
Who does this standard apply to?
Does it apply to all children and youth in foster care?
Why is the distinction between an “activity” vs. a “service” important?
What is included in extracurricular activities?
What is included as an enrichment activity?
What is included in cultural activities?
What is considered a social activity?
Would these activities usually be included?
- Phone and computer use
- Being on social media
- Reasonable curfews and rules for dating and socializing
- Driver’s licenses and learner’s permits
- Social activities with friends and peers, including unsupervised social activities, such as:
  - Going to the movies
  - Dating
  - Visiting friends’ houses overnight
Would background checks be needed to spend the night at a friend's or foster grandparent’s house?
Are there some activities that are inherently too risky for the foster parent to make the decision on whether to participate?
The activity is supposed to be age or developmentally appropriate. Who makes this decision?

Factors to consider when applying this standard.

Does the child/youth want to do this activity? Does it fit with their interests, likes, and dislikes?
Is this activity appropriate for their age and something other kids their age get to do?
Can this youth/child participate safely for their selves and others, given their behavioral history?
Is there appropriate adult supervision for this activity?
Does this activity encourage the child’s emotional and developmental growth?
Does participating in this activity normalize life for this child/youth? Does it provide a more family-like experience?
Does this activity provide a way for the child to further their self-identity (including ethnic, cultural, religious, etc)?
Does it provide an opportunity for healthy risk-taking?
Will the youth gain adult skills for transitioning?
Does the biological parent want the child to participate in this activity?
Can you afford this activity?
Risk factor
Mental health: are there any triggers to be aware of?
What liability does the resource parent have if things go wrong at the activity?
How can biological parents be included in decisions about the reasonable and prudent parent standard?
What happens when the biological parent objects to an activity, but the foster parents are in favor of allowing the child to participate?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Will I Be Ruining My Life If I Accept This Adoption Match? - Weekend Wisdom Apr 07, 2024

Question: We’ve been waiting for 15 months for an expectant mom to choose us to adopt her baby. We finally got chosen, but I’m filled with fear. Are we the right family for this baby? Are we up to parenting her? Will we be ruining our lives and maybe hers?
Resources:

Evaluating Risk Factors in Adoption (Resource page)
Raising a Child with Prenatal Substance Exposure (Resource page)
Explaining Prenatal Substance Exposure, ADHD, and Autism (Suggested books)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Navigating the Important Conversations With Your Adopted Teen or Young Adult Apr 03, 2024

Are you parenting an adopted teen or young adult? Check out our interview about important conversations we need to make sure we have. Our guest is Katie Naftzger ,an LICSW, an adult adoptee, and the author of Parenting in the Eye of the Storm: The Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Navigating the Teen Years. She also has a course for adoptive parents: The Four Paths To Securing The Relationship With Your Adopted Teen Or Young Adult.
In this episode, we cover:

What are two conversations we should have about adoption with our youth?
What conversations should we have about mental health?
What are some conversations we should have about race with our youth who are of a different race than we are?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Is It Worth It To Apply For An Adoption Grant? - Weekend Wisdom Mar 31, 2024

Question: My husband and I are seriously considering domestic infant adoption. In my research I have found grants are available for people who want to adopt. We make decent money, but do not want to spend all of our savings on adoption fees when we know expenses will only go up when we have a child. Will filling out applications for grants be a waste of time for us or will they consider us even though we make decent money?
Resources:

Affording Adoption (Resource page)
Adoption Tax Credit (Resource page)
Welcoming an Older Child to Your Family (Resource page)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Protecting Our Kids From Sexual Exploitation Mar 27, 2024

Foster youth or children who have been in the foster care system make up over 80% of children being sexually exploited. What can you do to prevent this from happening to your child? We talk with Audrey Morrissey, Co-Executive Director of My Life My Choice, a survivor-led nonprofit fighting sexual exploitation of youth.
In this episode, we cover:

What are some of the different forms that sexual exploitation can take?
What is included in sexual trafficking?
Internet exploitation.
How does grooming take place?
Are foster children disproportionately represented in the sexually exploited population?
Are children who have experienced trauma over represented?
Seeking love and connection.
Sexual exploit of boys?
What can parents do to protect their children?
What resources are available to parents and young people?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Can I Breastfeed My Adopted Baby? - Weekend Wisdom Mar 24, 2024

Question: I am a nurse and am very aware of the benefits of breast milk. I always imagined I would get breast milk from a milk bank if I adopted. Just recently, I read there aren’t many milk banks around, and they can have a supply issue and be very expensive. I then stumbled upon adoptive parents inducing lactation to feed their adopted baby. How common and easy is this? Is it successful? Does never being pregnant before and having small breasts have an effect?
Resources:

Breastfeeding the Adopted Child (Resource page)
Creating and Cultivating Attachment (Resource page)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Getting a Diagnosis for Prenatal Alcohol or Drug Exposure Mar 20, 2024

Do you think your child was exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy? If so, a diagnosis can help your child access services and support. Check out this show with Dr. Yasmin Senturias, a developmental-behavioral pediatric specialist with 28 years of experience in developmental pediatrics and prenatal substance exposure. She worked with the American Academy of Pediatrics on developing their FASD Toolkit.
In this episode, we cover:

Prenatal Drug Exposure

Do the impacts differ depending on what drug the child was exposed to?
What’s the difference between Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) or Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS).
Short-term impacts?
Is the impact less severe for legal drugs, such as nicotine and marijuana?
Is the impact less severe for legal medications used to treat substance abuse disorders in pregnant women?
What are the medical disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) or International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for prenatal drug exposure?
Do these diagnoses have to be made at birth?
What diagnosis is available if the child was exposed to drugs in utero but was not born dependent and didn’t go through withdrawal, and therefore did not have a diagnosis of NAS or NOWS in their medical record?
Do these diagnoses help the child and youth receive more services?
What type of doctor can make this diagnosis?

FASD:

It is estimated that 1% to 5% of children in the United States may have an FASD.
How common is drinking in pregnancy? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data indicate that approximately 12% of pregnancies may have alcohol exposure.)
Is the severity of the impact on the child, youth, or adult directly correlated to the amount of alcohol the mother consumed when pregnant?
What are the actual diagnoses that exist on this spectrum of FASDs?
Explain the differences in these disorders.
Is one diagnosis better than another in terms of getting services and support for the child in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood?
Are these different disorders linear on the spectrum from lesser to greater life impacts?
Why is it important to get a diagnosis?
Is it possible to get a diagnosis without mom admitting to using alcohol or drugs during her pregnancy? What to do if the child’s record doesn’t reflect that the mom drank during pregnancy?
If you suspect or know that your child or youth was exposed to alcohol in utero, how can you get a diagnosis?
What are some common misdiagnoses that kids and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure may get?
What type of doctor can diagnose?
Do you need a referral from your pediatrician to get an appointment with a specialist?

Dual Exposure to Alcohol and Drugs

How common is the dual use of alcohol and drugs?
How can drugs and alcohol together affect the child both in infancy and throughout life?

Impact of Trauma

How does trauma interplay with prenatal substance exposure?

Resources:

American Academy of Pediatric Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
The American Academy of Pediatrics FASD Toolkit was developed in coordination with the CDC to raise awareness, promote surveillance and screening, and ensure that all children who possibly have FASDs receive appropriate and timely interventions. Focused primarily

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Teacher Doesn't Believe My Child Has Experienced Trauma - Weekend Wisdom Mar 17, 2024

Question: We adopted our son at two, but we were his foster parents since he was three months. He is now in second grade and is really struggling in school both academically and with bad behaviors. His teacher is not open to hearing me talk about trauma and how his trauma is impacting his learning and behavior. I think she thinks that since he’s been with us for almost his entire life that he hasn’t had trauma. We seem to be getting nowhere with her. Do you have any suggestions for helping her understand that there may be a cause for his struggles other than just being bad?
We welcome our guest Sarah Naish, the CEO and Founder of the Centre of Excellence in Child Trauma in the UK to contribute to answering this question. Sarah is the adoptive parent of five siblings, a former Social Worker, and the author of many books on foster parenting, including The A-Z of Trauma-Informed Teaching.
Resources:

Helping Our Children Heal from Trauma (Resource page)
Parenting Kids with Challenging Behaviors (Resource page)
Back to School Resources

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Understanding and Overcoming Blocked Care Mar 13, 2024

Are you struggling to feel connected to your child? Do you sometimes wish you could turn the clock back and not be parenting this child? If so, you need to listen to this interview with Melissa Corkum, adoptee, adoptive mom, and co-author of Reclaim Compassion: The Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Overcoming Blocked Care with Neuroscience and Faith.
In this episode, we cover:

What is blocked care, and how does it differ from blocked trust?
What is the attachment cycle?
What is the blocked care cycle?
Does it only happen when parenting children with more extreme behavior issues?
What causes a well-meaning parent not to be able to attach and bond with their adopted child?
Is it more common with kinship caregivers—especially non-grandparents?
What are the common emotions for parents who are experiencing blocked care?
Ten signs of blocked care. To take the free assessment.
What can we do about this feeling of not liking or loving our child? We’ll give some specific examples.
- Be kind to your body.
- Establish a healthy mindset.
- Surround yourself with life-giving people.
- Connect with your child.
Can the situation have gone too far?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

What to Ask For In Adoption Assistance When Adopting From Foster Care - Weekend Wisdom Mar 10, 2024

Question: We are close to adopting two kids from foster care. Is there somewhere that shows the possible options for things we should ask for in adoption assistance? I don’t want to rely just on the child welfare office to hopefully tell us all the possible options.
Resources:

Josh Kroll, Adoption Subsidy Resource Center, Families Rising (Formerly NACAC)
- joshk@nacac.org
- 651-644-3036, extension 115
Foster Care Subsidies: What is Reasonable and How to Negotiate (On-Demand course on CreatingaFamilyEd.org)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Evaluating Risk Factors in Domestic Adoption Mar 06, 2024

Are you thinking about domestic infant adoption? This is an interview you must listen to! We talk with adoption medicine pediatrician, Dr. Todd Ochs, about common risk factors you should know about before adopting an infant.
In this episode, we cover:

Common Risk Factors in Domestic Infant Adoption
- Lack of prenatal care.
  - Why do expectant moms who are considering making an adoption plan often have limited prenatal care?
  - What is covered in prenatal care and how might a lack of prenatal care impact a baby?
- Prematurity
  - What causes a premature birth?
  - Poor prenatal care?
  - Are expectant moms who are considering making an adoption plan more likely to have a premature birth?
  - What are the risks with a premature birth based on the degree of prematurity?
- Prenatal exposure
  - Alcohol
    - What are some red flags that a mom might have abused alcohol during her pregnancy?
    - Does the degree of impact differ depending on when alcohol was consumed in the pregnancy?
    - What are the long- and short-term impacts of alcohol consumption on a child exposed prenatally?
    - Very often, you will not have a diagnosis of FASD and won’t be detected in the hospital post-natally.
    - Resources to help parents of a child exposed to alcohol. Creating a Family has a facilitated interactive training for foster, adoptive, and kinship parents to help recognize kids who may have been prenatally exposed to alcohol or drugs, and best practices for helping this child thrive, on-demand courses, and additional resources on the long- and short-term impacts of prenatal substance exposure – visit the Raising a Child with Prenatal Exposure for find more information.
  - Opioids
    - List of opioid drugs in increasing degree of strength
      - Codeine.
      - Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Hycodan)
      - Morphine (MS Contin, Kadian)
      - Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percoset)
      - Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
      - Heroin
      - Methadone, Suboxone
      - Fentanyl (Duragesic)
    - Does the degree of impact differ depending on when in the pregnancy the opioid was used?
    - Does the degree of long-term impact differ depending on whether the baby was born dependent or with a diagnosis of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome?
    - What are the long- and short-term impacts of opioid exposure on a child exposed prenatally?
    - Does the impact differ depending on what drug was involved or whether it was a legal or illegal drug?
- Methamphetamine
- Cocaine
- Marijuana
- Hallucinogens, including Ecstasy
Mental Health Issues
- What is the genetic connection for the following mental health disorders? How heritable are these mental illnesses?
  - Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias.
  - Depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders.
  - Personality disorders (antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive)
  - Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia
  - ADHD
- Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Legal Risk Factors
- Most often in domestic infant adoption, the primary legal risk factor is an unknown or unidentified birth father
- Controlled by state law
- Work with your agency or attorney to understand the risk and what must be done to reduce your risk.

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Dealing with the Emotional Roller Coaster of Trying to Adopt - Weekend Wisdom Mar 03, 2024

Listener Response: An aspect of adopting that we didn’t hear about was how your mental health is challenged throughout the process. It’s a roller coaster of emotions, and this isn’t discussed as often as organic issues such as drug or alcohol use.
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Building Resilience In Our Kids Feb 28, 2024

Do you want to raise a child that can bounce back from all the hard stuff life throws at them? Join us to talk about this with Dr. Caroline Leaf, a communication pathologist and clinical and cognitive neuroscientist. She is the author of several books, including Switch on Your Brain, Think Learn Succeed, and How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess.
In this episode, we cover:

The mind/brain/body connection.
The neurocycle.
5-step process to build resilience in your child.
How to apply this process to children who have experienced trauma?
How can social media affect a youth’s resilience?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Is Our Adoptive Parent Profile the Reason We Aren't Getting Picked? - Weekend Wisdom Feb 25, 2024

Question: We’ve been waiting for a little over a year, and so far, no birth mom has asked to meet with us. I think we need to revamp our profile book.
Resources:

What is an Adoptive Parent Profile? (Resource page)
Understanding the Birth Parent's Experience (Resource page)
Adoption Process & Important Considerations (Resources)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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An Interview with Author Nicole Chung Feb 21, 2024

Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know, has done it again with another wonderful memoir about growing up as a transracial adoptee and then losing both her adoptive parents. A Living Remedy is a story about family love and loss, regardless of how the family is formed.
In this episode, we discuss:

Family love.
- You were well, if not always perfectly, loved.
- You were temperamentally different from your parents, especially your dad. This may be more common in adoption. How did these differences impact you growing up?
- Things my mom sent me, I sent my mom, my mom gave me.
Growing out of the socioeconomic level you were raised in.
- Your mother thought you were ashamed of them.
What is middle class?
- There is a big difference between being working class and middle class.
- “Our “broke” bore no resemblance to my parent's “broke.” …We always had options.
The impact of lack of money on health.
Impact of Covid on families trying to care for loved ones.
Your sister Cindy.
- Cindy wasn’t well-loved. How did she deal with the differences in her life vs your life?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Establishing Attachment With a Non-English Speaking Child - Weekend Wisdom Feb 18, 2024

Question: We are adopting an 8-year-old little girl from the country of Georgia. I would love some concrete tips on how our family (four bio kids) can best communicate with her and foster attachment despite the language barrier. Are there any tools you can recommend or strategies to help non-English speaking adoptees feel more comfortable in their new environment?
Resources:

Creating and Cultivating Attachment (Resource Guide)
Sibling Relationships (Resource Guide)
Traveling With Newly Adopted Children (Podcast)
Preparing Children for the Adoption of a Sibling (Suggested Books)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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The Art of Talking With Kids Feb 14, 2024

We talk to our kids all day, but how can we use these conversations to help them reach their full potential? Our guest is Rebecca Roland, a speech pathologist, Harvard lecturer, and author of the book The Art of Talking with Children.
In this episode, we discuss:

What is rich talk, and why is it important?
You talk about different types of conversations. What are some of the different conversations we should have with our children?
Conversations for learning.
Conversations for empathy.
Conversations for social skills.
Conversations for confidence and independence.
Conversations for building relationships.
Conversations for openness.
Conversations to promote joy and creativity.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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How Common Are Failed Adoption Matches? - Weekend Wisdom Feb 11, 2024

Question: Last week my husband and I flew across the country to meet our potential adoptive baby. We had been matched 5 weeks earlier and were full of happiness. We’ve always known the risks of having a fall through but based on the case, we didn’t think it would be the case. It was. Despite being in contact with birthmom via email and text, getting her updates and baby pictures, she ghosted us and the agency. We met her and birthfather, she let us take pictures holding the baby and gave the agency’s social worker some missing paperwork. She had a change of heart last minute which is fine, but what made things more painful was that she never informed us.
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Adoption Microaggressions Parents Need to Know About Feb 07, 2024

What are the microaggressions or stigmas in the world of adoption and how do they impact adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents? We talk with Dr. Amanda Baden, a Professor and the Doctoral Program Director at Montclair State University in the graduate counseling program and a licensed psychologist in private practice in Manhattan. She is an adult adoptee from Hong Kong and an adoptive parent of a daughter from China.
In this episode, we cover:

What are microaggessions in general and how do they apply to adoption?
These microaggressions apply to all members of the adoption kinship network (adoptees; adoptive parents, grandparents, siblings; first/birth parents/grandparents).
Where do some of the unconscious attitudes and stigmas toward adoption come from?
Common microaggression themes for adoptees:
- biology is best/normative is based upon the belief that biological ties are superior, more permanent, and more authentic than ties formed through adoption or foster care
- bad seed adoptees or damaged goods
- grateful adoptees, a third theme, refers to the idea of adoptees as both lucky and privileged to have been adopted
- cultural limbo and invalidation of heritage
What are some of the microagressions against birth parents?
What are some of the microaggressions against adoptive parents?
Lack of intent to hurt.
How can microsaggressions impact the mental health?

Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Can You Adopt Out of State? - Weekend Wisdom Feb 04, 2024

Question: Is it possible to adopt a child from another state, provided that all parental rights were terminated on both mother and father’s sides? What extra complications or legalities do families adopting out of state face?
Resources:

Adopting a Child Out of State (Parent Training Education Course)
Foster Care Adoption
Domestic Infant Adoption
Working with an Adoption Attorney

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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How to Create a Compelling Adoptive Parent Profile Jan 31, 2024

How can you create an adoptive parent profile to help you stand out and show what makes you unique? To find out, join our guests Erin Quick, the Founder and CEO of PairTree and an adoptive mom, and Jess Nelson, the profile creation provider at Pairtree and a two-time birth mom.
In this episode, we cover:

What are Adoptive Parent Profiles?
What other names might they go by?
Each agency or attorney has their own preference, but the goal is to be yourself and to represent your family honestly.
What are the different ways that agencies use profiles?
Do agencies share your home study with the expectant mom or couple?
How many profiles is an expectant mother or couple usually given to look at?
Does each adoption agency or adoption attorney have different info they want you to share?
What are the elements of a “good” profile?
What should be on your cover?
What sections/topics should you include?
Should you discuss your thoughts on openness in adoption?
Is a “closing “important?
How many pictures should you include in an adoptive parent profile?
Are captions to the pictures important?
Quality of the pictures.
Should you include a video if your adoption portfolio is digital?
What type of pictures should you avoid?
How to handle pictures with alcohol in them?
Is there anything different you would suggest for single prospective parents? female and male
Is there anything different you would suggest for LGBTQ+ prospective adoptive parents?
How do you show your family support when you do not have a close family because of death or estrangement?
What if your house or apartment does not look good or does not photograph well?
What format should you use: hardback book, booklet, online, or stapled together?
How many copies should you print?
How important is the adoptive parent portfolio in the expectant parent’s decision-making?
What is the experience like for an expectant mom or couple to go through profiles.
- Birth Parent Experiences in Adoption (1 hour Creating a Family podcast)
- A Panel of Birth Moms Talk About Adoption (1 hour Creating a Family podcast)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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How Are Foster Care Adoption Matches Made? - Weekend Wisdom Jan 28, 2024

Question: How are pre-adoptive matches made in foster care? I’ve heard that families may even need to network with social workers to be noticed when possible matches come up, but I’m not sure how matches are made.
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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An Adoption Memoir with Susan Ito Jan 24, 2024

Join us for a wonderful discussion with author and performer Susan Kiyo Ito about her new memoir, I Would Meet You Anywhere. This is a book adoptive parents should read!
In this episode, we cover:

It felt like much of the tension between you and your birth mother was due to her desire to keep you a secret and your desire to be seen. And also her desire to be in control of this relationship.
The harsh reality that adoption reunions between adoptees and birth families can be fraught with lots of conflicting emotions. In the book I Would Meet You Anywhere, you describe this tension. “Once again, I was the secret held by our mother. I was wilting under the weight of all the not telling. Still, I couldn't resist Yumi’s siren call. I would crash on the rocks of her.”
It’s not about us—the adoptive parents. It was your quest to be whole. Talk with us about your relationship with your parents—your adoptive parents –and yet still feeling a longing to understand and connect with your biological parents and roots.
Did reunion change your concept of what family is?
Primal wound.
Why is the phrase “You’re so lucky” so off the mark, even for someone like you who had what seems like a loving, not idyllic, but fine upbringing?
Japanese American parents raised you, but you sometimes felt not Japanese enough because of your white biological father. How have you made meaning out of your “biracialness”?
The importance of being in a community with other adopted people.
Has your birth mother read the book, and if so, has it impacted your relationship?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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What Do You Wish You Had Known Before You Adopted? - Weekend Wisdom Jan 21, 2024

Question: We are in the process of deciding whether to adopt, we have decided to give up on fertility treatment. As I listened to your podcast, I thought it would be good to ask you what you wish you had known before you had adopted?
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Adoption Tax Credit 2023 Jan 17, 2024

Could you qualify for the Adoption Tax Credit? Find out by listening to this podcast with Becky Wilmoth, an Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist with Bill’s Tax Service, and Josh Kroll, the Adoption Subsidy Resource Center coordinator at Families Rising (formerly the NACAC).
In this episode, we cover:

What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2023 federal taxes?
What is a “credit” and how does it differ from a deduction or some other form of tax savings?
If you get a tax refund every year, how would you use the Adoption Tax Credit?
If you don’t have any federal tax liability, should you still apply the credit to your federal income taxes?
What type of adoptions are included or excluded? Stepparent adoption? Embryo adoption? Same-sex partner second parent adoption? Unmarried heterosexual second parent adoption? Surrogacy?
Can you get credit for each adoption you complete even if completed in the same year? What about adopting siblings at the same time?
What is a Qualified Adoption Expense for purposes of the Adoption Tax Credit 2022?
When can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit?
- Domestic private adoption
- International Adoption
- Re-adoption in the US for international adoption
- Foster Care Adoption
How does the Adoption Tax Credit work with kinship adoptions? What if the child never was involved with the foster care?
Special Needs Adoption: How does the Adoption Tax Credit differ for adoptions from foster care? What does the IRS accept as proof of “special needs”?
$0 subsidy agreement
Special needs child for international adoption
Can you reclaim your expenses for an attempted adoption that did not result in a placement? How?
What income level (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) is excluded from claiming the Adoption Tax Credit in 2022?
How long can the credit be carried over?
Are you able to amend previous year tax return to claim adoption tax credit? Is adoption tax credit something you can amend for, and if so, how do you amend and how many years back?
Will the Adoption Tax Credit offset self-employment tax?
How does the Secure Act impact claiming the Adoption Tax Credit for 2023 taxes?
What should you do if the child’s Social Security Number is unavailable when you file?
- Should you use an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN #) if you don’t have the child’s social security number?
How does the Adoption Tax Credit work in conjunction with employee adoption benefits? For special needs adoption?
Qualified Birth or Adoption Distribution from Qualified Retirement Plan without penalty. Under Secure Act.
If you adopt, can you still get the Child Tax Credit?
What do you need in order to get the Child Tax Credit for your adopted child?
Do you need to send to the IRS any documentation for the Adoption Tax Credit when you file your taxes? What type of documentation should you keep in your records?
How to find a tax specialist knowledgeable on the Adoption Tax Credit? https://adoptiontaxcredit.org
How to advocate for refundability?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

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What Questions to Ask Before Adopting From Foster Care - Weekend Wisdom Jan 14, 2024

Question: What questions should a pre-adoptive family ask about a possible match when adopting from foster care to determine whether the match would be a good fit for the family?
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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How to Adopt in 2024 Jan 10, 2024

Are you considering adopting this year? Don't miss this podcast on how to adopt in 2024. Our guests are Teresa Bernu, the Associate Director at the Adoption Center of Illinois, and Steve Valdez, the Chief Operating Officer at Hand in Hand International Adoptions. Teresa Bernu has over 13 years of experience in the child welfare field, dealing with a wide range of cases, including domestic infant adoption, foster care, and guardianship. Steve Valdez holds a B.A. in Public Relations, a Master of Divinity, and an M.A. in Psychology. He’s an adopted dad of 5 kids through foster care adoption.
In this episode, we cover:
Domestic infant private adoption in the US

What is the process?
What are the reasons that pregnant moms are placing their child?
Open adoption
Expectant parent choice
Special needs of children available
How long does it take? What factors influence this time?
How much does it cost? What factors influence this cost?
Adoption agency and adoption attorney
What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting a baby?

Adoptions from foster care in the US

What is the process?
Adopting your foster child
Adopting a waiting child
What are the reasons that children come into foster care in the US?
What age and race of child is available for adoption from foster care?
Special needs?
How long does it take?
How much does it cost?
What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting from foster care?

International adoptions to the US

What is the process?
What types of special needs do children available for adoption from abroad have?
How long does it take? What factors influence this time?
How much does it cost? What factors influence this cost?
What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting internationally?

Additional resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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How Does an Average Person Pay for Adoption?!? - Weekend Wisdom Jan 07, 2024

Adoption:

We surveyed our Facebook community, and we discuss how our members paid for their adoptions.

How to Save for Adoption the Dave Ramsey Way
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

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Fostering or Adopting as a Single Person Jan 03, 2024

Have you thought about adopting or fostering as a single parent? Join us to listen to a panel of single adoptive parents share the joys and challenges of this option.
In this episode, we cover:

What were your biggest worries when you were thinking about fostering or adopting as a single person?
Adopting or fostering a child of a different gender—what are some things parents need to consider?
Who is a part of your “village” in helping you?
How do you handle the work/life balance as a single parent?
Change in friend groups.
What has been your biggest blessing or joy as a single adoptive or foster parent?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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I Want to Foster, But My Husband Doesn't - Weekend Wisdom Dec 31, 2023

Question: I want to foster children, but my husband is against it. Our kids are 5 and 3 years old, and I really want to keep on having kids through fostering. I think I’m a good mom, and I think I’d do great at fostering. My husband thinks we have our hands full with 2 kids. He thinks adding other kids with possible behavioral problems will sink us.
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids Dec 27, 2023

How can we raise joyful resilient kids? We talk with Dr. Mona Delahooke, a clinical child psychologist and the author of Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids.

In this episode, we cover:

“Too often we are focused on the child’s behavior instead of the child. We are concerned about solving problems rather than cultivating the relationship.”
A child’s behavior is a clue for us parents to understand what is going on inside the child.
No one-size fits all approach to child rearing. What’s most important isn’t the rules, but the child. We must understand how our parenting is landing on our child. Personalize our parenting.
Three pathways to the mind-body platform.
Body budgeting.
The distinction between behaviors that seems to be defensive but are actually protective.
How do you approach tantrums in a preschooler?
How to co-regulate with our child and why?
How to build resiliency in our children?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Kids Do Well When They Can - Weekend Wisdom Dec 24, 2023

Parenting kids exposed to trauma is hard. Sometimes, it is very hard, but these families can thrive. In an interview with Creating a Family, Dr. Ross Greene, a Harvard Psychology professor, stressed that it was crucial for parents of children exposed to trauma to realize that kids want to do well, and if they are struggling, it is likely because they are lacking a specific skill needed to succeed.
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Rituals to Build Strong Families Dec 20, 2023

Join us to learn about family rituals—how to create and why you should. Our guest will be Elizabeth Barbour is the author of a new book “Sacred Celebrations: Designing Rituals to Navigate Life’s Milestone Transitions”. She’s also a reunited adoptee and an adoptive mom.
In this episode, we cover:

Why are rituals important for families?
- Define the culture of family-this is who we are
- This is what we do
What’s the difference between rituals and routines?
What’s the difference between rituals and habits?
Examples of family rituals.
- Family meetings,
- kid/parent dates,
- game nights
- gratitude practices
- prayer and meditation
- family altars
- travel
- volunteering together
When families are created through adoption, any specific rituals that can help them?

Tips

Keep it simple
Get input from all members of the family
Consistency

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Should I Stop Infertility Treatments and Try Another Option? - Weekend Wisdom Dec 17, 2023

Question: How do you know when it is time to stop infertility treatments and move on to another option, including adoption?
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Connecting with Teens Dec 13, 2023

Do you dread the teen years? Or, if you're in the midst of parenting teens, do you struggle to find ways to connect? This week, we interview Dr. Melody Aguayo, a parenting coach specializing in working with at-risk children and their families and the founder of Real Child Consulting, LLC. She is the mom of two adopted kids.
In this episode, we cover:

Parents wonder why their easy and natural connection with their kids changed, and they now feel on the outs and have to work harder. What is the developmental stage that is happening between the ages of about 13 and 18 or 19?
Teens act like they don’t need us when I believe they need us even more to be present, but in a distinctly different way. I think that our emotions as a parent can sometimes interfere with connecting.
Change our expectation of what “connection” means with teens.
Parents report feeling powerless in parenting when their kids reach their teen years. What is the essence of our power as parents?
Our goals for our teens are to become responsible and independent. How can we parent in such a way to foster these goals?
Let’s address some common issues we face when parenting teens:
- Arguing. How do you turn an argument into a conversation?
- Spending too much time on technology
- Running with the wrong crowd
Tips for connecting and building trust and appreciation with your teen!

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Having Two Kids the Same Age When Adopting or Fostering - Weekend Wisdom Dec 10, 2023

Additional Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Adopting From Foster Care Dec 06, 2023

Have you ever considered adopting a child from foster care? Check out our interview with Erica Jourdan, the Founder of Adoption Options Consulting, where she provides support to families looking to adopt older children from foster care. She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) at Flourish Counseling and Wellness. And Angelica Jones, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and the Intensive Service Foster Care Recruiter and Trainer at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services in Los Angeles. She is a current foster parent and has experience working with prospective and adoptive parents in the foster care program.
In this episode, we cover:

What are the different ways to adopt from foster care? (adopting children whose parental rights have already been terminated or adopting a child who you have been fostering when their parental rights are terminated)
What types of kids are available for adoption from foster care? Age, gender, race, sibling group?
Is adopting a very young child or baby from foster care possible?
What are the special needs that these children might have? Trauma, prenatal exposure, ADHD, etc.
Can you adopt a child from foster care across state lines?
What should prospective parents think about when considering different ages of children to adopt?
What should prospective parents think about when considering a sibling group for adoption?
How to find children currently available for adoption? AdoptUSKids, State Heart Galleries, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids
What are the basic differences between adopting and fostering in foster care?
Who can adopt from foster care?
- Can singles men and women adopt from foster care?
- Can LGBTQ+ parents adopt?
- What are the education requirements? Do you have to have graduated from high school, or college?
- Can you adopt if you have a criminal background?
- Do you have to own your own home?
- Do you have to make a certain amount of money in order to adopt from foster care?
How much does it cost to adopt from foster care?
Is an adoption subsidy usually available?
Medicaid is usually available.
What happens if you think the child might have problems in the future due to things, such as prenatal exposure, but is not currently showing any issues due to age? (if you have questions, contact Families Rising (Formerly known as NACAC, North American Council on. Adoptable Children))
How does the Adoption Tax Credit apply to adoptions from foster care?
What is the process for someone wanting to adopt from foster care?
Home study requirements?
How much education or training is required?
Do you have to use the state agency or can you use a private agency? What is the difference between the two? Does it depend on what state you live in?
What are some questions to ask when choosing an agency?
How to transition a child into your home for adoption (if you aren't the foster parent) in the most child-centric way?
Post-adoption contact or openness with birth parents, siblings, or birth grandparents.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Living with a Picky Eater - Weekend Wisdom Dec 03, 2023

Question: My nephew came to live with us last March. He’s a great kid who deserves better than he had, but his pickiness with food is driving me crazy. He eats only white carbs. Even his mac and cheese has to have white cheese on it.
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Understanding Adoption: Voices From All Sides Nov 29, 2023

Join us for a discussion of how adoption looks and feels from all sides of the adoption triad. Our guests will be the authors Sara Easterly, Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and Lori Holden of their new book, Adoption Unfiltered .
In this episode, we cover:

Adoptee Perspective:
23 adoptees contributed to this section of the book.
What are some of the issues adoptees may face?
Compliance and people-pleasing
Fantasy Attachments
Shame
Interracial Adoptees
The Danger in the Rescue Narrative
Role of religion in adoption for adoptees, birth mothers/expectant mothers, and adoptive parents

Birth Mother:
Before birth mothers get the chance to ask for help, they ask for mercy.
Advertisements and search algorithms when searching for adoption information
Lack of neutral support
Lack of post-placement support—lingering trauma and grief—It’s a different type of grief and trauma.

Adoptive Parent
Insecurity—who’s the real parent

Adoption Unfiltered Online

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Shouldn't I Be Feeling Happier Now That I'm Finally a Mom? - Weekend Wisdom Nov 26, 2023

Q: I adopted my son four months ago. It took me almost 3 years, and I am supposed to be living my dream. Instead, I feel frustrated, sad, and sometimes even angry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s not like my hormones are all messed up from giving birth.
Resources:

Post Adoption Depression
Creating a Family Online Facebook Support Group for Adoptive, Foster, & Kinship Parents
Parenting After Infertility

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Sticky Situations That Arise During the Holidays Nov 22, 2023

Join us as we talk about various holiday-related situations that can arise with foster, adoptive, and kinship families. Our guests will be Janice Goldwater, MSW, the CEO of Paths for Families; Courtney Tierra, a birth mom, educator, and storyteller; and Christa Hefel, MPH with the State of Iowa Four Oaks Foster and Adoptive Family Connections, and foster mom and mom of 10 children through birth and adoption.
In this episode, we talk about:

Incorporating very different traditions around the holidays. Differences in gift-giving styles.
Managing expectations of gifts
Incorporating birth family
How do we handle grandparents/older relatives who are very vocal about current affairs, race issues, politics, government systems (foster system) in earshot of kids?
Child is of a different religion or no religion. If the holiday is religious, how to handle with adoption or fostering?
What do you do when grandparents show a clear preference for biological grandchildren?
And we answer some of our listeners questions.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Are You Considering Embryo Donation or Embryo Adoption? - Weekend Wisdom Nov 19, 2023

The Ethics Committee of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine has stated that the correct term for donating unused embryos to another couple for family building is embryo donation rather than embryo adoption. But since many people looking for information on this option continue to call it embryo adoption, we sometimes use both terms to aid in finding our materials. Further, there are a few adoption agencies that have an embryo donation program; they follow an adoption model, and they call it embryo adoption.
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Triplets Separated at Birth Nov 15, 2023

You're really going to want to tune in to hear the story of triplets separated at birth through adoption. It is particularly interesting to hear how they have processed the experience differently and how they feel about adoption.
In this episode, we talk about:

Kathleen’s (the birth mom) experience. Why did she decide to place two of the babies for adoption?
When did you find out you were triplets?
What was the agreement at the time of adoption about the degree of openness?
Was this openness agreement followed, and how do you feel about that?
The podcast focuses on the loss of the sibling connection. How did the separation affect each of you?
How do/did Kendall and Julianne feel the loss of your birth mom and not being parented by her?
Primal Wound?
The focus in the podcast, understandably, was on the reunion of the three sisters. However, I’m curious about the reunion between Jules and Kenny and Kathleen, their birth mom.
Feeling the odd one out?
Donor conception? Who was the driving force behind finding the sperm donor?
Did connecting with the donor fulfill anything for you?
What are the lingering impacts of having been separated at birth?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Can You Adopt a Baby From Foster Care? - Weekend Wisdom Nov 12, 2023

Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Adopting a Child From Another State Nov 08, 2023

If you are thinking about adoption, you've likely considered the possibility that you will be adopting a child in another state. In this episode, we talk about everything involved with this process. Our guests are Jim Thompson, an adoption attorney and the author of the book South Carolina Adoption Law and Practice. He has been a Fellow of the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys since 1993 and Joan Smith, the District Supervisor of the Pittsburgh office of Adoptions From the Heart.
In this episode, we cover:
Infant Adoption

Is it possible to adopt an infant in another state?
How does a prospective adoptive parent find an expectant mother in another state?
What things must prospective adoptive parents be cautious of when looking for expectant parents in another state, especially if they are not working with an adoption professional?
How does the domestic infant adoption process differ when the adoptive parents and the expectant moms live in different states?
What is the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC)?
What are the steps on the ICPC as it applies to domestic infant adoption?
What state’s adoption laws will be used for the adoption?
How long should adoptive parents expect the ICPC process to take?

Adopting from Foster Care (relative adoption and non-relative adoptions)

Is it possible to adopt a child from foster care in another state?
Can you foster a child in foster care in another state?
How do you find a child in foster care in another state legally free to adopt?
How does the foster care adoption process differ when the prospective adoptive parents and the child live in different states?
What are the steps with the ICPC as it applies to foster care adoption?
How do visitations between the adoptive family and the child work?
How are adoption subsidies handled when adopting a foster child from another state?
Which state pays the adoption subsidy?
How are health care benefits or Medicaid handled?

Resources:
AdoptUSKids Understanding Interstate Adoption
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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What Is Happening with International Adoptions? - Weekend Wisdom Nov 05, 2023

Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Adoption Disruptions & Dissolutions, How to Prevent and When to Accept Nov 01, 2023

Do you worry that you've gotten in over your head by adopting this child. Are you about ready to give up. Or do you want to do everything possible to make sure that your adoption doesn't fall apart? Join us to talk with Dr. Eshele Williams, Director of the Creating Stability During Change Model of Practice for Resource Family Disruption Prevention and Retention. She was also a birth child in foster adoptive kinship family. Dr. Eileen Pasztor is a Prof. Emerita, California State University at Long Beach School of Social Work, and foster and adoptive parent.
In this episode, we cover:

What terms do we use for an adoption that falls apart? What is the distinction between adoption dissolution and adoption disruption?
What does the research show about how common adoption dissolutions are?
What are the stages a family goes through before they decide to end an adoption?
Why do families struggle post-adoption to the point of considering dissolving the adoption?
- CWLA's new Compendium book chapter on adoption in the section on Trending Topics and Issues relating to disruption and dissolution. “Studies that have examined the risk factors related to disruption and dissolution reveal multiple reasons for postadoption instability, including factors relating to the children, their families, and the agencies (White, 2016).
- Unrealistic expectations. Not fully understanding the impact of trauma.
  - How can we help families manage expectations and form realistic expectations prior to the adoption?
  - It’s easy to “blame” the child, but what can parents do to prepare in advance for some of the possible realities of adopting a child?
- Child behavioral issues (Physical issues are seldom the cause for an adoption failing. Emotional issues are a far more common cause.)
- Issues between children already in the family with the new child.
- Lack of adequate resources and support and a family’s ability to pay for them.
- Lack of insurance coverage for mental health.
- Marital strains caused by parenting a child who has challenging behaviors.
Steps to Stability
Prevention/Intervention strategies?
Where should families go for help if they are struggling?
How can families know when they have given it enough time?
If you believe that an adoption is going to fail, what steps should a parent take to make it less damaging to the child?
Who should the families first contact when they have made up their minds?
How to dissolve an adoption legally?
Parents worry about being found negligent and/or paying child support. How realistic is that fear?
What if parents want to dissolve the adoption to get help in paying for the treatment that their child needs but would still like to remain in the child’s life?
How can we support families before they give up?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Advice from Experts If You Haven't Gotten an Adoption Match - Weekend Wisdom Oct 29, 2023

Q: We’ve applied to adopt an infant but haven’t received a match. What can we do?
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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The Holidays with Adopted, Foster, or Kinship Kids Who've Been Exposed to Trauma Oct 25, 2023

Does it feel like your child is sabotaging the holidays? Are there more tantrums, sullenness, and anxiety during the holiday season? We explore why and what to do about it with Rebecca Robotham, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Beehive Counseling & Wellness in Connecticut. She is also an adoptee and former foster child.
In this episode, we cover:

There are many sources of trauma for children, and many adopted and foster children have experienced trauma before they come to our homes. We’re talking neglect, prenatal exposure, abuse, domestic violence, and the actual act of being removed from your parents.
How can trauma impact children? Both physically and emotionally?
What is it about the holidays that makes it hard for kids with trauma? (change in routine, lots of people, bringing up memories, over-stimulation, change in diet, distracted parents, build-up of anticipation, let down after the fact…)
What type of behaviors might you see? (more tantrums, dysregulation, “sabotaging” the holidays, sibling bickering, depression, sullenness, anxiety, …)
How can families do the holidays differently to help kids who have experienced trauma?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

How to Become a Foster Parent - Weekend Wisdom Oct 22, 2023

Q: Now that our youngest is in high school, we want to become foster parents but don’t know where to begin.
Resources:

How to Choose an Adoption Agency (Guide)
Becoming a Foster Parent (Resource page)
Working as Part of a Foster Care Team (Resource page)
Suggested Books for Foster Care Parents

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Adoption Scams: How to Recognize and Prevent Oct 18, 2023

Do you worry about being scammed in a domestic infant adoption? How can you prevent scams and recognize red flags for a failed adoption match? Join us to talk with Colleen Quinn, an adoption attorney at the Adoption & Surrogacy Law Center in Richmond, VA, with 34 years of experience in adoption law. She is the co-author of the last five editions of the VA CLE Adoption Procedures and Forms.

In this episode, we discuss:

Adoption scams can fall into four general categories:
- those against adoptive parents by expectant or supposedly pregnant women,
- those by brokers or facilitators who are not licensed or may not be legal,
- those by adoption agencies and attorneys agains adoptive parents.
- those done by adoptive against expectant/birth parents.
What are the typical adoption scams perpetrated by expectant women against prospective adoptive parents or adoption agencies or attorneys?
How much can adoptive parents pay an expectant mother for living expenses, clothes, transportation, food, etc.?
What are some ways to prevent being scammed. Red flags for an adoption scam?
- Insist on Video calls and then move to in-person meetings.
- Ask for HiPPA release to see medical records
- Don’t provide cash directly to the expectant parent.
- Work with an experienced adoption agency or adoption attorney.
What should adoptive families know and ask about unidentified birth fathers?
What are ways adoptive parents can prevent becoming a victim of an adoption scam or adoption fraud?
What are warning signs that an expectant woman does not plan to go through with the adoption? Note that this is not necessarily or even commonly the same thing as an adoption scam.
- Watch for the placing parents wanting to name the child.
- Wanting to take the baby home for a few days.
- Terms used by the expectant parent—your baby vs. my family.
- If placing their 3rd or 4th child more often not to place a full sibling and the couple is still to
- Secrecy Not telling her mom
- Grandmom doesn’t agree with placement
- How soon they fill out the forms that we send.
- Slow walk the Hippa forms.
- Not following through with their attorney
- More fall through with adoptive parents
- Not getting good adoption options counseling in person that asks the hard questions. This type of counseling really help her think through.
- Overly or under-emotional about the adoption plan.
While not necessarily a scam, how common is it for expectant mothers to not be fully open about prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol?
Acts by brokers or facilitators who are not acting legally?
Acts by adoption agencies and attorneys against adoptive parents.
Adoption scams/fraud against expectant parents or birth parents? (open adoption, fertility treatment, back out of the arrangement)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatinga

Support the Show.

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Tips for Creating Attachment - Weekend Wisdom Oct 15, 2023

Q. We took in my cousin’s 4-year-old last month. We thought it might be temporary, but it’s looking like it will be for a long time and maybe forever. The problem is that this little boy has gone through a lot because his mom is a drug user and never really was a parent. He is very withdrawn and doesn’t seem to want to attach or let us get close in any way. Any help would be appreciated.
Resources:

Attachment Help (Resource)
6 Tips for Creating Attachment (Article)
Parenting the Challenging Child While Maintaining Attachment (Free Course)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Foster Care Adoption Subsidies Oct 11, 2023

Are you hoping to adopt from foster care. Don't miss this discussion of adoption subsidies with Josh Kroll, Project Coordinator for the Adoption Subsidy Resource Center at Families Rising (formerly known as the North American Council on Adoptable Children).
In this episode, we cover:

What are adoption subsidies?
What other names are used for “adoption subsidies”? Adoption Agreements, Adoption Assistance, AAP, monthly stipend. Is there a difference between these?
Who is eligible for foster care adoption subsidies?
Are private adoptions eligible for adoption subsidies? What if the private adoption is of a child with special needs?
Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Is there an income limit for receiving an adoption subsidy?
How is the dollar amount of the subsidy determined, and by whom?
Can kinship providers receive foster care adoption subsidies?
What other things can be included in an adoption subsidy agreement other than a monetary monthly stipend?
Does the money have to be spent directly and solely on the foster child, or can it be used to benefit the whole family or the foster child only tangentially—such as adding a bedroom so that kids don’t have to share or a family vacation?
What about situations where the child is either too young to be displaying needs or is not displaying needs, but the parents have reason to believe that the child will have needs as they age? How can they negotiate for future needs?
How to handle adoption subsidies when you are adopting an infant with prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs?
What other type of things might be included in adoption assistance? College tuition assistance/grant/tuition waiver?
How is residential treatment covered?
What if you face a difficult negotiation?
How can people get information about what particular states usually grant for adoption subsidies? https://nacac.org/help/adoption-assistance/
How are adoption assistance/adoption subsidies handled if I’m adopting a foster child from another state?
What should adoptive parents do if they believe that the adoption subsidy that is being offered is not enough?

Resources:

Families Rising (formerly NACAC)
- Josh Kroll contact info:
  800-470-6665 ext 115
  joshk@nacac.org
Ndrn.org

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Support the Show.

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How Much Does It Cost to Adopt a Newborn Baby? - Weekend Wisdom Oct 08, 2023

What factors do you need to consider when budgeting for the cost to adopt a baby?
Additional Resources:

What type of adoption would be the best fit for you?
Cost of working with an agency vs. working with an attorney.
Adoption Tax Credit

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Advocating For Your Child with Prenatal Substance Exposure Oct 04, 2023

Do you suspect or know that your child was prenatally exposed to alcohol or drugs? Join us to learn the best ways to advocate for that child, including how to get diagnosed. Our guest is Jenn Wisdahl, the Chief Operating Officer of FASD United and proud parent to 3 young adults with FASD. Jenn leads the FASD United federal legislative and policy agenda.
In this episode, we cover:

Why is it important to get a diagnosis of one of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) or prenatal drug exposure for your child?
- In the US, FASD is not a diagnosis but rather an umbrella term that encompasses a range of life-long diagnosable medical and mental health conditions that can occur when there is prenatal alcohol exposure, even prior to recognition of pregnancy.
  - Neurobehavioral Disorder Associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (ND-PAE)
  - Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND)
  - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
  - Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (PFAS)
  - Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD)
Increase in alcohol use during the pandemic.
Why is it so hard for parents to get a diagnosis of FASD for their child?
What should parents do to get a diagnosis?
What is the average age of diagnosis of FAS or FASD?
How does getting a diagnosis or prenatal drug exposure differ from getting a FASD diagnosis?
Another opportunity for parents to advocate for their child is in the school system. What are some of the typical issues a child with prenatal substance exposure to alcohol and drugs may face in school?
What are some of the ways a parent can advocate for their child in the education system?
Another way parents can advocate for their child is through the Registry of Unmet Needs and Innovation waivers.
FASD Respect Act. (Go to FASD United’s website and click on the policy center to get started.)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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What Are Two Pieces of Advice If You Are Considering Stopping Infertility Treatment and Moving to Adoption? - Weekend Wisdom Oct 01, 2023

Carole LieberWilkins, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in reproductive medicine, adoption, and family-building options, answers this question with advice for couples.
Additional Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Transracial Adoptees Teach Us About Adoption Sep 27, 2023

What do transracial adoptees think about being adopted by parents of a different race? Join us for a panel of transracial adoptees talking about all things adoption.

In this episode, we cover:

Transracial adoption includes white parents of black, biracial, Asian, and Latinx children, as well as adoptive parents of color adopting white children.
Tell us your adoption story.
How did your parents treat adoption? How did and does that make you feel about being adopted?
When did you realize that you were a different race from your parents?
How did your parents treat race, specifically your race, when you were young?
What is wrong with taking a color-blind approach to transracial adoption?
Was it a struggle for you to identify as an adult of your race?
What did your parent do to aid your racial identity formation?
Transracially adopted children need tools to maneuver through life as a member of their racial group. When they are young, they are protected from this reality, but this changes as they enter adolescence. What tools did your parents use and what tools did you need?
How can transracially adopted people or their parents find mentors and role models of color?
Were you ever embarrassed by being of a different race than your parents?
Importance of finding a community of other adopted people.
What is the most important thing, if any, your parent did to ensure/instill racial identity and pride as Caucasian parents who adopt a Black or Asian or Latina child?
Tips for parents either considering transracial adoption or already in the midst of parenting transracially adopted kids.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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8 Tips for Handling Lying, Stealing, and Cheating - Weekend Wisdom Sep 24, 2023

Q: I just recently found out my 14-year-old has stolen makeup more than once from different stores. I caught her this past weekend, and she said she did it once, but I went through her bedroom and found makeup stashed in a pillow, and I know I didn’t buy it. She gets straight A's in school, and I thought she was a trustworthy person. I just don’t know what to do.
Additional Resources:

Podcast: Parenting Tips for Lying, Stealing & Other Annoying Behaviors
Article: Lying & Stealing: How to Parent Challenging Behaviors
Prenatal Substance Exposure Resources

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Raising an Anti-Racist Child Sep 20, 2023

Do you want to be part of the solution to the inequity that exists in our country? If so, one of the best things you can do is raise your child to be anti-racist. Join our conversation with Tiffany Jewell, the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, This Book is Anti-Racist and The Anti-Racist Kid.
In this episode, we cover:

At what age do kids notice race? And does this age differ in the US depending on the child's skin color?
Why not teach our kids to be colorblind?
How do the books we read, the movies we watch, the friends we make, the doctors we visit, and the conversations we have at home all shape our children’s views of race?
What’s the difference between not being racist and being anti-racist?
Is there a difference between how a White parent and a Black parent should approach raising an anti-racist child?
Practical Tips for Parents

Resources:

The Anti-Racist Kid by Tiffany Jewell
4 Tips to Raising an Anti-Racist Kid by Creating a Family
Resources for finding great children’s books:
- Diverse Book Finder is a fantastic website that allows you to search for children’s books based on specific categories (e.g., biographies, oppression/resistance; crossing divides, etc.), race/culture (e.g., African American, brown-skinned but race unidentified, Latinx, Asian, Middle Eastern, Bi/Multiracial, etc.), country, religion, etc.
- The Brown Bookshelf highlights Black voices writing for young readers.
- The Conscious Kid is an education, research, and policy organization that promotes children’s books centered on underrepresented and oppressed groups. They have a book of the month subscription service and a terrific list of books by Black authors that center, reflect, and affirm Black children of all ages. You can also follow them on Instagram to learn about these books.
- Jane Addams Peace Association, Children's Book Awards
EmbraceRace.org – Resource site formed by black and multi-racial parents with tools for parenting kids of color.
One Talk at a Time – Providing support for Latinx American, Asian American, African American, and Black youth and their families to have conversations about race and ethnicity. In recognition that the issues may differ depending on the ethnicity, they have a separate section for Black, Asian, and Latinx parents.
Creating a Family’s Transracial Adoption resource page – a variety of resources specific to families created through transracial adoption. We have an extensive collection of blog posts, news articles, expert Q & A’s, and radio shows/podcasts specific to multi-racial families formed through adoption.
Between the World and Me – by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Written as a letter to his teenage son about being Black

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Should You Step in to Parent Your Grandniece or Grandchild? - Weekend Wisdom Sep 17, 2023

Q: I’m 67 years old. My niece has gotten involved bad with drugs. Her 5 and 3 year old were taken away from her and now the child welfare agency wants to know if I will take them. My niece has been doing drugs a long time and I honestly don’t know if she’s ever going to be able to get them back. I feel like I don’t have a choice.
Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Helping Your Child Cope With Living in a Scary World Sep 13, 2023

Is your child scared of school shootings, tornadoes, climate change, and on and on? Do you want to learn how to help them not get stuck in these fears? Join us as we talk with Dr. Melissa Goldberg Mintz is a clinical psychologist based in Houston, Texas. She is the author of the book, "Has Your Child Been Traumatized: How to Know and What to Do to Promote Healing and Recovery."
In this episode, we cover:

The world feels scary.
- Covid
- School shootings
- Police shootings
- Weather event
- Wildfires
Our kids are struggling.
- Pediatric mental health hospitalizations have increased and intensified. More than eight in 10 public schools have seen stunted behavioral and social-emotional development in their students since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 57 percent of teen girls and 29 percent of teen boys reported feeling “persistently sad or hopeless” over the past year.
Many of the children being raised by the parents in our audience have experienced trauma before, but it feels like more kids are being shaken by current events.
Is there a distinction between trauma with a “T” and little “t” trauma?
How do we know if our child has been traumatized, regardless of whether it is an event outside of their personal world or an event that they are involved in?
What are the symptoms of trauma and how to they vary by age of the child? (pre-school, school-aged, adolescents)
Why do some kids seem to take all the troubling world events in stride while others struggle? And why do some kids seem to bounce back quickly from troubling events that happen to them directly? What makes a child resilient?
The top question on most parents’ mind is, “Will my child be OK?”
What can parents do to help when their child is struggling with coping with all the scary things in our world?
It’s tempting to be lenient and not enforce rules when we see our child struggling. Is this the best approach?
What life skills can parents teach that will help their child be more resilient and able to cope with scary world events?
How do we know if our child is stuck and not moving past their fears with our help?
What types of therapy are available and how can parents decide which one would be best for their child?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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What Surprises New Foster Parents the Most About Fostering? - Weekend Wisdom Sep 10, 2023

Periodically, we survey our online community, and we asked foster parents about what surprised them about fostering?
Resources:

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Helping Parent and Kids Manage Phones, Internet, and Gaming Sep 06, 2023

How old is too young for a phone? Is gaming harmful to our kids? How much technology is too much. We talk with Dr. Jay Berk, a licensed psychologist and an expert in working with children and families. He is the author of two books: “A Parent’s Quick Guide to Electronic Addiction” and “Codeswitching: Social Skills in the Screen-Age”.
In this episode, we cover:
Parents from time immemorial have worried about the impact of the “new technology” and this goes back to our great great great grandparents worrying about the influence of novels to parents of the 50’s worry about too much time on the phone, to parents of the 80s worrying about too much TV, and on to the present where we worry about screen time, texting, and gaming.

We parents are digital “immigrants” while our kids are digital natives. How does this dynamic present challenges?
How to keep up with what our kids are doing?
What are the general best practices for elementary aged kids using digital technology?
- What age should kids be given a phone?
- What are reasonable rules for phone use?
How do things change as our kids each around age 11 or 12 and on into their teen years
How important is the use of digital media to socialize for this generation?
When should parents worry?
- Is the child getting enough sleep?
- Are they eating well?
- Are they getting enough exercise?
- Are they doing well in school?
- Do they have real life friends?
- If so, they are probably just fine.
What are the signs that our kids may be too involved with digital technology or gaming
How much screen time is too much for tweens? For teens?
Do different types of technology have different risks and benefits? Internet? Gaming? Porn?
What are some reasonable rules for families to set in regards to technology, screen time, and gaming?
How to get buy-in from our tweens and teens?
App-tell kid
A challenge particular to families adopting or fostering older children or teens is that often our kids come to us with having had little supervision or rules about internet use? How can we establish healthy habits when the rules are new to them?

Resources:

A Parent’s Quick Guide to Electronic Addiction by Dr. Jay Berk
Center for Parent and Teen Communication: A Fact-Not-Fear Approach to Parenting In the Digital Age https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aNtRhYfA3k
Creating a Family’s Navigating the Internet with Adopted or Foster Tweens and Teens https://creatingafamily.org/adoption-category/adoption-blog/navigating-the-internet-with-adopted-or-foster-tweens-and-teens/
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.

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Should You Disrupt Birth Order When Adopting or Fostering? - Weekend Wisdom Sep 03, 2023

Q: We have 3 children by birth and want to adopt a child that really needs a home. Given our kids' ages, this will probably mean that we will disrupt the birth order of at least some of our kids. The agency we have talked with is definitely against this idea. Is this something that is harmful to kids?
Resources:

Disrupting Birth Order Resources
Suggest Books for Kids on Preparing Children for the Adoption of a Sibling

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Coming to Terms with Infertility Grief Before You Adopt or Foster Aug 30, 2023

Are you thinking about stopping infertility treatment and trying to adopt or foster? Join us to talk with Carole LieberWilkins,a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has specialized in reproductive medicine, adoption, and family-building options since 1986, and is the co-author of the book, Let’s Talk About Egg Donation. Carole serves on the Advisory Board of the US Donor Conceived Council, and is an active member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine Mental Health Professional Group. She is also a mom through adoption and egg donation.
In this episode, we cover:

Adoptive parenting is the same as, and very different from, genetic parenting. Ways in which raising adopted children is different. Ways in which it is the same.
Fostering has some significant differences from genetic parenting, including adopting from foster care.
What are the losses of infertility?
How to know when you are ready to stop fertility treatments and move to adoption or fostering? What are the signs of readiness?
The myth of needing to do everything that you can to become pregnant before moving to adoption or third-party reproduction.
How have the advances in infertility medicine changed the landscape of moving to adoption or fostering?
Accepting Plan B without making the child feel like second best.
How to know when you are ready to foster or adopt from foster care.
How to grieve the loss of the biological child that you never had?
Tips for coping with the losses of infertility.
Coping with the unknowns of adoption or fostering and lack of control.
Adopting while staying in treatment.
Should you go back into infertility treatment after having adopted a child?
How to find a mental health professional that specializes in infertility.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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5 Tips to Prepare Children for the Adoption of a Sibling - Weekend Wisdom Aug 27, 2023

Q: My wife and I plan to adopt a child under the age of 9 from foster care. We have just started taking the classes. My wife has a 9-year-old from a previous relationship, and we want to do everything we can to prepare him in advance for this adoption. Any help is appreciated.
Additional Resources:

Blending Children by Birth and Adoption
Suggested Books for Preparing Your Child for the Adoption of a Sibling
Free Course: The Impact of Fostering & Adopting on Kids Already in the Family

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Problematic Sexual Behavior Aug 23, 2023

Do you worry about what is normal in your child's sexual development? Join us to talk with Roy Van Tassell , a Licensed Professional Counselor in Oklahoma and Director of Trauma and Evidence-based Interventions for Centene Health. He co-chairs the National Child Traumatic Stress Networks’ subcommittee on children with problem sexual behaviors.
Warning: We will be using anatomically correct words and talking about sex, so if this offends you or triggers you, you may want to skip this podcast.

In this episode, we cover:

Typical Sexual Development / Play

What is typical sexual development in children as they age?
What type of sexual play is considered “normal?”
How should parents manage a child’s natural sexual development?

Problematic Sexual Behaviors

What are Problem Sexual Behaviors in Children?
What causes kids and youth to act in socially unacceptable or destructive sexual ways? What factors influence the development of these behaviors?
Child vulnerabilities
- Behavior problems
- Emotional difficulties
- Developmental delays
- Low impulse control
Family vulnerabilities
- Poor supervision
- Single caregiver
Modeling of coercion
- Harsh parenting practices
- Physical abuse
- Domestic violence
Modeling of sexuality
- Sexual abuse
- Modeling/exposure
- Nudity or poor family boundaries
How common are problematic sexual behaviors?
Suggestions for professionals and parents and how to respond to behaviors.
What should parents and caregivers do?
Rules for younger kids
How effective is therapy?
How to find a therapist?
- What training have they had in this area?
- Child development expertise (including sexual development)

Resources:

Taking Action booklets (two booklets) – for children with problematic sexual behaviors (age 12 and younger) and one for 13+
Resources at the National Center on Sexual Behavior of Youth – really good resources for caregivers and parents.
National Center for Exploited Children—for kids to understand safety—teaching them safety skills to protect their own body
Amaze.org—videos for children
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- A.J.’s Story— A Book About Not OK Touches

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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5 Tips for Getting the Social Worker's Attention - Weekend Wisdom Aug 20, 2023

Q: I’ve applied to adopt a waiting child from foster care. We are open to all races, kids up to age 13, and sibling groups up to 3 kids. We applied and then heard nothing. We also applied through AdoptUSKids and also heard nothing. I know the social workers are busy, but this is getting to be ridiculous. How do I get their attention without making them angry at me?
Additional Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Introduction to Domestic Infant Adoption Aug 16, 2023

Are you considering adopting a baby? Join us today to learn more. Our guests will be Karlee Wagner, a Program Supervisor for Infant Adoption and Birth Parent/Pregnancy Services at Children’s Home and LSS in Minnesota (CH/LSS); Erin Quick, the Founder and CEO of PairTree - the organization dedicated to helping families navigate private adoption in the healthiest way possible and mom of two through adoption; and Courtney Lott, the owner and founder of Faithful Adoption Consultants, a consulting service that seeks to walk adoptive families through the adoption process from beginning to end. She is a mom to eight children: six through adoption and two biologically.
In this episode, we cover:

How many domestic private infant adoptions happen in the US each year?
Average cost of adopting a baby in the US.
Average length of time prospective parents wait for an adoption match.
- Creating a Family article: Adoption in the US: How Many? How Much? How Long?
What is the domestic infant adoption process at your agency or organization?
How does the process differ when using an adoption attorney rather than an adoption agency?
How do domestic infant adoptions today differ from how many people think about adoptions?
What type of expectant mom considers adoption for their child?
How many adoptive parent profiles are usually shown to an expectant mom?
What do you see that expectant moms or couples look for when choosing adoptive parents?
Is it harder for single women to be selected by expectant moms or couples?
Is it harder for same-sex couples or singles to be selected by expectant moms or couples?
After an expectant mother or couple chooses an adoptive family, what is the next step?
What type of counseling is available for expectant parents both before and after the adoption is finalized?
What are the ways that different adoption agencies and attorneys handle birth parent expenses?
How early in the pregnancy do adoption agencies and adoption attorneys match expectant moms with adoptive families?
What does open adoption look like?
What percentage of domestic infant adoptions in the US are open?
What are some typical "special needs" that prospective adoptive parents may be faced with in matches? What situations are the hardest for adoptive parents to decide about?
How much information will adoptive parents have in deciding whether they should accept a match?
What factors influence the cost of adoption?
What factors influence how long families wait for an adoption match?
What’s your best advice if someone has applied to adopt an infant and is not getting selected by an expectant mom?
Failed Adoption Matches: How Common? How Costly? How to Survive

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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How Can I Adopt a Baby? - Weekend Wisdom Aug 13, 2023

There are several ways to adopt a baby in the US.

Adopt a newborn or young infant through private adoptions.
Adopt a baby in the US through the foster care system.

Additional resources on infant adoption:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Introduction to Prenatal Substance Exposure Aug 09, 2023

Are you considering adopting or fostering? Or taking in a relative's child? Do you suspect or know that the birth mom used drugs or alcohol during pregnancy? Join us today to learn how these substances might impact the child and how you parent. Our guest is Dr. Lisa Prock, a Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician, Director of the Developmental Medicine Center at Children’s Hospital, Boston, and Clinical Director of the Translational Neuroscience Center at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston. She is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
In this episode, we cover:

Foster, adoptive, and kinship parents and caregivers often need to consider whether they are the right family to parent a child with prenatal alcohol and drug exposure.
The US government estimates that about 10% of children born in the US have been prenatally exposed to alcohol, drugs, or both. How common is prenatal substance exposure for foster and adoptive children, as well as those kids living with grandparents and other relatives?
Are there signs or symptoms with a child that may have been exposed to alcohol and drugs in utero, absent confirmation from the mother?
What is known about the amount or timing of alcohol or drug use and the impact on the baby or child?
Short-term and long-term impacts of the following substances:
- Alcohol-does it matter the type of alcohol?
- Methamphetamines
- Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin or other ADHD medication
- Opiates/opioids-prescription
- Opioids-illegal
- Heroin
- Fentanyl
- Methadone, Suboxone, Subutex, Buprenorphine
- Marijuana
- Ecstasy, inhalants
- Tobacco-smoking cigarettes or vaping
How common is dual exposure/polysubstance exposure—alcohol and drugs?
Do children who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol or drugs have a greater risk of abusing drugs in adolescence or adulthood?
How do you get a child diagnosed with prenatal substance exposure?
What should parents consider when trying to decide if they are the right family for a child with prenatal exposure?
Creating a Family’s Prenatal Substance Exposure Trainings for Parents, Daycare/Preschool Teachers, and Afterschool Staff.

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Practical Tips for Welcoming an Older Foster or Kinship Child or Youth - Weekend Wisdom Aug 06, 2023

This is a perennial question that is often asked: Help, I have an older child moving in. How do I make them comfortable and make the transition as easy as possible for us all? We offer 3 tips to help you welcome a new young person into your home.

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Basic Baby Care Aug 02, 2023

Are you expecting the placement of a newborn? Don't miss our conversation about the latest information on baby care with Kristen O’Dell, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with almost two decades of working with over 10,000 newborns and their families in her hospital practice of Neonatology and Newborn Medicine.
In this episode, we cover:

Feeding
- The vast majority of adoptive parents will bottle-feed their baby. How to choose a formula.
- Is liquid or dry formula better for the baby?
- How to sterilize the dry formula?
- Do you need to sterilize bottles?
- What type of bottle is best?
- Does the bottle type differ if the baby is born premature or has Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome?
- Does the temperature of the formula matter?
- Can you make the bottles up once a day, or do you have to make it fresh for each feeding?
- When should you consider a specialized formula, and what options do you have?
- How often should a baby eat?
- Other feeding options: adoptive mother induce lactation to breastfeed; donated breast milk.
- How do you know if your baby is getting enough food?
- If your baby spits up a lot, when should you worry that they aren’t getting enough food?
- When to introduce solid food?
Sleep
- What is a typical wake/sleep pattern for a newborn?
- When should you expect your baby to sleep for 5-6 hours?
- Is the wake/sleep cycle affected by prematurity or Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)?
- At what point can you start trying to get your baby to not wake up many times for a feeding at night?
- Will introducing solid food, even if watered down, help your baby sleep through the night?
- How can you establish healthy sleeping habits for your baby?
- When do most babies start sleeping through the night and what is “sleeping through the night”—how much sleep?
- Safe sleep practices: sleeping on the back, no pillows, blankets, bumpers, stuffed animals
- Sleep training
Poop
- How often should babies poop? What is normal?
- What does the typical healthy newborn baby poop look like?
- How do you know if there is a problem?
- How can you tell if your baby is constipated? And what should you do?
- What type of diaper is best?
- What type of baby wipes are best?
- How to treat diaper rash?
- How can you tell if your baby has a yeast diaper rash?
What is colic?
How do you treat colic?
What is the current thinking on circumcision?
Tips for new parents.

Free Resource Guide from New Mommy Guru
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Helping Internationally Adopted Children Develop a Healthy Cultural and Racial Identity Jul 26, 2023

Are you raising an internationally adopted child or a child of another race? Join our fascinating discussion with Dr. Hollee McGinnis, an Assistant Professor in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work. She focuses on mental health and identity for internationally adopted people. She is also an intercountry adoptee from South Korea.

In this episode, we cover:

How are racial, ethnic, and cultural identities different for international adoptees?
Why is racial, ethnic, or cultural identification important for the emotional development of a child adopted internationally?
At what age does cultural and racial identity develop?
For children adopted internationally, what are some of the acculturation and assimilation issues that these children face? Including those issues arising from factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, and culture.
Does this differ by race?
Does international adoption itself potentially create acculturation or assimilation issues?
How can parents walk the balance between wanting the child to fully assimilate and acculturate to their new life while also identifying with their culture of birth?
Does this change depend on the age of the child at adoption?
What is the experience like for a child whose name doesn't fit their ethnicity? Do you recommend that parents think about this when naming their child?
How to handle if a child is born into a family of one religion but adopted by a family of a different religion?
What are the long-term implications for a family that has become multi-cultural through international adoption? How does this impact each family member: adopted person, siblings, parent, or grandparents?
What does a healthy cultural identity for an internationally adopted child look like?
What does a healthy racial identity for an internationally adopted child look like?
Tips for how adoptive parents can help their children develop a healthy cultural and racial identity?
- Read books about the history of your child’s culture and country, starting at a young age.
- Read books to provide the language and tools to help your child deal with racism. Again, start young.
- Talk about racism with your child. See resources below.
- Create connections for your child to people who look like them, as well as other adoptees.
- Incorporate people of your child’s race or culture into your friend group.
- Consider a homeland tour.

Resources:

Also Known As The mission of Also-Known-As is to build a community that empowers the voices of adult international adoptees, while providing resources and space to acknowledge the loss of birth country, culture, language, and biological family.
Beyond Culture Camp: Promoting Healthy Identity Formation in Adoption, Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
How to Raise an Anti-Racist Child, Creating a Family podcast
4 Tips to Raising Anti-Racist Kids, Creating a Family article
Resources for Extended Family
- Winning Over Reluctant Extended Family in Adoption

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Raising a Child with ADHD to a Successful & Healthy Adulthood Jul 19, 2023

Do you suspect your child has ADHD? Don't miss today's show with Dr. Tamara Rosier. She is the author of “Your Brain’s Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD.” She runs the ADHD Center of West Michigan and is president of the ADHD Coaches Organization.
In this episode, we cover:
Understanding ADHD

What is ADHD?
What are the symptoms?
Are foster, adoptive, and kinship kids more prone to ADHD?
How to tell if our child’s behavior is ADHD or caused by the trauma they’ve experienced?

Treating ADHD

Importance of early diagnosing and intervention.
To medicate or not?
Should you take a medication break/holiday?

Parenting Challenges with Raising a Child with ADHD:

Managing expectations.
Emotional management is key.
Stop comparing your child and yourself to other parents and their “perfect” kids.
Self-control/Impulsiveness.
Sticking to an activity - the challenge of finding the balance between encouraging a child to persist and letting go.
Why can my child focus on a video game but take 3 hours to finish a 30-minute homework assignment? And what can I do about it?
What to let go and what to not. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Looking for the Positives of ADHD

ADHD is not a disorder but rather a trait or neurological difference.
Strength of divergent thinking.

Tips for parents raising a child with ADHD.
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Navigating Special Education and the IEP/504 Process Jul 12, 2023

Do you have a child receiving special education services or one that you think may need these services? In this podcast, we talk about navigating this process. Our guests will be Lisa Eisenberg and Gaile Osborne. Lisa Eisenberg is a social worker, education advocate, and consultant. She is a member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, an organization whose goal is to secure high-quality educational services for all and to promote excellence in advocacy. Gaile Osborne is the Executive Director of Foster Family Alliance, the foster, kinship, and adoptive parent association in North Carolina. She has her masters in special education with certifications in five areas, including emotional disabilities. Gaile and her husband are parents of children adopted from foster care and have fostered over 28 children. Foster Family Alliance provides educational advocacy support for NC foster, adoptive, and kinship families.
In this episode, we cover:

What language is preferred: special education, exceptional children education, or something else?
What laws govern special education?
What are the most common acronyms that parents will see, and what do they mean?
- IEPs
- 504s
- LRE
- SDI
- OHI
How does trauma impact a child’s ability to learn?
How can you tell the difference between the impact of trauma from a learning disability or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
What are the signs that a child needs to have an educational assessment?
What is involved with an educational assessment?
What are the first steps that a parent or caregiver should take to get an educational assessment?
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan? Which one provides the most protection and accommodations for the child?
What accommodations should parents and caregivers be aware of that they can ask to be included in either the IEP or 504 plan?
What can foster/kin parents do if they believe the child in their care needs to be assessed? What are their legal rights?
Are they allowed to be in the IEP or 504 meeting?
Can they directly influence the IEP or 504?
How can foster or kinship parent be of the most help when working with a child with learning disabilities or other disabilities?
Tips for Parents and Caregivers when a child is struggling academically in school.
- 38 School Accommodations for Children Who Have Suffered Trauma, by Debbie Ausburn
- Special Education Acronyms and Glossary

Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, f

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Creating a Family Trailer Jul 07, 2023

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How to Prepare Transracial Adoptees for Transitioning to College Jul 05, 2023

How can parents help their transracial adoptees transition to college, and why can this transition be hard for both teens and parents? We talk with Dr. Amanda Baden, a Professor in the Counselor Education Program at Montclair State University. She is an active researcher and currently leads their Adoption Research Team. She is also a transracial adoptee and a member of the Creating a Family board.
In this episode, we cover:

Acknowledge that this will likely be a strange year for preparing anyone to go to college.
What are the major developmental milestones for all adolescents that happen during the 15-20 age frame?
What are some of the additional developmental milestones for adolescent adoptees?
What are the additional developmental milestones for transracial adoptees during the late teen years?
Why is the transition to college sometimes a difficult one for transracial adoptees?
What do you mean by “honorary whiteness”?
Is the experience of transitioning to college different depending on the race of adoptees?
Some adoptees feel like the bridge between the race/culture of their adoptive family and the race/culture of their birth. What are the issues with being the bridge?
Are there specific things parents and transracially adopted teens should look for when choosing a college?
The complexities of using the “transracial adoption story” as part of the college essay.
How can the feeling of rejection that some adoptees feel be exacerbated in the college application process?
How does the college experience impact adoptee identity development?
Can the transition to college be especially difficult for parents of transracial adoptees?
Parents are concerned about whether their child will leave and emotionally not return.
Birth parent search is usually open to adolescents at age 18, which is right during this time of transition.
How can parents help their transracial adoptees make a successful transition to college?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Birth Parent Experiences in Adoption Jun 28, 2023

Everyone connected to adoption needs to listen to this show. We talk about a new research report on how birth parents experience adoption. The results will surprise you! Our guest are the two main authors: Ryan Hanlon is the Executive Director of The National Council for Adoption, the national adoption organization providing resources and education for all people and organizations in the adoption world and advocating for sound adoption policies; and Laura Bruder is the Executive Director of Brave Love, an organization dedicated to changing the perception of adoption by acknowledging birth moms for their brave decision.

In this episode, we cover:
The Birth Parent Experiences report is based on the responses of 1,160 birth mothers and 239 birth fathers.

Were these all domestic infant adoption rather than adoptions from foster care?
Birth mothers who placed their child for adoption in 2010 or later were much more likely to report satisfaction with their decision than birth mothers who placed their child before or during the 1970s. Birth mothers’ levels of satisfaction with their adoption decision increased each decade since the 1970s.
The vast majority of birth mothers report experiencing stigma associated with their status as a birth parent. In fact, the percentage of birth mothers who experience some level of stigma about their decision to place their child for adoption has risen 20% since 1970.
What is the demographic of the birth moms and dads who completed the survey? (age, race, education, number of adoption placements
How has birth parent involvement in the adoption process changed?
What factors were important to expectant moms and dads when choosing adoptive parents?
What were the main concerns that birth moms had after placement?
Looking back, do birth parents believe they made the right decision?
What type of services and support do birth parents want and need post-placement?
78% of birth moms have contact with their child, and about 74% of birth fathers do. We don’t know if these are open adoptions or if the “child” is now an adult. Are they satisfied with this contact?
Are they satisfied with their decision to place a child for adoption? What factors influenced their level of satisfaction?
The research found that birth parents’ receipt of accurate information was significantly associated with adoption satisfaction for both birth mothers and birth fathers. What do you mean by accurate information?
What percentage of birth parents reported that they were actively involved in choosing the adoptive parents, and did that influence their overall satisfaction with their decision?
Three variables (receipt of accurate information, non-coerced decision-making, current contact with the child) were found to be the most strongly associated with levels of adoption satisfaction.
Stigma of being a birth parent.
Has stigma increased since the 1970s?
Does stigma differ by race of the birth parent?
Interesting that stigma increased from the 1970s to now for healthcare workers.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

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Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Jun 21, 2023

Are you thinking about adopting internationally? Don't miss this interview covering the common health, developmental, and emotional issues found in kids adopted internationally. Our guests are Dr. Kimara Gustafson, M.D., M.P.H., an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School, a Faculty Member in the Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, and a pediatrician at the Adoption Medicine Clinic at the University of Minnesota. We will also talk with Dr. Katie Stone, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pediatrics at The University of Minnesota Medical School. She is part of the Psychology team at the Adoption Medicine Clinic.
In this episode, we cover:
The best place to get information on the country-specific laws and the adoption process is your agency and the US State Department website on intercountry adoption, in the country information section.

Each year the US State Department prepares an Annual Report on Intercountry Adoption that includes the length of time and cost for adoptions from specific countries. The country-specific pages at the US State Department website also has some of this information.

What are some of the general characteristics and needs of kids waiting for adoption abroad?
Generally, what factors across the world lead children to be in state care and to need adoptive families?
What are the most frequent medical or psychological problems you see in children adopted internationally?
What are some common environmental toxins currently seen in the primary placing countries to the US and how might they impact children?
For the main placing countries to the US how common is:
- Prenatal substance abuse
- Malnutrition
- Emotional issues
- Genetic abnormalities
- Developmental Delay
- Other known health risk factors
What is the impact on a child of leaving familiar ties and surroundings?
What is the experience of most children leaving their family of origin?
How does institutional care impact children?
How does institutionalization affect child development?
What children are at the greatest risk for attachment disorders?
What are the psychological issues children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or trauma may face?
What are some of the acculturation and assimilation issues children may face post international adoption?
How does adoption itself impact children, adolescents, and adults? Resources for parents and professionals:
- Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self, co-authored by David Brodzinsky
- The Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier are resources for parents and professionals to read.
- Seven Core Issues in Adoption by Sharon Roszia and Allison Davis Maxon
Post-adoption reports are an essential part of intercountry adoption. Your adoption agency should provide information on the specific reporting requirements. You can check the US State Department Intercountry Adoption website in the country information section.

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You Should Be Grateful: Stories of Race, Identity, & Transracial Adoption Jun 14, 2023

Join us to talk with Angela Tucker about her new book You Should Be Grateful: Stories of Race Identity, and Transracial Adoption. Angela is a black woman adopted from foster care to white parents. She was the subject of Closure, a documentary that chronicles her search for her biological parents. Angela has consulted with NBC’s "This Is Us", supported the lead actor of Broadway musical "Jagged Little Pill", has over 15 years of experience working within adoption and foster care agencies, and has mentored over 200 adoptees, leading her to found the Adoptee Mentoring Society.
In this episode, we cover:

The Adoptee Manifesto
What adoptee centrism. What do you mean by that?
The complexities of loving your adoptive parents and wishing you weren’t adopted.
Why is the spoken or unspoken “you should be grateful” so hard on adopted people?
How to share the hard parts of our child’s story?
What is the Ghost Kingdom that adoptees create about their birth family?
The adoptee as the Plan B child because their parents didn’t get their Plan A child.
Colin Kaepernick: “Since the day I was born, I've never been anyone’s first choice.”
What happens when adoptees can’t talk about their feelings of loss and their feelings of longing for their birth families?
Race:
- Feeling like a racial fraud.
- Comfort in white spaces.
- Color-evasiveness vs. color blindness.
Susan Harris O’Connor, a biracial person adopted by white parents says that transracial adoptees have 5 dimensions to their racial identity: genetic, imposed, cognitive, visual, and feeling.
White privilege by osmosis.
Have you received flack for marrying a white man? And is this common for transracial adoptees?
Search:
- The fear of searching or even talking about birth family because adoptees don’t want to hurt their adoptive parents. And conversely, the fear of some adoptive parents that they will be replaced once their child finds their first parents.
- Focus on birth mothers over birth fathers.
- Things adoptive parents should know about the search.
Red Table Talk –Facebook Watch show with Jada Pinkett Smith, her mother, and her daughter. What were your feelings then and how do you feel about that appearance now.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Jessica Grose: Screaming on the Inside Jun 07, 2023

Do you sometimes feel like screaming because you can't keep up with all that you think is expected of being a mom? If so, you're in good company. Join us to listen to our interview with Jessica Grose about her book Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood. Grose is an opinion writer at the New York Times. She writes a popular newsletter on parenting and was named by Glamour Magazine as a Game Changer in 2020 for her coverage of parenting during the pandemic.

In this episode, we cover:

What brought you to write this book?
The pressure to feel a certain way and do everything right feels inherent in modern motherhood, but is it new? Have things changed?
In what areas are moms in America struggling? Expense

Work and Role of Fathers:

Our society’s views of working motherhood from the 1990’s to now.
“There is the expectation for working women to want to become moms. Then when we do become parents, we are expected to be our best at work and attend to our children. I was the first call from the schools instead of my stay-at-home husband. There was a reason we had him stay-at-home. Schools still called "mom" first.”
“That’s happened to us now that we are both working from home. The other day, they needed to reach us. Three messages for me & no one called Dad. It wasn’t an emergency, but still.”
What is “radical flexibility,” and how common is it in the US.
Are women who were raised by working moms opting for a different path?

Role of social media:

“It's frustrating because so often you never see them having to deal with their kids, while trying to meal prep, help with homework, break up a sibling squabble, all the while trying to get out of the house for an appointment. I guess that doesn't make compelling viewing.”
“So! Many! Opinions! And so much facade. It’s challenging to navigate unless you are seriously self-confident or have already experienced a few ups & downs that give you perspective.
The curated reels can give such a false viewpoint and it’s easy to assume that’s their real life. But real life is not nearly as compelling as the perfectly crafted short clips.”

Is this a uniquely US issue?

Do moms in other countries feel the same pressures to be perfect and do it all?

Unique struggles of foster, adoptive, and kinship parents:

I was told recently that my feelings about how hard it was to mom my last three (adopted as a sibling set from foster care) were just a part of my “mindset”. Because all the moms she knew had the same struggles. So foster and adoptive moms also have unbelievably unrealistic expectations upon them. We aren’t allowed to struggle differently. Then another person told me that “I signed up for this.” So, the underlying meaning is when you adopt kids from hard places, you aren’t allowed to struggle.
Had to work hard to get this family.
Trauma, whether it’s big T trauma or little t trauma is common in our kids, and this impacts any notion of picture-perfect parenting.
Have had to go through being examined and trained and our homes inspected to even get to be parents.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly

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The Emotional Lives of Teenagers May 31, 2023

Are you parenting teens, or will you be in a few years? Don't miss today's conversation with psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour, author of the book, "The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents."
In this episode, we cover:

Our society has become afraid of being unhappy. What are the reasons for this?
Studies seem to suggest that teens are unhappier now than in the past. Why?
Three myths about adolescence.
The adultification of black teens.
Why do our teens find us so annoying?
The goal is not always to avoid conflict with our teens; rather, it should be to learn how to have constructive conflict.
You say that spending time online can be both good and bad for teens.
What should parents know about porn?
How carefully should you supervise what your teens are seeing online?
How can parents keep technology in place? What are some common-sense rules?
The importance of small pleasures in modulating the mood of our teens.

Resource:
American Psychological Association: Health advisory on social media use in adolescence
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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A Conversation with Dr. Bruce Perry about Trauma May 24, 2023

Join us as Dr. Bruce Perry answers your questions about how trauma impacts adoptive, foster, and kinship kids and families. Dr. Bruce Perry, is a child psychiatrist and neuroscientist, the principal of the Neurosequential Network, Senior Fellow of The ChildTrauma Academy, and adjunct Professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago. He is the author the numerous books including co-author along with Oprah Winfrey of What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, and co-author of The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog.

In this episode, we cover:

The shift in perspective from what’s wrong with you to what happened to you--the ability to understand seemingly senseless behavior by looking at what’s behind it.
What do you include as “trauma”? How severe does it have to be to impact us later in life?
We hear foster, adoptive, and kinship parents say, “she was only neglected.” Is neglect less harmful than abuse?
When siblings are separated in foster care and parents are taken completely away from seeing the children for a year at a time does this lack of contact count as trauma and how does this type of no-touch abuse effect the child's brain?
How common is trauma? ACE study.
Does trauma at a young age have longer lasting impacts?
We have a child who is chronologically 3yrs, who had a non-accidental TBI at 3 months of age. He is a sweet boy but prone to rages and is very loud. Could this be from the trauma or is it his age and frustration?
How can parents help their child manage trauma if they don’t know what the trauma was?
The times of healing are often very short but very powerful. And that the more times our kids experience healing, even in short bursts, the more their brain "re-develops" in healthier ways.
Is there is an association between trauma and sensory processing and if so, do we know why?
How do you become “unstuck” on being a victim? My daughter is 18 and is struggling to become an adult, but constantly feels and acts as though she is still a victim from her past.
Can you discuss how trauma is related to the sabotage of relationships, family events, life events, and opportunities?
Prenatal trauma—
- in utero exposure to alcohol or drugs
- maternal stress
Can generational trauma be passed down genetically through the various forms of DNA?
Resilience and Healing: My question is coming from the perspective as an adoptive and foster mom of some kids who have some pretty big behaviors. Can we really grow these kids and help them live happy, well-adjusted lives? Not problem free, but a life where after many years of love, they will come to find peace within themselves?
I have two children who are currently in foster care because their father was abusive and I stayed with him and allowed my children to witness the abuse. Is there any way to reverse the trauma?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

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Transitioning from Foster Care to Adoption May 17, 2023

Are you thinking about adopting from foster care or adopting a child you are already fostering? Are you wondering how to help the child transition to adoption? Our guests are Hope Middlebrook, a foster parent recruiter for Arrow Child and Family Services, and Jennifer O’Brien, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Regional Director for Arrow’s Foster Care Programs.
In this episode, we cover:

Two different scenarios:
- You are the foster parents of the child you are going to adopt.
- You are adopting a child who is living with another foster family.
At what age do kids understand the concept of adoption and what it means in their life?
If you are adopting a child you are fostering.
- How is adoption different from fostering?
- What are some typical emotions (positive and negative) a child might feel? Grief is to be expected.
- How far in advance should the child be informed?
- What are some typical behaviors you might see?
- What are some typical emotions and behaviors you might see from other children already living in your home?
If you are adopting a child living with another resource family or group home.
- What are some typical emotions (positive and negative) a child might feel? Grief is to be expected.
- How far in advance should the child be informed?
- How long should the process take?
- What can the adults do to make the process less stressful for the child?
- What are some typical behaviors you might see from a child that is moving to yet another home and another parent?
- What are some typical emotions and behaviors you might see from other children already living in your home?
What are the pros and cons of changing the child’s name? First name? Last name?
What are some tips for parents to help their child transition from foster child to adopted child? Some of these will apply to a child you are fostering and some to a child whom you are not fostering.
- Get all the information on the child available from his file, caseworker, and previous foster parents.
- Decide what type of relationship you can have with your child’s birth family. Come up with ways to help your child maintain safe connections to their biological roots.
- Work with the former foster family and the child or youth to determine what type of relationship can continue with the foster family after the child moves to your home.
- Go slow. Ideally, visit the child first in their foster home, then take the child out for the day, then have the child spend the night with the adoptive family, then the weekend before they finally move in.
- Give the child/youth as much voice in the process as possible.
- Anticipate problems and come up in advance with ways to work through them and outside resources to use.
- Create a Lifebook for your child and use this book to help explain some of the differences between foster care and adoption. Get pictures from the foster family and the caseworker.
- Prepare children already in the home for an adjustment period and how kids who have experienced trauma might behave.
- Think about how you will maintain a tie to their cultural, racial, or ethnic roots.
- Identify support for yourself. You will, at some point, likely feel discouraged, frustrated, and maybe even regretful. Where will you turn for support?
- Rite of passage at finalization.
What to do if the tween or teen does not want to be adopted?
- How to explore the youth’s reasons?
- Allow space to change their mind.
- What other options are available outside of adoption?

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Parenting the Challenging Child While Maintaining Attachment May 10, 2023

Is your child more intense and more challenging than other kids? Do you worry about the future for this child and your ability to help them learn to behave? You will love this interview with Tina Feigal, M.S., Ed., the Director of Family Engagement at Anu Family Services and founder of the Center for the Challenging Child, where she works with families throughout the US. She is the author of the book Present Moment Parenting: The Guide to a Peaceful Life with Your Intense Child.
In this episode, we cover:

What makes some kids more challenging?
What is the impact of trauma on children’s behavior?
We often parent the way we were parented. How can we overcome this?
What do we mean by “attachment,” and why is it important for children and parents?
“Parent the child in front of you in the present moment"- not the one that did ____ yesterday or the one that you fear will do or be ____ in the future.”
Ten Tenets of Parenting
How can parents work with children to improve these behaviors with different aged children while maintaining attachment?
- Frequent and intense tantrums
- Inflexible
- Can’t accept the word “no”
- Lying
- Stealing

Watch Tina’s TEDx Talk: How to Stop Kids’ Meltdowns and Gain Their Cooperation.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Helping Autistic Kids Shine May 03, 2023

Are you parenting a child on the autism spectrum. This interview will give you insight and hope. We talk with Dr. Lynn Koegel, a clinical professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and author of Hidden Brilliance: Unlocking the Intelligence of Autism. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
In this episode, we cover:

What are some of the variations in the way autism presents in humans?
What are some of the symptoms or signs of autism at different ages?
We so often focus on the weaknesses of children with autism and overlook their strengths. Why is this a problem for children on the autism spectrum?
How is autism diagnosed, and what are the limits to this testing?
What can parents do to make sure that the testing more clearly reflects their child’s strengths as well as weaknesses?
The absence of speaking starting at around age one and struggles with communicating are common with people with autism. What can parents do to help improve spoken language?
How to teach social connectedness?
The inability to express their needs verbally can lead to behavioral issues such as screaming, aggression, and tantrums. What works to help the child and improve these behaviors?
- The first question is what the behavior is trying to communicate.
- Teach replacement behaviors. How do you find and teach this?
- Environmental manipulation. Change what you can.
- Priming
- Self-management
Working with the school
Prognosis
Causes of autism

Resource:
Hidden Brilliance: Unlocking the Intelligence of Autism
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Should You Consider Adopting a Child of a Different Race or Ethnicity? Apr 26, 2023

Have you thought about adopting a child of a different race or ethnicity? Are you up for the job? How can you be the best family for this child? Join us when we talk with Meggin Nam Holtz, a Licensed Master Social Worker, and a Korean adoptee. She has a private counseling practice specializing in adoption. She created an award-winning documentary film, Found in Korea, about birth search, country of origin travel, identity, and adoption.
In this episode, we cover:

If you are a White parent, are there different issues you need to consider depending on the race of the child you adopt?
Some families prefer to adopt a bi-racial child rather than a child who is all Black or all Latinx. What are the issues to consider?
Is there a difference between transracial and transcultural adoption?
What does it take to raise a child to have a healthy self and racial identity. How do they differ?
What are some of the issues parents should think about to determine if they are a family that should adopt across racial or ethnic lines?
What should parents be prepared to do in order to help their children develop a healthy sense of self?
Adoption is a family affair, so how should prospective adoptive parents prepare their extended family members for the adoption of a child of a different race or culture?
How to find role models that racially mirror your child?
Research on how transracially adopted children are doing.
What to do if you have someone in your family that you fear will not be accepting or will not treat your child fairly?
What are some issues that may come up with open adoption when adopting across racial lines?
Preparation for transracial adoption goes beyond hair care; hair and skin care are important. What should parents know?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Helping Our Kids Regulate Big Emotions Apr 19, 2023

Does your child struggle with controlling their big emotions? Do they seem angry or frustrated most of the time? We've got some answers! Join us to listen to this interview with Dr. Stuart Shanker, a Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Psychology at York University and author of several books, including Self-Reg: How to Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Reframed: Self-Reg for a Just Society. He is also an adoptive dad.
In this episode, we cover:

3 basic principles of self-regulation:
- There is no such thing as a bad or lazy kid.
  - No matter how difficult, out of control, distracted, or exhausted a child might seem, there’s a way forward: self-regulation.
- All people can learn to self-regulate in ways that promote rather than constrict growth.
- There is no such thing as a "fixed outcome": trajectories can always be changed, at any point in the lifespan, if only we have the right knowledge and tools.
How can parents help their children become calmer when we live in a stressful, frantic, and over-stimulating world?
How can parents calm themselves down in the hectic world?
Five-step method for managing stress
- 1. Reframe behavior by learning the difference between misbehavior and stress behavior and the signs of each. (Why and why now?)
- 2. Recognize stressors.
  - Some typical stressors broken out by age.
  - Some “hidden stressors” that their children are struggling with - physiological as well as social and emotional.
- 3. Reduce stress (deep breathing (pizza breath), exercise, touch, music, pets)
- 4. Reflect on what it feels like to be calm and what it feels like to be overstressed.
- 5. Restoration- energy, balance, and relationship.
These steps are not a program for managing a child’s behavior. Rather, these are five steps to promote understanding a child’s behavior.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Talking with Children About Adoption at Different Ages Apr 12, 2023

Do you wonder how to talk to your child about adoption? What if they don't seem interested? How do you talk about some of the hard stuff? This episode explores talking with children about adoption at different ages with Mari Itzkowitz, with the Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE). She is an adoption-competent therapist and leader of the CASE Training Team, providing training and education to professionals and parents.
In this episode, we cover:

How does an adoptee’s understanding of adoption differ by age?
- Infants
- Toddlers & Preschoolers
- School Age
- Tweens
- Teens
- Young Adults
- Older Adults
How to talk about adoption at different ages?
Should you wait for the child to ask questions before you tell them about their adoption story?
What if your child or youth shows little or no interest in their adoption story?
How does openness or lack of openness impact a child’s understanding of adoption?
Should adoptive parents bring up the idea of searching for birth family?
How does transracial adoption impact a child’s understanding of adoption?
Our focus is often on birth mothers. How can you talk about adoption and the role of the birth father with young children who do not understand the concept of sex?
What to say when you know very little about the birth parents? How to handle hard birth parent stories? Should you tell a child that they were conceived by rape or that their birth mother is in jail or birth father suffers from addiction? At what age should you share this information?

Additional Resources:

Resources on Talking about Adoption
Building the Framework for Adopted & Foster Children to Process the Hard Parts of Their Stories
Suggested books on talking with kids about birthparents

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

A Guide to Raising Your Grandchild Apr 05, 2023

We talk about raising your grandkids with Christine Adamec, coauthor with Dr. Andrew Adesman, of The Grandfamily Guidebook. She and her husband have been raising their teenage grandson since his infancy.
In this episode, we cover:

Why are grandparent led families increasing?
What are some common emotions that grandparents and other kin experience when they realize that they need to step in and raise their grandchildren or other kin?
What type of decisions should you make about legal custody or permanency? How to protect your grandchild? How to enroll them in school? How to be able to get medical and mental health care for them? How to prevent the child’s parents from removing the child from your home? Becoming a foster parent? A will?
What are some of the strains that grandparents can experience with their children (the parents of their grandchildren)?
How to navigate the relationship with your adult child?
Explaining the situation to the child? (“Why am I living with you and not my parents?”)
Raising kids that likely experience trauma, including prenatal exposure.
Adjusting to parenting in this new time.
Some of the joys of raising your grandchild.

Resources:

AARP has a Benefits QuickLINK tool to find out if you or your grandchild may qualify for 15 public benefits — 10 for adults and families and five for children.
Creating a Family podcast: Helping Parents & Kids Manage Phones, Internet, & Gaming

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Parenting Adopted Teens and Young Adults Mar 29, 2023

How does parenting an adopted teen differ from parenting teens that come to us through birth? What are some of the unique challenges adopted teens or young adults face? Check out our interview with Katie Naftzger, an LCSW, Korean adoptee, and the author of “Parenting in the Eye of the Storm: The Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Navigating the Teen Years.”

In this episode, we cover:

Why is parenting an “adopted” teen any different from parenting a child who comes to you by birth?
What issues related to adoption come to the front during the teen years?
What issues that relate to early neglect or abuse, or loss come to the fore in adolescence?
In your book, “Parenting in the Eye of the Storm: The Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Navigating the Teen Years,” you talk about adoptive or foster parents taking a learning stance when working with teens. What is a learning stance?
Many of our kids have experienced early life adversity and carry the scars of this early trauma. Parents often naturally feel bad for their teens because of this. How can these feelings of pity interfere with the healthy parenting of teens? When to step in and help and when to let our teens figure out how to handle things on their own?
Some adoptive parents adopt out of a feeling of needing to save the child. How does the savior narrative impact parenting teens?
Birth family issues:
- Birth parents search
- Handling hard birth parent situations
- Identity formation-nature vs. nurture
- Navigating an open adoption with teens
Identity formation as a transracial adoptee.
Transitioning into adulthood.
We hear that adopted teens are more likely to have mental health issues and more likely to commit suicide. How do adoptive parents support their adopted teens?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Helping Adopted Children Heal From Past Trauma and Loss Mar 22, 2023

Did your child experience trauma or loss before they came to you? Do you want to help them heal? Join our conversation with Dr. Amanda Baden, a Professor and the Doctoral Program Director at Montclair State University in the graduate counseling program and a licensed psychologist in private practice in Manhattan. She is an adult adoptee from Hong Kong and an adoptive parent of a daughter from China.
In this episode, we cover:

What is trauma?
What types of events/things create trauma?
Why are trauma, abuse, and neglect so harmful to children?
Is neglect a form of trauma?
How trauma impacts children, and what factors influence how much the trauma impacts the child later in life?
How to tell the difference between typical developmental behavior and behavior that is the result of trauma or loss?
What is triangulation?
How to break the triangle?
Helping our kids integrate their birth, adoptive or foster, and self-identities. Many children who do not live with their birth families struggle to incorporate parts of their birth families, foster or adoptive families, and who they innately are into a whole that is their identity. How can parents help their children form a healthy, complete identity?
Practical tips for helping children heal. Often, we do not know exactly what trauma our children have experienced. Either they don’t remember, or it happened before they were verbal, or they cannot or have not told us. How can we help them if we do not know what happened to them?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Adopting or Fostering a Child Who Identifies as LGBTQ+ Mar 15, 2023

Have you wondered if you could be the right place for an LGBTQ+ youth or child to land? Join us to talk about how to be an affirming and supportive home for LGBTQ+ youth. Or guest will be Angela Weeks, the Director of the National SOGIE Center at the Institute for Innovation and Implementation. Under the Center, she directs the Center of Excellence for LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity and the National Quality Improvement Center on Tailored Services, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ2S Children and Youth in Foster Care.
In this episode, we cover:

Why are these young people over represented in child welfare?
LGBTQ+ youth are 1.5 -2 times more likely to have a foster placement failure. Why?
What does the research indicate about how sexual orientation and gender identity are formed?
Are LGBTQ+ youth more likely to have a mental health diagnosis or behavioral issues.
Are LGBTQ+ youth more likely than heterosexual or cisgender young people to sexually abuse or otherwise pose a threat to others, including children?
How to help youth evaluate the safety of their communities, schools, social networks, and homes to decide whether to disclose their LGBTQ+ identity, when to do so, and to whom.
Parents often think, especially with younger kids, that this is just a phase. And kids are coming out (acknowledging their sexual orientation/gender identity to themselves and others) at younger and younger ages. And there is some fluidity. So how’s a parent to know how to handle?
- Studies by the Family Acceptance Project have found that most people report being attracted to another person around age 10 and identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual by age 13 (on average). Most children have a stable sense of their gender identity by age 4
Sexual orientation vs sexual behavior.
How can parents create a welcoming and affirming home?

Additional Resources:

Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: A Guide for Foster Parents https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/lgbtqyouth.pdf
Glossary of Terms (Human Rights Campaign)
The National SOGIE Center. The National Center for Youth with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, & Expression provides a centralized site for accessing resources on providing culturally responsive care to children, youth, and young adults with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE) and their families across systems, including child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health (including school mental health), substance use systems, and housing and homelessness. https://www.sogiecenter.org/
Family Acceptance Project® LGBTQ Youth & Family Resources To Decrease Mental Health Risks & Promote Well-Being https://lgbtqfamilyacceptance.org/
Learning About Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression (SOGIE) (Video)
A Guide for Understanding, Supporting, and Affirming LGBTQI2-S Children, Youth, and Families
Support for LGBTQ Youth Starts at Home (Video)
Be True and Be You: A Basic Guide for LGBTQ+ Youth

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Navigating Sticky Birth Parent Situations Mar 08, 2023

How do you handle a birth parent showing up to a meeting with the child stoned or drunk? What do you do when a birth parent often breaks promises to the child? Join us to talk about nine sticky situations that adoptive parents often find themselves in. Our guest is Lori Holden, the author of The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole.
In this episode, we cover:

What do we mean by openness and why is openness or some form of a relationship considered best for adopted kids?
Difficult/Sticky Situation #1: Birth Parent Addiction to drugs or alcohol.
- How to handle things when a birth parent shows up for a meeting with a child high or stoned.
- How to set healthy boundaries with birth parents who are addicted? How to set these boundaries when you have an open adoption with a birth parent dealing with addiction?
- Explaining drug addiction of birth parents to children.
Difficult/Sticky Situation #2: Failing to show up for meetings/visits or showing up late?
- Determining the cause.
- How do you protect your child from disappointment?
- How to handle it if the parents are struggling with substance abuse disorder.
Difficult/Sticky Situation #3: Making promises they can’t or won’t keep.
Difficult/Sticky Situation #4: Should you maintain any type of relationship with a birth parent who abused or neglected the child?
Difficult/Sticky Situation #5: How should parents deal with the obvious difference between openness in multiple adoptions within the same family?
Difficult/Sticky Situation #6: DNA testing. If the birth parents have not told others about the child, what obligation do you have to their desires regarding DNA testing on the child? What if there are medical reasons for doing the testing?
Difficult/Sticky Situation # 7: When the adoptive parent is the problem. Over-reacting, assuming the worst intentions, etc.
Difficult/Sticky Situation #8: Birth family doesn’t want contact.
Difficult/Sticky Situation #9: Birth siblings being parented by the birth parents.
Why should parents try to maintain relationships with the birth family in difficult situations?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Handling Screens and Technology as a Family Mar 01, 2023

When should your child get a smartphone? What can you do if your child spends too much time playing video games? How can we protect our kids from the downsides of social media? Join us to talk about parenting and technology with Krista Boan, co-founder of the nonprofit Screen Sanity.
In this episode, we cover:
Digital Health:

Screen Sanity’s 5 Rules of Thumb.
Ride, practice, drive” approach for device and app introduction.
How to handle a foster, adoptive, or kinship placement of a child that has already gone down that slippery slope of too much screen time and tech. How do you establish reasonable boundaries?
Is it still recommended that parents establish a "no expectation of privacy" policy for online activity? At what age/stage should that start to change?
How to handle when your family has vastly different rules from your child’s friend’s families when you don’t want your child to feel left out?

Screentime:

What is a reasonable rule of thumb for how much screen time a child should be allowed by age?
What is considered screen time?
- School work?
- Facetime with family or friends?
- Drawing or coding games?
- Social media?
How do we handle cell phones and tablets when we see more negative behavior from any usage?

Smartphones:

At what age should a child be given a smartphone? What questions should you ask before you give a child a smartphone?
What are the alternatives to a smartphone? What are good starter phones?

Video Games:

How to manage the addictive nature of video games?
How to strike the balance between limiting the time of video games when this is where many kids socialize.
Screen Sanity’s Video Game Decision Tree

Social Media:

What are the pitfalls, and how can we protect our kids?
When should kids be allowed to be on social media?
How can parents keep up with what their kids are doing on social media?
The Social Media Playbook is a parent-child workbook for starting powerful conversations about social media. Families are prompted to dig deeper into the purpose of social media in their lives and question the false standards it places on its users.

Pornography:

How do we protect our kids and youth from pornography?
Good Pictures, Bad Pictures book

Screen Sanity has parent guides, training, webinars, and study groups.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Trauma-Informed Parenting: Practical Applications of TBRI® Feb 22, 2023

Kari Dady joins us to talk about applying the guiding principles of Trust-Based Relational Intervention® to typical parenting situations. Kari Dady is a Regional Training & Consultation Specialist with the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development. She is also an adoptive mom who uses the TBRI® approach daily in her family.
In this episode, we cover:

What is parental attachment style, and how does it influence how we parent?
How does trauma affect the developing child?
What are some of the different types of trauma that impact a child?
What are the core principles of Trust-Based Relational Intervention®(TBRI®)?
TBRI® talks about parents needing to make a mindset shift when looking at challenging behavior. What is this mindset shift?
How can parents apply Trust-Based Relational Intervention®(TBRI®) to the following common behaviors:
- Inability to accept rules, restrictions, or the word “no”
- Tantrums,
- Whining
- Sleep issues
- Lying
- Stealing

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

How to Raise an Intense Child Feb 15, 2023

Do you have a child that is more—louder, more energetic, more argumentative, more everything? Intense children can be harder to raise, but their intensity is a gift as well as a parenting challenge. We talk with Howard Glasser, creator of the Nurtured Heart Approach to parenting. He is the author of Transforming the Difficult Child and Transforming the Intense Child Workbook.
In this episode, we cover:

What do you consider to be an intense child? My child was “more”—more loud, more energy—their reaction to most things was simply more. They go from 5 mph to 60mph in about a second. How to raise the intense child.
What are the labels and diagnoses that intense children often accumulate? ADHD, ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder), conduct disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression.
What makes some kids more “intense” than others?
What do you mean by energy-challenged kids? Unable to handle or effectively control their physical, cognitive or emotional energy. They have a disorder of self-control. They have more energy than they have self-control.
Energy is a gift as well as a challenge.
You mention in Transforming the Difficult Child that many intense or difficult kids love video games—more so than the average child. Why?
Structure-while I think all children need structure, the high-intensity child really needs structure. Positive forms of structure vs. negative forms of structure
Traditional parenting techniques did not work well for my intense little wonder. Your approach to raising an intense child is based on your Nurturing Heart Approach as outlined in your book, Transforming the Difficult Child and Transforming the Intense Child Workbook. What are the basic principles of this approach to parenting? The 3 strands.
Strand 1: Refuse to energize the negative. What are some of the challenges parents face when applying this? What are some common ways we might accidentally energize the negative?
Strand 2: Energize the positive. active recognition, experiential recognition, proactive recognition, creative recognition.
Is there a problem with too much praise?
Strand 3: Absolute clarity on limits and consequences. How to set limits?
Intensity is not something that a person outgrows.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Impact of Fostering and Adoption on Kids Already in the Family Feb 08, 2023

Do you worry that your decision to foster or adopt will hurt the kids you are already raising? Check out this podcast with Dr. Jana Hunsley, an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of Texas at Dallas, trauma therapist, TBRI® Practitioner, and founder of Project 1025.
In this episode, we cover:
Fostering

What are some of the common impacts of fostering on children already in the family? Both potentially negative and positive.
What does your research show on how significant and how often children already in the home are negatively impacted by fostering?
Should you Include kids in the decision to foster? If so, how does that look at different ages?
For children already in the home, is there a better age to start fostering because of their ability to understand what the family is doing?
Is it harder to introduce a foster child when there is only one existing child in the home. Do only children have a harder time adjusting?
How much information about the new child should you share with the other kids in the home?

Adoption

How do the impacts of adopting differ from the impacts of fostering?
- With adoption you usually have more time.
- The child may already be living with you.
- Adoption is for forever, while fostering is usually temporary.
- You may care more about creating a lasting sibling relationship between the children.
How much of a say should you give kids already in the family over whether you adopt?

Common Worries

The new child may have developed behaviors that helped them survive in their prior home or are the physical symptoms of the trauma they experienced, such as tantrums, stealing, cursing, etc. Parents worry that these behaviors will rub off on their child.
How to handle possible behaviors that could be harmful to kids already in the family. For example, acting out sexually with the other kids.
New foster kids and some kids being placed for adoption have often had a diet higher in processed foods. How to handle this difference if you don’t want the kids in the family to eat too much processed foods.
The lack of time and attention will hurt kids already in the family.

Tips for Parents

How can parents lessen the impact and increase the benefits of fostering or adopting for kids already in the family.

Prepare children in the family in advance. What do children in the home need to be prepared for? (Differs significantly depending on the age of all the children involved)
How to handle rule differences and behavioral expectations.
How to handle the differing privileges and expectations that may have been assigned to kids by age in the past but age may not be the best measure or gauge now. For example, staying at home alone while dad runs to the store. Or bedtimes. Or visits alone to grandparents.
How to prepare your children for the time commitment a new child will require to avoid feeling of jealousy? How to find time for all the kids.
How to avoid secondary trauma in existing kids and how to recognize it.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly

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Identical Twins Separated at Birth Feb 01, 2023

What happens when identical twins born in Vietnam are separated by adoption, with one adopted by a US family and one adopted by a Vietnamese family? Join us to talk with Erika Hayasaki, a journalist and author of Somewhere Sisters: A Story of Adoption, Identity and the Meaning of Family.
In this episode, we cover:

The story.
Twin studies.
Adoption studies.
The similarities of the twins in your story and in twin studies.
The differences between the twins in your story and in twin studies.
Reuniting
How did the twins' reunion affect them, their family in Vietnam, and their adopted family in the US?
Complications that the disparate degrees of wealth caused.
Adoptive parents’ role in reunion.

Twin studies referenced:

Polderman, T., Benyamin, B., de Leeuw, C. et al. Meta-analysis of the heritability of human traits based on fifty years of twin studies. Nat Genet 47, 702–709 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.3285
Website based on the research cited above: MaTCH. This website provides a resource for the heritability of all human traits that have been investigated with the classical twin design. The traits have been classified into 28 broad trait domains, as well as according to the standard classification schemes of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) or the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). Currently, the database includes information from 2748 papers, published between 1958 and 2012, reporting on 17804 traits on a total of 14,558,903 twin pairs. https://match.ctglab.nl/#/home

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Picky Eating and Other Food Issues Jan 25, 2023

Have mealtimes become a battleground in your house, is your child a picky eater, or do you have a child who eats too much? We provide lots of tips in our conversations with Dr. Katja Rowell, a family doctor and author of Love Me, Feed Me, 2nd edition, and Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating. She has a special interest in supporting foster and adoptive parents.
In this episode, we cover:

What are some of the typical food issues for adopted or foster kids, especially those who have experienced trauma?
How does trauma impact feeding?
Responsive eating leaves space to recognize what the body needs.
What do you mean by felt safety and focusing on connection?
What is a responsive and flexible framework for feeding kids with brain-based differences?
How to best deal with kids who are significantly underweight.
How to best handle extreme pickiness.
How to handle children who are eating too much, emotional eaters, or who are overweight.
Why do kids from foster care or institutional settings often become larger than optimal for their health?
Practical tips for establishing healthy eating patterns in adopted or foster kids
- modified family style serving
- supporting nutrition
- sensory support at mealtimes
- food “exposure” therapy

Additional Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

2022 Adoption Tax Credit Jan 18, 2023

Are you planning on claiming the Adoption Tax Credit when you file your taxes this year? If so, this is the podcast for you! We talk with two of the top experts in the US on the Adoption Tax Credit: Becky Wilmoth, an Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist with Bill’s Tax Service, and Josh Kroll, the Adoption Subsidy Resource Center coordinator at the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC).
In this episode, we cover:

What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2022 federal taxes?
How to advocate for refundability?
What is a “credit” and how does it differ from a deduction or some other form of tax savings?
If you get a tax refund every year, how would you use the Adoption Tax Credit?
If you don’t have any federal tax liability, should you still apply the credit to your federal income taxes?
What types of adoptions are included or excluded? Stepparent adoption? Embryo adoption? Same-sex partner second-parent adoption? Unmarried heterosexual second-parent adoption? Surrogacy?
Can you get credit for each adoption you complete even if completed in the same year? What about adopting siblings at the same time?
What is a Qualified Adoption Expense for purposes of the Adoption Tax Credit 2022?
When can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit?
- Domestic private adoption
- International Adoption
- Re-adoption in the US for international adoption
- Foster Care Adoption
How does the Adoption Tax Credit work with kinship adoptions? What if the child never was involved with foster care?
Special Needs Adoption: How does the Adoption Tax Credit differ for adoptions from foster care? What does the IRS accept as proof of “special needs”?
$0 subsidy agreement
Special needs child for international adoption
Can you reclaim your expenses for an attempted adoption that did not result in a placement? How?
What income level (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) is excluded from claiming the Adoption Tax Credit in 2022?
How long can the credit be carried over?
Are you able to amend the previous year's tax return to claim the adoption tax credit? Is the adoption tax credit something you can amend, and if so, how do you amend and how many years back?
Will the Adoption Tax Credit offset self-employment tax?
How does the Secure Act impact claiming the Adoption Tax Credit for 2022 taxes?
What should you do if the child’s Social Security Number is not available when you file?
- Should you use an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN #) if you don’t have the child’s social security number?
How does the Adoption Tax Credit work in conjunction with employee adoption benefits? For special needs adoption?
Qualified Birth or Adoption Distribution from Qualified Retirement Plan without penalty. Under Secure Act.
If you adopt, can you still get the Child Tax Credit?
What do you need in order to get the Child Tax Credit for your adopted child?
Do you need to send to the IRS any documentation for the Adoption Tax Credit when you file your taxes? What type of documentation should you keep in your records?
How to find a tax specialist knowledgeable on the Adoption Tax Credit? https://adoptiontaxcredit.org

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & ki

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How to Adopt in 2023 Jan 11, 2023

Are you thinking about adopting this year? You don't want to miss this discussion of how to adopt and current trends in private infant adoption, foster care adoption, and international adoption. Our guests are Chris Peszka, MSW, Regional and District Supervisor at Adoptions From The Heart Adoption Agency, and Robin Sizemore, Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions.
In this episode, we cover:

Domestic infant private adoption in the US
- What is the process?
- What are the reasons that pregnant moms are placing their child?
- Open adoption
- Expectant parent choice
- Special needs of children available
- How long does it take? What factors influence this time?
- How much does it cost? What factors influence this cost?
- Adoption agency and adoption attorney
- What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting a baby?
Adoptions from foster care in the US
- What is the process?
- Adopting your foster child
- Adopting a waiting child
- What are the reasons that children are available for adoption from foster care in the US?
- What age and race of child is available for adoption from foster care?
- Special needs?
- How long does it take?
- How much does it cost?
- What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting from foster care?
International adoptions to the US
- What is the process?
- What type of children are available for adoption from abroad?
- How long does it take? What factors influence this time?
- How much does it cost? What factors influence this cost?
- What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting internationally?
- What are some of the shifts in adoption in the last 5 or so years?
- What are some of the changes anticipated for 2023 and beyond?

Additional resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Making Peace with Living Child Free Jan 04, 2023

How do you know when enough is enough? What do you do when infertility treatment and adoption don't end up with you having a child. Join us to talk with Rebecca and Sallyann Majoya, co-authors of the memoir Uncertain Fruit, and Carole LieberWilkins, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist providing individual and couples counseling, as well as psychoeducational consultations, for those moving into alternative paths to parenthood and living child-free.
In this episode, we cover:

Deciding to live child-free is becoming increasingly common in the US. Research has found that 30 percent of women of childbearing age identifying wanting to live child-free. However, that is not reflective of the people we are speaking to who have likely tried infertility treatment or adoption and it hasn’t worked for them.
What is the right name: childfree or childless? Are you childfree by choice or childfree not by choice?
Age is less of a biological cut off point than in the past and that complicates the decision of whether to stop trying to have a child.
How do people know when it is time to stop trying? What are the signs that it is time to stop. How do you know when enough is enough?
Is making the decision to live childfree ‘giving up’?
Are there predictable steps for reaching the decision of when it is time to stop fertility treatment or adoption?
Determining when you should stop.
How to decide to stop?
- ‘Trying on’ the future
- Seeking new goal/vision
- Therapy
How can “giving up the dream” of children impact a couple’s relationship?
How to handle when both partners are not on the same page.
Once you’ve made the decision, should you take steps to not get pregnant? The “not-try-but-not-prevent” approach.
For many, the decision to live child free not by choice causes grief, but this loss is invisible. It’s hard for others to see or understand, so we mourn without the support of our community.
What can people do to help themselves resolve the grief of not having kids?
- Writing a letter to the child you will never know.
- Giving this dream child a “funeral.” Doing something with the letter that is akin to a funeral. Concrete reminders that the person is gone.
- Create a ritual to say goodbye.
- Writing a memoir.
- Create a new life goal. A new vision for your future.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Parental Leave: What You Need to Know Before You Adopt or Foster Dec 28, 2022

Are adoptive parents eligible for parental leave? What about foster parents or kinship parents? We talk with Dr. Amy Beacom and Sue Campbell, with the Center for Parental Leave Leadership and co-authors of The Parental Leave Playbook.
In this episode, we cover:

What are the laws and rules surrounding parental leave in the US?
Who is eligible for parental leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?
Parental leave on the company level
How does parental leave differ from maternity leave paternity leave?
Policies that require employees to pay back their parental leave if they do not stay employed with the company/organization for a certain period of time.
How does this differ from other countries?
Are the laws/rules different for mothers and fathers? Are they gender neutral?
Do you receive your salary when you are on parental leave?
Does parental leave differ for someone adopting a child?
Are adoptive families are protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?
Are birth mothers eligible for parental leave?
Does their have to be a legal relationship between the parent and the child? Does parental leave differ for someone fostering a child? Are you eligible for parental leave with every new foster placement?
Can kinship caregivers receive parental leave?
The Parental Leave Playbooklays out a process for approaching parental leave in three phases: preparing for your leave, during leave, and returning from leave.
What steps should you take to be successful in each phase?

To support the Paid Leave for All Act

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Transracial Adoption: A Mom & Son Talk About What They've Learned Dec 21, 2022

We talk with Isaac and Julie Etter, a mom and son, about what they have learned about transracial adoption and what they wish they had known at the beginning. Isaac is the founder of Identity, a startup focused on using technology to help adoptive and foster families thrive. Julie Etter is a mom of five and a humanities teacher.
In this episode, we cover:

Isaac, tell us your adoption story from your perspective. Why were you placed for adoption? What were the first two years of your life like? Where you were raised?
Julie, what was your motivation for adopting? Were there other children in the family?
What was the racial demographics of your community?
Julie, what were you taught about transracial adoption before you adopted?
Isaac, how did you identify racially as a young child? When did you start identifying as black?
Did you experience racism growing up?
Julie, did you see racism directed towards Isaac as a child?
Did you tell your parents?
Julie, what do you wish you had known before you adopted a Black child? Would you have done anything differently?
Isaac, what do you want transracial adopted parents to know?
Julie, what advice would you give other parents who have or are considering adopting tranracially?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Courage & Resilience: A Foster Child's Story of Success Dec 14, 2022

How do some kids survive a life of poverty, homelessness, abuse, and foster and eventually thrive? We talk with David Ambroz is a national poverty and child welfare expert and advocate and the author of the memoir, A Place Called Home. He was recognized by President Obama as an American Champion of Change. Currently serving as the Head of Community Engagement (West) for Amazon, Ambroz previously led Corporate Social Responsibility for Walt Disney Television, and has served as president of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission as well as a California Child Welfare Council member. After growing up homeless and then in foster care, he graduated from Vassar College and later earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law. He is a foster dad and lives in Los Angeles, CA.
In this episode, we cover:

Poverty and Homelessness:
- His story.
- School
- What made a difference?
- What should adults who encounter or work with homeless children/youth know?
Foster Care:
- His story.
- Youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are overrepresented in foster care (Human Rights Campaign, 2015). While approximately 5 percent of the general population is estimated to be LGBTQ+, studies estimate that about 30 percent of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ+. Why are these young people over represented in child welfare? LGBTQ+ youth are 1.5 -2 times more likely to have a foster placement failure.
- What would you want foster parents to know?
What made the difference in your eventually succeeding? (Going to Vassar and UCLA Law School.)
The lack of available treatments for mental illness.
Why did you become a foster parent?
Why did you title the book “A Place Called Home?”

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An Introduction to Female Fertility Dec 07, 2022

How much do you really know about your fertility, menstrual cycles, and conception? Join us to learn more with Dr. Joyce Harper, a Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, and the head of the Reproductive Science and Society Group. She is the author of Your Fertile Years.
In this episode, we cover:

Understanding the menstrual cycle
Understanding the basic of conception
Predicting ovulation
Basics of Infertility
What percentage of infertility is caused by the female partner, the male partner, or both?
What causes a woman to not ovulate?
Initial workup for women who meet the definition of infertility
Workup for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Treatment Options for Infertility
How does the infertility workup differ for the LGBTQ+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Non-binary, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Gender Nonconforming Individuals)?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Understanding Psychotropic Medications Nov 30, 2022

Are you a foster or adoptive parent whose child is taking mood altering medications or medications to help them sleep? You will learn a lot about these medications and what you can do to make them as effective as possible. We talk with Dr. Adam Langenfeld, a Developmental Pediatrician at Children's Minnesota hospital. He also has a Ph.D. in chemistry.
In this episode, we cover:

What are psychotropic medications?
What are the classes of psychotropic medications?
What are some commonly prescribed medications in each class?
What mental health issues are these medications addressing?
Symptoms of anxiety and depression in children.
Situational anxiety or depression.
- SCARED checklist anxiety
- Childhood Depression Inventory
How do psychotropic medications work? A basic overview of Psych Pharmacology.
- Simulation of a brain synapsis
How are medications in each of these classes administered?
Does timing of the day matter?
How effective is melatonin?
Does proximity to meals matter when administering these medications?
What are some of the side effects of the most commonly used psychotropic medications?
- Psychedelics?
- Supplements (such as CBD)?
Why are children in foster care more likely to be on psychotropic medications?
Does use of psychotropic medications in childhood increase the likelihood of substance abuse in adolescence or adulthood?
What can parents do to help these medications be as effective as possible?
How to know when a child should taper down or get off of psychotropic medications?
If parents believe that the child is on too many psychotropic medications, what should they do?

Additional Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Support the Show.

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Prenatal Exposure: Diagnosing and Treatment Nov 23, 2022

Do you wonder if your child was prenatally exposed to alcohol or drugs? There may be nothing in the files, but something feels not right? We talk about diagnosing and treating these kids with Dr. Larry Burd, a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and the Director of the North Dakota Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center.
In this episode, we cover:

Most of our audience is foster, adoptive, and kinship parents and professionals. Often they don’t know for sure if a child has been exposed. The US government estimates that about 10% of all children in the US have been prenatally exposed to alcohol or drugs. Do you have a feel for the percentage of children in foster care or who have been involved with the child welfare system? International adoption? Domestic infant adoption?
Does prenatal exposure increase the likelihood of a disruption to a foster or adoptive placement?
How is prenatal exposure to alcohol detected or diagnosed?
What type of training do pediatricians receive during their education or residency on prenatal exposure and on how to diagnose?
Can you tell at birth or in infancy if a baby has been exposed to alcohol in utero?
How is prenatal exposure to drugs detected or diagnosed?
How does birth order change the likelihood that a child who is at risk has been exposed during pregnancy?
What are the long-term impacts of alcohol exposure? What are the symptoms that are most noticeable to parents, teachers, and other professionals working with these children?
Alcohol exposure affects multiple systems in the body.
Does it matter what type of alcohol was consumed?
Who can diagnose a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?
What are the long-term impacts of the following drugs?
- Opioids
- Heroin and Fentanyl
- Depressants (benzodiazepines, such as Valium, Xanax)-Prescribed and unprescribed
- Stimulants-Prescribed and unprescribed
- Methamphetamines
- Marijuana
- Tobacco/Nicotine
Do pediatricians have a body of resources to offer parents regarding raising a child with prenatal exposure?
Tips for parents

Additional Resources Mentioned in Interview:

Still Face Experiment
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Transracial Adoption and Fostering: Understanding Race & Racial Identity Nov 16, 2022

Are you a transracial adoptive or foster parent? Have you wondered how you can help your child form a healthy racial identity. Does racial identity formation change depending on the race of the child? Today we talk about all this and more with Dr. Gina Miranda Samuels, a professor at the University of Chicago and Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture. She is a transracial adoptee and co-author of the book Multiracial Cultural Attunement.
In this episode, we cover:

How do children in the US come to understand race at different ages and developmental stages?
How early do children develop a racial bias? How early do children associate certain characteristics to race and show a preference towards a person of a certain race?
How does transracial adoption or fostering or kinship care impact a child’s understanding of race?
How does transracial or transcultural adoption or fostering or kinship care impact children?
- Racial identity formation: How does being adopted transracially impact the adoptee’s racial identity formation?
- Coping with racism
In your research and in your experience, do you see a difference in the experience of race is perceived by both transracial adoptees or adoptive or foster parents depending on the race of the child? Asian, Latinx, Black, Bi-racial?
Why is taking the colorblind approach to parenting not helpful?
“It’s About More Than Hair”
Transracial parenting requires the family to be fluent in “race talk” – socialization is not a conversation, it is a daily, incremental, and developmental family process.
As our kids age, what is it like for our tweens, teens, and young adults to have parents of a different race?
How does transracial adoption or fostering impact siblings in the family who are the same race as the parents?
How does transracial adoption or fostering affect extended family members, such as grandparents and aunts and uncles?
Practical tips for parents raising a child of a different race or ethnicity.

Additional Resources:

Diverse Book Finder
The Brown Bookshelf – highlights Black voices writing for young readers.
The Conscious Kid
Multiracial Cultural Attunement by Gina Miranda Samuels and Kelly Faye Jackson, 2019
Tips for parenting your transracially adopted child by Dr. Gina Samuels
EmbraceRace was founded to create the community and gather the resources they needed (need!) to meet the challenges faced by those raising children in a world where race matters.
Dr. Erin Winkler, Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race
Hamilton ER, Samek DR, Keyes M, McGue MK, Iacono WG. Identity Development in a Transracial Environment: Racial/Ethnic Minority Adoptees in Minnesota. Adopt Q. 2015;18(3):217-233. doi: 10.1080/10926755.2015.1013593. PMID: 26300622; PMCID: PMC4540225.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the p

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Physical and Emotional Health Issues Common with Foster Kids Nov 09, 2022

What are the common health issues foster parents and those adopting from foster care should expect? We talk with Christy Street, Program Director of Fostering Health NC, which is a program of North Carolina Pediatric Society.
In this episode, we cover:

Term “health” broadly to encompass physical, emotional, mental, behavioral, developmental, educational, and oral health.
Impact of trauma on kids physical and mental health.
Those areas of the brain most affected by trauma, especially early trauma, are those involved in stress response, emotional regulation, attention, cognition, executive function, and memory.
An issue with foster care parenting is limited access to health care before entering foster care and lack of knowledge about previous health care. How does this impact care and what can foster or adoptive parents do?
The role of transience and uncertainty for kids in foster care provides challenges for foster parents and doctors in providing health care to kids in foster care.
Immunizations
Medicaid Care management
Foster kids often come to us with a bag full of medications that have been prescribed somewhere along the line and a host of diagnoses. What role can foster or soon to be adoptive parents play?
What are psychotropic drugs and why are so many foster children on them?
What can foster parents do if they question the amount or type of medication their foster child is taking or even the underlying diagnosis?
What role does a foster parent have in seeking a change in medication for their foster child?
What doctor do you take your foster child to? Your pediatrician? Their previous doctor, if they had one? The doctor that has prescribed the medication?
Pre-natal exposure to alcohol and drugs: impact, diagnosis.
One of the most confusing aspects of caring for a child in foster care is identifying who has the authority to consent for health care on behalf of the child or adolescent. Varies by state (caseworker can tell you).
Sleep issues with foster children. What causes sleep issues? What can foster parents or parents adopting from foster care do to help children in foster care sleep better?
How common are weight issues in foster children? Why is obesity and being overweight an issue? What can foster parents or parents adopting from foster care do?
Dental care for foster children. How much and how soon?
Coping with feelings of “why bother” when a foster child will return to the same chaotic household they came from.

Additional Resources

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Current Trends in 3rd Party Reproduction Nov 02, 2022

Are you thinking about using donor sperm, egg, or embryo or using a surrogate? We talk about the current trends in third party reproduction with Corey Burke, an embryologist and Tissue Bank Director at Cryos International Sperm & Egg Bank.
In this episode, we cover:

What do we mean by third-party reproduction?
What are some of the current trends in sperm donation?
What are some of the current trends in egg donation?
What are some of the current trends in surrogacy?
What are some of the current trends in embryo donation?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Collaborative Parenting Oct 26, 2022

Is your child more challenging than most? Do typical parenting approaches not work? We talk about how to parent harder-to- parent kids with Dr. Ross Greene, the originator of the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions parenting model, a non-punitive, non-adversarial, trauma-informed model of care. Dr. Greene is a clinical psychologist, former Harvard professor, and the author The Explosive Child and Raising Human Beings.
In this episode, we cover:

Why are some kids “harder to parent”?
How does trauma impact a child’s behavior?
How does innate temperament or genetics impact behavior?
What is the collaborative partnership approach?
3 Steps to the Collaborative & Proactive approach are:
- The Empathy step – involves gathering information so as to achieve the clearest understanding of the kid’s concern or perspective about a given unsolved problem.
- The Define Adult Concern step involves the adult sharing their perspective.
- The Invitation step involves having the adult and kid brainstorm solutions so as to arrive at a plan of action that is both realistic and mutually satisfactory…in other words, a solution that addresses both concerns and that both parties can actually do.
“Kids do well if they can.” Kids are challenging because they’re lacking the skills not to be challenging. If they had the skills, they wouldn’t be challenging. That’s because – and here is perhaps the key theme of the model — Kids do well if they can. And because (here’s another key theme) Doing well is always preferable to not doing well (but only if a kid has the skills to do well in the first place).
How would you apply this approach to work with kids who have experienced trauma?
Is Collaborative partnership permissive parenting?
Practical applications:
- A child who struggles with transitions.
- A child who won’t accept “no” and tantrums or argues.
- A child who doesn’t handle change and can’t be flexible.
- Tattling
- A teen who disregards curfew or other house rules.
- How to deal with aggressive behaviors towards pets, siblings, or parents?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Introduction to International Adoption Oct 19, 2022

Have you ever thought about adopting a child from abroad? What does it take and what type of kids are available? To learn more, listen to our interview with Robin Sizemore, Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions, who has worked in the international adoption field for 27 years and Debbie Price, Executive Director of Children’s House International and who has worked in international adoption for 28 years.
In this episode, we cover:

Outline of the typical international adoption process.
What type of kids are available for international adoption?
What is the youngest child available?
Is it possible to get a young healthy child or baby?
International adoption regulations.
What governmental entities are involved in international adoption?
How to decide on what country to adopt from? Will the country accept you? Does the country place children that you think your family is a good fit for?
What are some of the country-specific requirements for adoptive parents?
Can adoption agencies have different or more stringent requirements than the foreign or US government?
What are the health risks for children adopted internationally? What type of special needs do children have?
What type of care do children have before adoption? Institutional vs foster care.
How to find children abroad who are waiting for adoption? How to adopt a child on a waiting child website?
How much information will you have on the health of the child when you receive a referral?
How big of a risk is it that a country will close down to international adoption once you apply? How do you mitigate the risk of losing the money you invested?
What to look for in an international adoption agency?
Pre-adoption education requirements.
How much does international adoption cost?
Are grants available?
What is the Adoption Tax Credit and can it be used for an international adoption?
How long does it take to adopt internationally?
Is it possible for single women, gays, lesbians, or other members of the LGBTQ+ community to adopt internationally?
Importance of post-adoption reporting.
How do internationally adopted children acquire US citizenship?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Unexpected Stresses on Newly Adoptive Parents Oct 12, 2022

Are you getting ready to adopt or have just adopted? Do you wonder what the experience will really be like and what you can do to prepare? Join our conversation with Dr. Jennifer Bliss, LCSW and Director of Adoptions and Foster Care at Vista Del Mar and Family Services in Los Angeles; and Molly Berger, MSW and Adoption Social Worker at Adoption Center of Illinois.
In this episode, we cover:
Domestic Infant Adoption:

Process
Typical stresses adoptive parents feel
Lack of sleep
Not deserving to complain
Feeling like a babysitter
Not feeling love at first site
Impact of infertility struggles on transitioning into parenthood
Stresses with parenting a child with neonatal abstinence syndrome
Stresses with open adoption

Older child adoption through foster care or international adoption:

Process
Typical stresses adoptive parents feel
Unrealistic expectations of the child and of yourself
Love at first site
Feeling like a babysitter
Language issues
Cultural issues
Parental attachment styles-How the way we were parented influences how we parent.
Challenging behaviors
Sibling issues

Change is stressful and adding a child to your family is a huge change regardless of how the child joins the family. What can newly adoptive parents do to prepare in advance and to cope in those first few months?
How has the idea of cocooning impacted stress?

Additional Resources:

Doc McStuffins, "Baby McStuffins" (Season 3)
Sesame Street, "Gina Adopts a Baby"
Suggested Book List on Preparing Children for Adoption of a Sibling
Suggested Book List on Explaining Adoption To Birth Siblings of Adopted Children
Creating a Family resources on Disrupting Birth Order
Creating a Family courses on Combining Kids by Birth and Adoption

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

IVF from the Male Partner's Perspective Oct 05, 2022

What's IVF like for the male partner? We spend a lot of time talking about the experience of infertility treatment for the person going through treatment, but what about their partner? We talk with Keegan Prue, the author of "The IVF Dad." He and his wife Olivia went through two rounds of IVF and suffered two miscarriages before welcoming their daughter.
In this episode, we cover:

Tell us your story to parenthood.
The imagined role of the male partner: strong, supportive, and not needing support.
Media messages about men that impact how they can respond to infertility: men take action to fix problems, showing emotion makes you weak, real men don’t ask for or need help, real men are virile, being a father is part of what makes you a man.
What are some things that you learned that the male partner can do to improve the quality or quantity of sperm.
What are some common emotions men or those supporting a person trying to get pregnant might feel when they start infertility treatment: anger; embarrassment; jealousy; fear that is won’t work; worry (over costs, impact of the treatment on their partner and their relationship), feeling less manly.
How can the supporting partner take care of themselves during treatment?
The partner’s role in giving the shots. What are some common feelings they experience?
Tips for staying connected with your partner through the stress of fertility treatment.
Dealing with miscarriage yourself while supporting your partner.
The role of infertility nurses. You wanted to nominate your infertility nurse for sainthood. What did she do that made the stressful experience of infertility and its treatment more bearable for you as the male partner.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Finding an Adoption and Foster Competent Therapist Sep 28, 2022

Do you think your child or your family would benefit from counseling? How do you find the right therapist and how can you tell in advance if they will be a good fit for your family? We talk with Debbie Riley, a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and CEO of the Center for Adoption Support and Education.
In this episode, we cover:

What type of professional can provide therapy to an adopted or foster child or family?
What’s the difference between being adoption competent and adoption informed?
Why is competency in adoption or foster issues important?
What do we mean be an “adoption competent therapist”? What makes a therapist adoption competent?
Is adoption/foster competence the same as trauma competence?
How can you tell if a therapist is competent to handle adoption or foster issues? Are there specific trainings that provide adoption competency?
Creating a Family provides a list of ways to find an adoption competent therapist on our Adoption Therapy section.
Is one type of therapeutic model of treatment more effective for adoptive children and families? Theraplay, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), Narrative therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), etc.
Should therapy with adopted kids on adoption issues involve just the child, or the child and the parent?
What is home-based therapy and are there advantages to this type of therapy for adoptive and foster families.
How can you find a therapist that will provide therapy within the home? (One source is http://www.familycenteredtreatment.org/)
Is therapy via tele-health or via teleconferencing as effective for adopted children? For families? How to know if it will work for your family? Ways to make it more effective.
How can a parent determine if the therapist is a good fit for the child and family? What questions should they ask?
How many sessions to try?
When to seek a therapist?
How to find a therapist with lived experience of being adopted?

Resources

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Introduction to Foster Parenting Sep 21, 2022

Have you ever thought about becoming a foster parent? If so, this is the podcast for you! We talk with Arnie Eby, the Executive Director of the National Foster Parent Association and a foster parent for 22 years; and Angie Jones, a licensed clinical social worker and the Intensive Service Foster Care Recruiter and Trainer at Vista Del Mar, an agency placing foster children.

In this episode, we cover:

What is the goal of the foster care system?
How to become a foster parent?
What are the typical requirements for becoming a foster parent?
What disqualifies you to become a foster parent?
What type of pre-service training is involved?
How long does it usually take to become a licensed foster parent?
Who licenses foster parents?
What types of questions should parents ask when deciding on which agency to work with?
What are the different levels of licensing for foster homes?
Do foster parents get paid?
Can you foster if you rent your home or apartment?
Does one parent have to be at home if they want to have infants or young pre-school aged children placed with them?
How much control do foster parents have on which child is placed with them?
What is expected of foster parents when a child is placed with them?
Can you travel with a foster child? Out of state? Out of the country?
What is shared parenting or co-parenting?
What type of support should foster parents expect from the agency they are licensed through?
Is it possible to adopt your foster child?
How do you foster and adopt?
How much control do foster parents have on visitation, medical treatment, mental health care, and reunification?
How to cope with the grief when a foster child leaves?
Where can foster parents turn for support?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Therapeutic Parenting: Strategies and Solutions Sep 14, 2022

We talk today with Sarah Naish, the CEO of the Center of Excellence in Child Trauma and founder of the National Association of Therapeutic Parents. She is the author of "The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting" and "The A-Z of Survival Strategies for Therapeutic Parents." She is the adoptive mom to a sibling group of 5 who are now adults and she has fostered over 40 kids.
In this episode, we cover:

Why are some kids harder to parent and why especially are kids who have experienced trauma, including prenatal trauma, often harder to parent?
Understanding the cause of the behavior is the root of parenting harder to parent kids.
Establish the basics to make their lives predictable so they can feel safe and grow and heal. The elements for establishing this base:
- Routines
- Establish yourself as a safe base-empathetic and nurturing but in control
  - Respond to the child, not to the child’s demand
Be honest about their story, contact, etc. – be factual, but don’t fill in the gaps
Establish strong, clear boundaries- what to do when these boundaries are crossed?
Use natural or life consequences
- Our kids may not recognize cause and effect.
  - Early trauma, including prenatal exposure, can hinder a child’s ability to recognize cause and effect
  - Our kids may be developmentally younger than their chronological years which also impacts understanding.
- Natural consequences help children recognize that they can make an impact on the world-helps them make sense of the world
- Combine natural consequences with nurturance.
How to handle incidents when they happen. PARENTS model.
- Pause-to allow you to respond with intention not emotion.
- Assess-is anyone in danger or serious damage.
- Reflection-quick reflection to identify the trigger.
- Empathize rather than ask questions
  - use empathetic commentary-
  - respond to their feelings rather than the behavior.
- Nurture-examples of nurturing in the heat of the moment.
- Think about next action to take.
  - What strategies might I use to resolve this? Do you need to do anything else?
  - How can we avoid this situation in the future?
- Self-care
Other parenting strategies for harder to parent kids. Other tools for your toolkit.
- Identify your triggers.
- Set realistic expectations.
- Use silliness or playfulness.
- Remove the audience.
- Help kids show they are sorry rather than demand they say they are sorry.
- The phone strategy.
- Watch what the child is doing rather than what she is saying.
- Payback time.
- Admit it when you made a mistake.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

When to Consider Sperm or Egg Donation Sep 07, 2022

Are you considering donor egg or sperm? When should you consider these options? What choices do you have and what are some of the psychological hurdles you need to consider? We talk with Dr. Angela Leung, a reproductive endocrinologist at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey; and Dr. Poonam Sharma, a Licensed Psychologist specializing in reproductive issues.
In this episode, we cover:

Sperm Donation:

What are the possibilities of getting pregnant when the male partner has an abnormal semen analysis? Does it depend on whether sperm count, motility, or morphology are abnormal?
When should patients consider sperm donation from a medical standpoint?
How and when should medical providers bring up the possibility of using donated sperm? Does it matter that the “patient” is usually the female partner?
What are some of the psychological issues that may arise for the female partner using a sperm donor?
What are some feelings the male partner commonly experiences?
What type of impact does “asymmetry of parenthood” in which there will be a biological motherhood and social fatherhood have on couples?
How do these issues differ if the patient is part of a heterosexual couple, a lesbian couple, or a single parent?

Egg Donation:

When should patients consider egg donation from a medical standpoint?
What medical conditions make egg donation appropriate?
How and when should medical providers bring up the possibility of using donated eggs? Who on the medical staff is the one that usually introduces the topic?
What are some of the psychological considerations for the female partner?
What are some of the psychological considerations for the male partner?
What type of impact does “asymmetry of parenthood” in which there will be a genetic father and biological mother who is carrying but not using her own eggs?

Donor Selection:

What are some general medical considerations when selecting any type of donor? (i.e., egg or sperm bank vs. live donor)
What advice would you give intended parents about psychological considerations when selecting a donor?
Do medical providers or mental health professionals talk with patients about the use of anonymous vs. open donors/identified donors?
What issues to consider when using known/directed donors? (i.e., friends, relatives)
Should you tell the child?

Embryo Donation:

When should patients consider using donated embryos?
How to discuss this option with patients?
What are some of the psychological considerations for the intended parents?

Additional Resources:
American Society of Reproductive Medicine Guidance Regarding Gamete and Embryo Donation
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Transracial Adoption from the Eyes of Adoptee, Birth Mom, and Adoptive Mom Aug 31, 2022

Transracial adoption affects all parts of the adoption triad. We will talk today with a transracial adoptee and his birth mom and adopted mom. We will include tips for adoptive parents raising transracially adopted or fostered child.
In this episode, we cover:

Adoptee’s experience with transracial adoption
- Preschool
- Elementary years
- Middle and high school years
  - Code switching
  - Feelings
  - Identity formation
- College
- Adulthood
- Reunion with birth family
- Birth Father?
Birth Mother’s experience with reunion and transracial adoption
- Her role in identity formation
- Her feelings on reunion
Adoptive Mother’s experience with transracial adoption
Tips for adoptive and foster parents

Additional Information:

Kyle Bullock’s Instagram: kb_2090
Short documentary based on story of Kyle and his birth family and adoptive family. “Finding identity: Growing up a transracial adoptee”

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Trauma and Transracial Adoption Aug 24, 2022

We talk today with Dr. Gina Samuels about Trauma and Transracial Adoption. Dr. Samuels is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration and In-Coming Director at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture. She is an adult transracial adoptee. She has a newly published article in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect tilted “Epistemic trauma and transracial adoption.”
In this episode, we cover:

How do you define trauma? What is complex trauma?
What is epistemic trauma and how does it differ from the trauma caused by abuse or neglect or witnessing violence?
The article, “Epistemic trauma and transracial adoption”, asks how might the theory of epistemic injustice highlight conditions endemic to the experience of adoption, and specifically transracial adoption, that mark a distinct type of trauma? How does this apply to all adoption and how specifically to transracial adoption?
The article posits that the condition of being transracially adopted can represent intersectional minoritized statuses.
What are some other life experiences that can result in epistemic trauma and intersectional minoritized status? Mixed race? First generation immigrant?
What are ways in which transracial adoption is traumatic? Racism? Adoption based microaggressions? Racial microaggressions?
What are ways in which the institution of adoption aid in this epistemic trauma?
“Hermeneutical smothering”—the deployment of dominant meanings that drown out, distort, or obscure one's own meaning making processes. How does this apply in adoption? How does it apply in transracial adoption? (How adoptees experience racism; how adoptees experience adoption)
“TRA does not adopt children out of racism. In fact, TRA can place children right in the center of it.” Being transracially adopted, also amplifies a person of color's proximity to whiteness, and to the meanings of race and racism that exist within in these spaces.
The feeling of being more fully understood with other transracial adopted people.
How can we do better?
The Creating a Family Facebook Support Group had an interesting discussion from all sides of the adoption triad (adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents) of the following quote: “Adoption loss is the only trauma in the world where the victims are expected by the whole of society to be grateful.” ~Rev. Keith C. Griffith
- Check it out at https://www.facebook.com/groups/creatingafamily/posts/10159843117386168/

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Adoptions in the US: Who is Adopting and How are the Kids Doing? Aug 17, 2022

We talk with Ryan Hanlon, with National Council for Adoption, about the largest survey of adoptive parents ever conducted. We talk about who adoptive parents are, the needs of the kids adopted, and so much more.
In the episode, we cover:

Who is adopting in the US? How are they similar and how do they differ from the general population of parents in relation to income and education level?
What are the primary motivations for parents to adopt? Does it differ based on domestic infant adoption, international adoption, and foster care adoption?
What type of special needs or diagnoses do adopted children have?
- How well are adoptive parents meeting these needs?
How are adopted kids doing in school?
What degree of openness or contact with birth families is common for infant adoption, intercountry adoption, and adoptions from foster care?
How do adoptive parents view their relationship with birth families?
How common are attachment issues in adoption and what factors contribute to attachment problems?
How are parents meeting the needs of transracially adopted children?
How satisfied are adoptive parents with the decision to adopt? Knowing what they know now, would they do it again?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Epigenetics in Fertility and Infertility Treatment Aug 10, 2022

How can epigenetic changes affect your fertility or the health of your child conceived by fertility treatment? We talk with Dr. Jason Franasiak, a board certified Obstetrician Gynecologist, board certified Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist, board certified High Complexity Laboratory Director in Embryology and Andrology, and lead physician of RMA’s Marlton Clinic and Lab in South Jersey. He has authored and contributed to over 100 peer reviewed publications, published chapters and abstracts. He serves on the Editorial Board for Fertility and Sterility and the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In this episode, we cover:

What is epigenetics?
What factors can influence or affect the epigenome?
Can we “see” epigenetic changes?
How do epigenetic factors impact our health?
What are the genetic and epigenetic factors associated with female infertility?
What are the genetic and epigenetic factors associated with female PCOS?
What are the genetic and epigenetic factors associated with endometriosis?
What are the genetic and epigenetic factors associated with primary ovarian insufficiency?
What are the genetic and epigenetic factors associated with male infertility?
How could epigenetics affect modifications in invitro fertilization and invitro embryo development?
Imprinting disorders
Do environmental factors affect epigenetics?
What are epigenetic disorders?
Are children conceived by IVF more likely to have epigenetic disorders?
Can epigenetic changes be heritable across generations?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Helping Our Kids Overcome a Traumatic Background Aug 03, 2022

We know our kids have experienced trauma, but how can we help them overcome this trauma to become healthy happy adults. We talk about resilience and overcoming an adverse beginning with Dr. Julian Ford and Dr. Amanda Zelechoski. Dr. Ford is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry and Law at the University of Connecticut where he directs two Treatment and Services Adaptation Centers in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Dr. Ford is past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and has published more than 250 articles and book chapters and is the author or editor of 10 books. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in trauma. She is a professor of psychology and Director of Clinical Training at Purdue University Northwest.
In this episode, we cover:

What are some of the different types of events/situations that can be traumatic to a child?
Do different types of trauma affect children differently? Short term but intense trauma. Long term trauma at the hands of a primary caregiver. Neglect? Witnessing domestic violence? Prenatal trauma?
Why does early life trauma make it harder for kids to succeed at life?
What are some signs of trauma by age of child? Preschool? Elementary? Middle and High School? (learning, physical health, mental health, trouble with the law, etc.)
How to help our kids overcome their traumatic background and thrive?
How to rewire the neurons?
Triggers
Emotional regulation.
What can parents do to help their kids bounce back from their early life trauma?
What is the key element to resilience?
How can parents encourage resilience?
What role does temperament or personality play in resilience to trauma?
How long does it take for kids to “heal” from trauma?
Are there specific types of therapy that are more effective than others for helping children overcome trauma? Does it differ depending on the type of trauma?

Resources: Roadmap to Resilience Podcast series. www.roadmaptoreslience.org

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Surviving Childhood Trauma and Succeeding in Life: Panel of Former Foster Youth Jul 27, 2022

We talk with a panel of former foster youth about their stories and what helped them survive their trauma and succeed in life.
In this episode, we cover:

What were the two most important things in helping you heal and ultimately thrive after your years in foster care and early life trauma?
Was their one or two people in your life who helped you overcome? What did they do to help?
Why do you think you became a survivor when others in similar positions did not?
If you are parents, how has your trauma from your early years impacted your parenting?
While you are successful and are “survivors” do you still carry some of the baggage from your childhood?
What advice would you give foster, adoptive, and kinship parents to be most helpful to the children in their care?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

How Do Teachers Understand Adoption (and What Can Parents Do About It?) Jul 20, 2022

What do teachers know about adoption? What are the misperceptions? We talk with two researchers on this topic: Dr. Hal Grotevant, the Rudd Family Foundation Chair in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Dr. Abbie Goldberg, a Professor of Psychology and current Director of Women’s & Gender Studies at Clark University.
In this episode, we cover:

How knowledgeable were teachers in understanding the impact of trauma?
How knowledgeable were teachers in understanding the impact of attachment?
How knowledgeable were teachers in understanding the impact of adoption?
How knowledgeable were teacher sin understanding the impact of prenatal exposure?
Was there a perception that adopted kids were “troubled”?
What did they know about open adoption?
How accepting were teachers to the idea of modifying assignments to reflect diverse families, including those formed by adoption?
Do teachers know whether kids are adopted? Do they need to know? Do they feel comfortable asking this information?
Did teachers present lessons that included the diversity that adoption represents?
Does teacher training, either formal or in-service training, often include information on adoption?
What can parents do to help their child’s teacher be more adoption-aware or adoption-sensitive?
Where can listeners get more information on your research?
- The “Teachers and Adopted Children” Survey and the Factsheet for Teacher can be found here.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Back to School with Foster & Adopted Kids Jul 13, 2022

How can you help you child succeed at school? We talk with Heather Forbes, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the owner of the Beyond Consequences Institute. She specializes on the impact of trauma and is the author of Help for Billy and Classroom 180.
In this episode, we cover:

What are some of the specific issues that parents of foster and adopted kids need to consider when their children go back to school?
Tips for helping kids transition into the new year.
Is it better to address potentially sensitive issues up front before they happen, when they might not even happen, or wait to see if it comes up? For example, family tree assignments.
What are some other potentially triggering school assignments for foster or adopted kids?
How much of your child’s story should you share with your child’s teacher? How to balance the desire to keep your child’s history for them to decide who knows and sharing sensitive information with the teacher to help them work with your child.
How to address the issue of your child’s past trauma and how it affects the way they behave?
Why is it important to have a trauma-informed school?
What can parents do to help their school and their child’s teacher become more trauma informed?
A disproportionate number of adopted and foster kids have been prenatally exposed to alcohol and drugs. How does this exposure impact their education and time at school?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Jul 06, 2022

We talk with Dr. Julie Lamb about Endometriosis and Adenomyosis. Dr. Lamb is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist practicing at Pacific Northwest Fertility in Seattle and Bellevue and serves as clinical faculty at the University of Washington.
In this episode, we cover:
Endometriosis

What is endometriosis?
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
What is the cause of endometriosis?
Is there a genetic link to endometriosis?
What factors increase your risk of developing endometriosis?
Does having endometriosis make you at greater risk for cancer?
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
Is a definitive diagnosis necessary before treatment?
How is endometriosis treated?
When should laparoscopic surgery to remove the endometriosis lesions be considered for the treatment of endometriosis?
When should hysterectomy be considered for treatment of endometriosis?
What are endometriomas?
What method is best for removing endometrial lesions: laser, electrical pulse, or other?
Is it possible to cure endometriosis?
What options are available to treat endometriosis on the fallopian tubes?
How does endometriosis affect fertility?
Does endometriosis affect the success of infertility treatment?

Adenomyosis

What is adenomyosis and how does it differ from endometriosis?
Adenomyosis vs. Fibroids
What are the symptoms of adenomyosis?
Is there a genetic link to adenomyosis?
How is adenomyosis diagnosed?
How is adenomyosis treated?
Does adenomyosis affect the success of infertility treatment?

General

More common in Black or Asian or Latina women?
Lupron
Can endometriosis be treated through diet or lifestyle changes?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

How to Raise an Anti-Racist Child Jun 29, 2022

How can white parents raise anti-racist children in this time of violence against people of color and protests. We talk with Dr. Ann Hazzard, a clinical child psychologist who was on the faculty at Emory University in Atlanta and co-author of Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice; and Dr. Joy Harris, a Full-time Lecturer at Princeton Theological Seminary and co-author of The ABCs of Diversity: Helping Kids (and Ourselves!) Embrace Our Differences.
In this episode, we cover:

Embrace Race.org. Founded by black and mixed race parents to provide resources for raising black children.
One Talk at a Time https://www.caminoslab.org/onetalk Providing support for Latinx American, Asian American, African American, and Black youth and their families to have conversations about race and ethnicity. They have a separate section for Black, Asian, and Latinx parents.
What is the difference between not being a racist and being anti-racist?
What is wrong with saying and believing any of the following: "love will conquer all", “we are all one race-the human race", and “colorblind is best”.

Tip 1. Talk about Race

Racism thrives in silence. Why are many white parents silent on raise in general and within our families?
When do children start recognizes racial differences?
When should white parents start talking to their kids about race?
How to start the conversation?
Fantastic resources:
- Diverse Book Finder https://diversebookfinder.org/books/
- The Brown Bookshelf highlights Black voices writing for young readers.
- The Conscious Kid https://www.theconsciouskid.org/

Tip 2: Acknowledging & Celebrating Racial Diversity

Why is it important to acknowledge and celebrate racial diversity?
How to acknowledge and celebrate racial diversity?

Tip 3: Recognize systemic/institutionalized racism and white privilege

What do we mean by systemic racism?
What do we mean by white privilege?
How early do kids start defaulting that things associated with being white are better than being black?
How can parents address institutionalize racism with their children who will likely benefit from it?
How do we help teach our kids to understand power inequity so they can name it, unpack it, and dismantle it when it happens in the real world.

Tip 4: Talk about Violence Against People of Color and the Protests/Resistance

Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice
How much should we share with our children? At what age should we talk with them about these hard topics or is it better to shield them from such “grown up” problems?
Talk about How People Make Change in a democracy.
Not a one-time conversation.
Appropriate conversation for age and developmental level.
Should young children watch the news and videos.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Kinship Caregiving: Managing Relationships with the Child's Parents Jun 22, 2022

One of the hardest parts of being a kinship caregiver is navigating the relationship with the child's birth parent. We talk with Dr. Joseph Crumbley, a social worker, family therapist and author of “An Overview of Kinship Care”.
In this episode, we cover:

Creating a Family listening sessions with kinship caregivers in rural counties.
What are some of the complicating factors in the relationship between kinship caregivers and the child’s parents?
Grandparents and other caregivers sometimes feel that the child’s parents will threaten them with taking the child away if they do something that the parent disapproves of.
How to not enable the child’s parent but still have a relationship.
How to set healthy boundaries for the caregiver’s and child’s best interest when you have years of experience not setting healthy boundaries?
How to handle others in the family who interfere with the boundaries you’ve established?
I don't know if this is a question, but I really struggle with getting my kids opportunities to see their mom and siblings. All other siblings have been reunited, and I gather it's painful for their mom to see the two that were adopted by us (she surrendered her rights). Although we live relatively close to them, we have only managed 2-3 visits a year, mostly because of long periods of no responses to my texts or last-minute cancellations of planned visits. Sometimes our adopted kids can't even remember their siblings' names and it just breaks my heart. I'd love for them to have a closer relationship, but I have only limited control.
How to handle the anger, shame, guilt you feel at the child’s parents?
How to support co-parenting when the child’s parent is still not in a healthy place?
How to support reunification?

For more information please refer to www.drcrumbley.com.
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Engaging Churches in the Foster Care Crisis Jun 15, 2022

How can churches support kids in foster care and prevent children from entering foster care? Join us for our discussion with Jedd Medefind, President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) and Amber Knowles, the Executive Director of The Riverside Project (formerly Fostering Family).
In this episode, we cover:

We call it a foster care “crisis”. What does that term mean? What are the needs of foster children?
What is each organization doing to help engage churches in caring for foster kids?
What are ways people of faith can help improve the world of fostering if they know that they aren’t able to actually get licensed to foster?
How can churches provide support for people once they are parenting kids from foster care—either through fostering or adoption?
How can churches work to support birth families to help once the child has been reunified or to help stabilize them so that children don’t end up in care?
How can faith communities get involved with supporting foster families and foster kids?
The Jockey Being Family® Back to School Bash events will take place during the weekend of August 5-7th, 2022. These gatherings are geared towards foster and adoptive families with children 5-14 years of age. This is a chance to celebrate, educate, and empower families with a fun-filled and informative event as they prepare to head back to school for the upcoming year. Jockey Being Family® Foundation will provide grants for up to $3,000 to eligible organizations to help bring a Back to School Bash to your community. Together, we can be a much-needed support network for foster and adoptive families across the country. Email JBFBSB@jockey.com for additional information.
More Than Enough
Fostering Family and the Riverside Project
- Video: Riverside Project

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Legal and Medical Risk in Infant Adoption Jun 08, 2022

Are you considering adopting a baby? On today's show we talk about the legal and medical risk factors you need to consider. We talk with Amy Wallas Fox about the legal risk factors in infant adoption. Ms. Fox is an attorney partner of Claiborne Fox Bradley Goldman, a North Carolina and Georgia law firm and a fellow in the American Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys. We talk with Dr. Lisa Prock, MD, MPH, about the medical risk factors in infant adoption. Dr. Prock is the Director of the Developmental Medicine Center and Associate Chief in the Division of Developmental Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
In this episode, we cover:

How can a hopeful adoptive parent find a baby to adopt in the US?
What is the difference between an adoption agency, adoption attorney, adoption facilitator, and adoption consultant?
What is meant by an adoption-friendly state? Is there a state that is better than others to try to find an expectant mom who may want to place her child for adoption?
What are the different time periods that expectant parents or birth parents have to change their mind?
Adoption is covered by state law.
Is it possible for a birth family to get the child back after an adoption is complete?
What are some of the legal issues with birth fathers—both identified and unidentified?
How does the Indian Child Welfare Act impact legal risk in adoption?
What are some red flags that an expectant mom may not go through with the adoption plan and decide to parent?
What are the most dangerous drugs or substances that an expectant woman can use during pregnancy as far as impact on the fetus and baby?
What is the impact of alcohol on a fetus and baby, both short term and long term?
What is the impact of opiates (prescription and non-prescription) on a fetus and baby, both short term and long term?
What is the impact of methadone or suboxone on a fetus and baby, both short term and long term?
What is the impact of heroin on baby, both short term and long term?
What is the impact of methamphetamines on a baby, both short term and long term?
Long term impact of prenatal exposure to cocaine or crack?
If the birth mother stopped using drugs and stopped drinking when she found out she was pregnant, will the baby be spared the worst of the impact?
What are the risks to the baby if the mother has Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C, HIV, syphillis?
Is ADHD inheritable? Is there a gene for ADHD?
Do certain mental illnesses have a genetic connection? What is the likelihood that the child will have depression, anxiety, bi-polar, schizophrenia, or other mental illnesses if the birth parents had the illness?
Should adoptive parents worry if the expectant mom has not had prenatal care?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Racial Disparities in Reproductive Medicine Jun 01, 2022

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey about Racial Disparities in Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Jackson-Bey is a Reproductive Endocrinologist with RMA of NY. She speaks frequently on reproductive justice and increasing access to fertility care and she is a member of the Americian Society for Reproductive Medicine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce.
In this episode, we cover:

What biological reproductive health conditions that can impact their fertility are Black women more prone to.
- Tubal or uterine abnormalities
- PCOS
- Fibroids
Racial Disparities in Infertility Treatment
- African American women are more likely than white women to experience infertility and wait longer to seek care.
- Women of color are less likely to access fertility treatment.
Racial Disparities in Other Reproductive Health Issues
- Contraceptive use
- Pap tests
- Mammograms
- Maternal mortality
- Preterm birth
- Low birth weight
- Uptake of human papillomavirus vaccination
What are some of the social and structural challenges that contribute to these racial and ethnic disparities?
What can infertility nurses do to reduce racial disparities in reproductive health care?

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Effectiveness of Online Parent Support Groups May 25, 2022

What is the future for parent support groups and are online support groups here to stay? How can we make them better? We talk with Dr. Jay Miller, Dean and Dorothy Miller Research Professor at the College of Social Work, University of Kentucky. He is a former foster youth and is now a prolific researcher in what works to support foster, adoptive, and kinship families.
In this episode, we cover:

The Virtual Interaction Pilot Program at the University of Kentucky
How to create a sense of community and relationship building with online parent support groups?
How many is too many participants in online groups?
What platform is best? Zoom? Microsoft Teams? Google Meet?
What day of week and time of day is best for participation?
Are there differences between urban vs. rural support groups?
How to increase engagement in meetings?
Do hybrid parent support groups work?
What is the future for foster, adoptive, and kinship parent support groups?
Do you see a difference in support groups for kinship parents?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Protecting our Kids from Sexual Exploitation May 18, 2022

Foster youth or children who have been in the foster care system make up over 80% of children being sexually exploited. What can you do to prevent this from happening to your child? We talk with Audrey Morrissey, Co-Executive Director of My Life My Choice, a survivor-led nonprofit fighting sexual exploitation of youth.
In this episode, we cover:

What are some of the different forms that sexual exploitation can take?
What is included in sexual trafficking?
Internet exploitation.
How does grooming take place.
Are foster children disproportionately represented in the sexually exploited population?
Are children who have experienced trauma over represented?
Seeking love and connection.
Sexual exploit of boys?
What can parents do to protect their children from sexual exploitation?
What resources are available to parents and young people?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Raising a Blended Family May 11, 2022

Representative Marjorie Margolies had a busy career as a journalist, author, Congressional Representative, professor, and founder of Women’s Campaign International all while raising 11 kids by adoption, birth, sponsorship, and marriage. She is the author of a new memoir And How Are the Children.
In this episode, we cover:

How did each of your children join your family?
How did you “blend” children that came to you in different ways, with different backgrounds, and different ages?
What were the biggest challenges?
Did some of your children struggled? How much do you think the way they came to your family impacted their struggles?
What did you learn along the way?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Disclosing Donor Conception to Our Kids May 04, 2022

Have you conceived through donor conception or are you considering this? Join us for the fascinating dive into disclosing (or not) this information to your child. We will talk with Dr. Patricia E. Hershberger, Associate Professor at the College of Nursing and Affiliate Professor at the College of Medicine, Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
In this episode, we cover:

How common is donor conception in the US? In other countries?
What percentage of parents in heterosexual couples tell their child of their donor conception?
Is there a difference in the percentage of parents disclosing donor conception with children conceived by donor sperm, donor egg, or donor embryo?
Is there a difference in the willingness to discuss surrogacy with children?
What does the research show about how many parents that say they are going to tell actually do tell by age 5 or age 10 or age 15?
Is there a difference of opinion in the professional field on whether children should be told? On whether professionals should counsel patients to tell their child?
The impact of over-the-counter genetic testing on parents’ willingness to disclose donor conception and infertility professionals’ willingness to encourage disclosure.
- Genetics study in school also raises questions
Is telling more common in same sex couples?
What are the motivating factors for parents who have told?
What reasons do parents give for not telling their child?
Is unresolved grief over their infertility (if infertility was a factor) a motivating factor for not telling?
Research has found that there are two general approaches behind when to tell children about their conception by donor sperm, egg, or embryo: “seed planting” and “right time”.
What is the average age that parents tell their child about their conception via donor sperm, egg, or embryo?
What word do parents use to describe the donor to the child? Does this word differ based on whether the parent is in a heterosexual partnership, a same-sex partnership, or is single?
How do parents talk about donor conception? If a two-parent household, which parent usually tells?
Is there a general story-line that parents use when disclosing donor conception to the child?
What does the research show about how donor conceived children feel about donor conception? Does it impact the quality of family functioning in a positive or negative way?
Use of children’s books.
What role could infertility professionals, especially nurses, play in disclosure decisions for infertility patients?
Should nurses, or other professionals, encourage disclosure?
- How can they support following through on disclosure of donor conception?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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A Panel of Birth Moms Talk About Adoption Apr 27, 2022

We talk with a panel of birth moms about their adoption experience. What is the adoption experience for birth mothers and what do they think of some of the controversies in adoption, such as pre-birth matching, adoptive parents at the hospital, adoptive mother breastfeeding, etc.
In this episode, we cover:

Tell us what your child’s adoption looks like.
What are your ideas on:
- Options counseling being provided by adoption agencies—is there a conflict of interest.
- Pre-birth matching
- Some have stated that an infant should go into temporary or foster care for a time (usually 1-2 months) between birth and placement as a revocation period.
- Fundraising for adoption
- Adoptive parent breastfeeding.
What did you look for in adoptive parents?
There is a lot of talk in adoption world about subtle and not so subtle forms of coercion that could influence a mom’s decision to place.
- Hopeful adoptive parents attend doctor appointments.
- Adoptive parents being present at the birth and at the hospital?
How involved do you think adoptive parents should be at the hospital?
Openness:
- How was openness described to you before the adoption.Does the reality of open adoption match what was promised.
- Benefit and limitations of post adoption contracts. (Did you understand open adoption wasn’t enforceable (may depend upon the state)?)
- Ethical adoption practices that expectant parents considering adoption should know about.
Tips for birth parents and adoptive parents to look for in adoption agencies to make sure they are choosing an ethical agency as to how they treat expectant and birth parents.
Importance of separate legal counsel for birth parents.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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First Six Months with a Baby with Opioid Exposure Apr 18, 2022

Are you considering adopting or fostering a baby who was exposed to opioids prenatally? We talk with Dr. Robin Gurwitch, a faculty member in the Duke University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Child and Family Health. Her research focuses on improving the outcomes and increasing resilience in children who have experienced trauma, including prenatal exposure.

In this episode, we cover:

What drugs are included in the category of opioids?
- Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others.
- Methadone and suboxone?
How does prenatal exposure to opioids affect a fetus?
How can you tell if the baby is born dependent on opioids?
What are the symptoms of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)?
How common is testing of the newborn or mother?
What impacts the severity of the withdrawal symptoms an infant might experience?
- timing of the mother’s most recent intake of opioid
- maternal metabolism
- placental metabolism
- infant metabolism and excretion
- maternal taking of other substances, including cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine, hypnotics sedatives, and/or barbiturates
How is NAS treated in the hospital?
What can parents expect at the hospital when a baby is born dependent or was exposed prenatally?
What can parents expect when they first bring the baby home?
How can parents help soothe a baby going through withdrawal?
How can parents help a baby going through withdrawal with sucking?
What can parents do to help their baby exposed to opioids sleep through the night?
Any additional tips for dealing with and helping a baby who was exposed to opioids?
Long term impacts.
Does being born dependent predict the degree the child might be impacted?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Parenting Toolkit for Harder to Parent Kids Apr 13, 2022

Is your child "more"...more intense, more defiant, more everything and in general, just harder to parent? We talk with Dr. Chuck Geddes, the founder of Complex Trauma Resources where he developed the Complex Care and Intervention (CCI) program to support foster and adoptive children. He is the author of Children and Complex Trauma: A Roadmap for Healing and Recovery.
In this episode, we cover:

What makes a child harder to parent?
The importance of recognizing what we parents bring to the relationship.
Difference between trauma and complex trauma.
Tantrums, meltdowns, or hissy fits are a common part of child development, but some kids have them more than others and they are more intense. What factors contribute to some children being more susceptible to tantrums?
- At what age in normal child development are tantrums most common?
- How does trauma change the dynamic with tantrums?
- Techniques for preventing tantrums.
- Techniques for handling tantrums.
Need for constant supervision
Lying
Being disrespectful

www.complextrauma.ca/

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Genetics, Genetic Testing, and Miscarriage Apr 06, 2022

Have you experienced a miscarriage? What type of genetic tests should you consider to prevent another miscarriage? We will talk about Genetics, Genetic Testing, and Miscarriage with Kim Skellington, a laboratory genetic counselor with CooperGenomics providing pre-test and post-test counseling to patients regarding genetic testing, and Dr. Rachel Gerber, a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist with RMA NY.
In this episode, we cover:

What causes a woman to miscarry a pregnancy?
How common is miscarriage?
What is considered Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL)?
How common is recurrent pregnancy loss?
Basic introduction to DNA, genes, and chromosomes.
Genetic Testing of Products of Conception
- What can go wrong with the genes of a fetus that would likely result in a miscarriage?
- What genetic tests on the products of conception are available after a miscarriage to determine the cause?
- At what point does a doctor consider genetic testing of the products of conception to determine the cause of the miscarriage? After the first miscarriage? Second? Third? How does a woman’s age impact this decision?
- How are the products of conception tested? What are patients told to do?
Genetic Testing of Embryo
- What is preimplantation genetic testing?
- Distinction between PGT-A, PGT-M, PGT-SR?
- Is PGT effective at preventing miscarriage? What does the research currently show?
- Are mosaic embryos more likely to miscarry?
Genetic Testing of Parents
- What parental chromosomal abnormalities can cause a miscarriage?
- What is a chromosomal translocations and can that cause a miscarriage?
- Is there a gene or genes that has been found that makes it more likely that a woman will miscarry a pregnancy of a chromosomally normal fetus?
- If a woman’s mother had multiple miscarriages, is she likely to have miscarriages?
- Can these genetic anomalies by found by Parental karyotyping?
What is the prognosis for women trying to get pregnant after having had recurrent miscarriages?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Adoption Microaggressions Parents Need to Know About Mar 30, 2022

What are the microaggressions or stigmas in the world of adoption and how do they impact adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents? We talk with Dr. Amanda Baden, a Professor and the Doctoral Program Director at Montclair State University in the graduate counseling program and a licensed psychologist in private practice in Manhattan. She is an adult adoptee from Hong Kong and an adoptive parent of a daughter from China.
In this episode, we cover:

What are microaggessions in general and how do they apply to adoption?
These microaggressions apply to all members of the adoption kinship network (adoptees; adoptive parents, grandparents, siblings; first/birth parents/grandparents).
Where do some of the unconscious attitudes and stigmas toward adoption come from?
Common microaggression themes for adoptees:
- biology is best/normative is based upon the belief that biological ties are superior, more permanent, and more authentic than ties formed through adoption or foster care
- bad seed adoptees or damaged goods
- grateful adoptees, a third theme, refers to the idea of adoptees as both lucky and privileged to have been adopted
- cultural limbo and invalidation of heritage
What are some of the microagressions against birth parents?
What are some of the microaggressions against adoptive parents?
Lack of intent to hurt.
How can microsaggressions impact the mental health?

Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids Mar 23, 2022

How can we raise joyful resilient kids? We talk with Dr. Mona Delahooke, a clinical child psychologist and the author of Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids.

In this episode, we cover:

“Too often we are focused on the child’s behavior instead of the child. We are concerned about solving problems rather than cultivating the relationship.”
A child’s behavior is a clue for us parents to understand what is going on inside the child.
No one-size fits all approach to child rearing. What’s most important isn’t the rules, but the child. We must understand how our parenting is landing on our child. Personalize our parenting.
Three pathways to the mind-body platform.
Body budgeting.
The distinction between behaviors that seems to be defensive but are actually protective.
How do you approach tantrums in a preschooler?
How to co-regulate with our child and why?
How to build resiliency in our children?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Support the Show.

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Parenting Kids with Prenatal Exposure (Part 2): Transistioning into Adolescence and Adulthood Mar 16, 2022

The impact of prenatal exposures to alcohol and drugs is not something that kids outgrow and the transition into adolescence and adulthood can be particularly tricky. We talk about this transition with Kathy Hotelling, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and is the co-founder of NCFASDInformed.org. She is also the mother to a 27 year old with FASD.
In this episode, we cover:

Tell us a bit about your story as the mother of a child with FASD.
Does the impact and symptoms of prenatal exposure to alcohol change as the child ages?
Are the impacts different depending on whether the child has been exposed prenatally to alcohol or other drugs, such as opiates, methamphetamines, marijuana, etc?
We talk about the primary impacts of FASD and prenatal drug exposure and the secondary impacts? Give us some examples?
How can parents help prevent some of the secondary impacts?
How does puberty impact children with prenatal exposure?
How does your parenting need to change as your prenatally exposed child reaches adolescence and adulthood?
How to prepare your child to launch into adulthood?
What resources are available to help parents navigate this journey?
Often times adoptive, foster, and kinship parents do not know for certainty that their child was exposed prenatally to alcohol and drugs. How should they proceed?
Is it important to have your child officially diagnosed with FASD?
How do you get your child diagnosed?
What is the Registry of Unmet Needs or the Medicaid Waiver list and how do you get your child on this registry or list?
FASD Respect Act- how can people advocate?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Parenting Kids with Prenatal Exposure (Part 1): Practical Tips Mar 09, 2022

Do you suspect (or know) that your child was exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy? We discuss tips for how to best work with these children with Dr. Robin Gurwitch, a professor at Duke University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Child and Family Health.
In this episode, we cover:

How does prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs affect children at different ages?
Oftentimes adoptive, foster, and kinship families may not know specifically if their child was exposed in pregnancy to alcohol or drugs? How can a parent determine if their child was prenatally exposed?
What are some of the more common signs, symptoms, and behaviors a parent might see at different ages?
- Birth to age five
- Elementary age
- Tweens and adolescence
- Young adults
Parents, teachers, and other adults working with these children often don’t think about prenatal exposure because of the lag in time between the exposure and when the more disruptive symptoms appear. At what age do you see parents and kids beginning to struggle more?
What are some of the common misdiagnoses that these children receive?
How do the attention and focus issues common with kids who have been exposed to alcohol and drugs differ from ADHD? Is ADHD medication effective to improve attention in prenatally exposed kids?
Is it common for children with prenatal exposure to be uneven in their abilities? For example, average to above average in verbal skills but substantially below average in other areas.
What do we mean by “executive function” or “higher level thinking skills” and how does prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs impact this?
We hear from parents that one of the most frustrating symptoms is not being able to learn from their mistakes. Doing the same thing even though they have been told not to. Not learning from cause and effect. Is this common with kids who have been exposed to alcohol and drugs during gestation?
What are some practical tips for working with kids with prenatal exposure to help them thrive at home and at school?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Understanding and Preventing Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Mar 02, 2022

What causes miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss? What is the best treatment and what are the controversies in the diagnosing and treating of miscarriage? In this episode, we talked with Dr. Lora Shahine, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Director of the Recurrent Pregnancy Program at Pacific NW Fertility and clinical faculty at the University of Washington in Seattle, and author of the book Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.
In this episode, we cover:

What is miscarriage? What other names do medical professionals use?
- Does the name change depending upon when in the pregnancy it occurs?
- What is a biochemical pregnancy and is it a “miscarriage”?
- When does miscarriage become “recurrent pregnancy loss”?
- How common are miscarriages? How common is recurrent pregnancy loss?
- Who should you see?
- What is the role of the male in miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss?
Common causes and treatment
- What are the common causes for first trimester miscarriage?
- What are the common causes for recurrent pregnancy loss?
- How to diagnosis the cause of recurrent pregnancy loss?
- How to treat/prevent recurrent pregnancy loss?
- What should patients do to reduce their chance of a miscarriage?
Understanding the controversies in treatment of recurrent pregnancy loss.
- Inherited Thrombophilia
- Methylene Tetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR)-how our body processes folate
- Luteal Phase Defect and progesterone treatment
- Infection
- Thyroid
- Immune system & immune treatment for RPL
- Aspirin treatment
- IVF as treatment for recurrent pregnancy loss

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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How to Choose an Adoption Competent Therapist Feb 23, 2022

Have you or your child faced adoption related struggles? Do you think therapy might be helpful? We discuss how to find and choose an adoption competent therapist with Kelly Raudenbush, a child and family therapist and the director of Sparrow Counseling, providing specialized therapeutic services for foster and adopted children and their families.
In this episode, we cover:

What type of professional can provide therapy?
What’s the difference between being adoption competent and adoption informed?
Why is competency in adoption issues important?
What do we mean be an “adoption competent therapist”? What makes a therapist adoption informed?
Is adoption competence the same as trauma competence?
How can you tell if a therapist is competent to handle adoption issues? Are there specific trainings that provide adoption competency?
Creating a Family provides a list of ways to find an adoption competent therapist on our Adoption Therapy section.
How to find a therapist with lived experience of being adopted?
Is one type of therapeutic model of treatment more effective for adoptive children and families? Theraplay, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), Narrative therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Should therapy with adopted kids on adoption issues involve just the child, or the child and the parent?
How can a parent determine if the therapist is a good fit for the child and family? What questions should they ask?
What is home-based therapy and what are the advantages to this type of therapy for adoptive and foster families.
How can you find a therapist that will provide therapy within the home? (One source is http://www.familycenteredtreatment.org/)
Is therapy via tele-health or via teleconferencing as effective for adoptive families? How to know if it will work for your family? Ways to make it more effective.
When to seek a therapist?

Resources:

Creating a Family’s Adoption Therapy section
A Guide to Selecting an Adoption or Foster Therapist
10 Reasons for Parents to be in Child’s Therapy Session

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Shifting Realities in Adoption and Foster Care in 2022 Feb 16, 2022

How is adoption and fostering changing? We talk with April Dinwoodie, a transracial adoptee and thought leader in the field of adoption. She is host of two podcasts: Navigating Adoption and Born in June, Raised in April: What Adoption Can Teach the World!
In this episode, we cover:

What are some of the shifting realities that you see in adoption?
Decline in international adoptions.
What do you see happening with domestic infant adoptions?
Increase importance on openness.
What can adoption teach the world?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Adoption Options in 2022 Feb 09, 2022

Are you thinking about adopting? Today we will talk about Adoption Options in 2022. This is the first of a two-part series on What is Happening in Adoptions. We will talk with Jackie Zerbe, Domestic Adoption Supervisor with Vista Del Mar Adoption Agency, Debora Phillips, founding CEO of Children’s Connections, Inc., and Viviane Martini, Family Coordinator with Hopscotch Adoptions, an international adoption agency.
In this episode, we cover:

What is happening with domestic infant adoption in the US?
What is happening with adoptions from foster care?
What is happening with international adoptions?
How has the pandemic impacted adopting in the US?
What are some of the shifts in adoption in the last 5 or so years?
What are some of the changes you anticipate for 2022 and beyond?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Benefits of Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine for Infertility Patients Feb 02, 2022

Have you ever thought about using acupuncture or herbal medicine to improve your fertility or treat your infertility? We talk with Dr. Mike Berkley, a New York State licensed acupuncturist and board-certified acupuncturist and practitioner of herbal medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He is also a member of The American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine.
In this episode, we cover:

What are the principles of acupuncture? How does it work?
How does acupuncture differ from Herbal Medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine?
- Do they have to be used together?
Can acupuncture and/or Chinese Medicine be used in conjunction with Western infertility medicine and IVF?
Is there western research that supports the benefits of acupuncture and Herbal Medicine for the treatment of infertility or is western style research not relevant to the discussion of acupuncture and Eastern Medicine?
Can acupuncture increase the blood flow to the uterus and ovaries?
Can acupuncture and Herbal Medicine be used to treat PCOS? What results are seen?
How does acupuncture and Herbal Medicine impact endometriosis?
One of the most common reasons for female infertility is advanced maternal age. How can acupuncture and Herbal Medicine impact the diminution of ovarian reserves and egg quality?
Can acupuncture reduce stress?
- Is acupuncture more effective than other stress reduction techniques such as exercise, yoga, meditation or prayer, massage?
Many women, men, and couples will not have a firm diagnosis of why they are not getting pregnant. Is acupuncture and Herbal Medicine effective for unexplained infertility?
Male infertility is the cause of approximately 1/3 of infertility. How successful is acupuncture or Herbal Medicine in the treatment of male infertility?

Get more information at The Berkley Center at www.berkleycenter.com.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire infertility patients and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Setting Up Effective Kinship Navigator Programs Jan 26, 2022

Do you serve kinship families and are wondering how to best to meet their needs? We talk about kinship navigator programs with Stephanie Perkowski is a Social Worker and Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago; Julia Donovan, the Program Director of Ohio’s statewide Kinship and Adoption Navigator program, OhioKAN; and Tia-Maria Smith, the Program Director for Pennsylvania KinConnector which helps informal and formal kinship families find the information, resources, and emotional support they need.
In this episode, we cover:

What are navigator programs?
Who usually sets up either kinship or adoption navigator programs?
How are kinship navigator programs funded?
How to get these programs evidenced-based and why is that important?
How do kinship or adoptive families find out about them?
What type of advertising is effective?
What works in making the site user-friendly?
What type of resources should be included in navigator programs?
How to evaluate the effectiveness of navigator programs?

Resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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A Conversation with Dr. Bruce Perry About Trauma Jan 19, 2022

Join us as Dr. Bruce Perry answers your questions about how trauma impacts adoptive, foster, and kinship kids and families. Dr. Bruce Perry, is a child psychiatrist and neuroscientist, the principal of the Neurosequential Network, Senior Fellow of The ChildTrauma Academy, and adjunct Professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago. He is the author the numerous books including co-author along with Oprah Winfrey of What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, and co-author of The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog.

In this episode, we cover:

The shift in perspective from what’s wrong with you to what happened to you--the ability to understand seemingly senseless behavior by looking at what’s behind it.
What do you include as “trauma”? How severe does it have to be to impact us later in life?
We hear foster, adoptive, and kinship parents say, “she was only neglected.” Is neglect less harmful than abuse?
When siblings are separated in foster care and parents are taken completely away from seeing the children for a year at a time does this lack of contact count as trauma and how does this type of no-touch abuse effect the child's brain?
How common is trauma? ACE study.
Does trauma at a young age have longer lasting impacts?
We have a child who is chronologically 3yrs, who had a non-accidental TBI at 3 months of age. He is a sweet boy but prone to rages and is very loud. Could this be from the trauma or is it his age and frustration?
How can parents help their child manage trauma if they don’t know what the trauma was?
The times of healing are often very short but very powerful. And that the more times our kids experience healing, even in short bursts, the more their brain "re-develops" in healthier ways.
Is there is an association between trauma and sensory processing and if so, do we know why?
How do you become “unstuck” on being a victim? My daughter is 18 and is struggling to become an adult, but constantly feels and acts as though she is still a victim from her past.
Can you discuss how trauma is related to the sabotage of relationships, family events, life events, and opportunities?
Prenatal trauma—
- in utero exposure to alcohol or drugs
- maternal stress
Can generational trauma be passed down genetically through the various forms of DNA?
Resilience and Healing: My question is coming from the perspective as an adoptive and foster mom of some kids who have some pretty big behaviors. Can we really grow these kids and help them live happy, well-adjusted lives? Not problem free, but a life where after many years of love, they will come to find peace within themselves?
I have two children who are currently in foster care because their father was abusive and I stayed with him and allowed my children to witness the abuse. Is there any way to reverse the trauma?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateT

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2021 Adoption Tax Credit Jan 12, 2022

Are you planning on claiming the Adoption Tax Credit this year? We talk with Becky Wilmoth, an Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist with Bill's Tax Service and Josh Kroll, the Adoption Subsidy Resource Center coordinator at the North American Council on Adoptable Children.
In this episode, we cover:

What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2021 federal taxes? $14,440 per child
It is a non-refundable tax credit. How to advocate for refundability?
What is a “credit” and how does it differ from a deduction or some other form of tax savings?
If you get a tax refund every year, how would you use the Adoption Tax Credit?
If you don’t have any federal tax liability, should you still apply the credit to your federal income taxes?
What type of adoptions are included or excluded? Stepparent adoption? Embryo adoption? Same-sex partner second parent adoption? Unmarried heterosexual second parent adoption? Surrogacy?
Can you get credit for each adoption you complete even if completed in the same year? What about adopting siblings at the same time?
What is a Qualified Adoption Expense for purposes of the Adoption Tax Credit 2021?
When can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit?
- Domestic private adoption
- International Adoption
- Re-adoption in the US for international adoption
- Foster Care Adoption
How does the Adoption Tax Credit work with kinship adoptions? What if the child never was involved with the foster care?
Special Needs Adoption: How does the Adoption Tax Credit differ for adoptions from foster care? What does the IRS accept as proof of “special needs”?
Special needs child for international adoption?
Can you reclaim your expenses for a failed adoption? How?
What income level is excluded from claiming the Adoption Tax Credit in 2021?
How long can the credit be carried over?
Will the Adoption Tax Credit offset self-employment tax?
Secure Act and Qualified birth or adoption distributions.
How does the Adoption Tax Credit work in conjunction with employee adoption benefits? For special needs adoption?
If you adopt, can you still get the Child Tax Credit? How does the timing work?
What do you need in order to get the Child Tax Credit for your adopted child? Social Security # for the child.
How does Advanced Tax Payments work with adoption?
What type of documentation for the Adoption Tax Credit should you submit with your taxes? What type of documentation should you keep in your records?
What should you do if you do not have your child’s social security number when you get ready to file your taxes? When should you consider using an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN #) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN #)?
What are the most common questions received about the Adoption Tax Credit?
How to find a tax specialist knowledgeable on the Adoption Tax Credit?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

What Are Your Chances of Getting Pregnant With Unexplained Infertility Jan 05, 2022

If you have unexplained infertility, what are your chances of ultimately having a baby—either through infertility treatment or natural conception? We talk with Dr. Denis Vaughan, a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist at Boston IVF and a Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School. He was the principal investigator on the study "Long-term reproductive outcomes in patients with unexplained infertility".
In this episode, we cover:

What year was the original FASTT trial and what were the findings?
What is unexplained infertility and how common is it?
Did most of the women try to conceive after the original FASTT trial?
How did the women who agree to participate in this follow-up study compare to the original FASTT participants? Was there a difference between those who participated in the follow-up and those who did not?
What percentage of the women were successful at conception with IUI? IVF? Natural conception?
What percentage tried to conceive with donor egg?
What percentage adopted?
If the woman had conceived via fertility treatment in the original FASTT trial is she more likely to conceive successfully in the future?
Some speculate that a signiﬁcant proportion of unexplained infertility is due to un-diagnosed endometriosis. Did this follow-up study shed light on that question?
Did many of the women after the original FASTT study receive a more definitive diagnosis of why they were not able to conceive?
What did the study show about patient satisfaction with their family building process and ultimate family size?
What did we learn about conception with unexplained infertility as a result of the follow-up to the FASTT study?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire infertility patients and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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The Connected Parent Dec 29, 2021

The next step in understanding attachment and Trust-Based Relational Intervention is the new book, The Connected Parent, by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Lisa Qualls, with great assistance from Emmelie Pickett. On this episode, we interview Lisa and Emmelie about connected parenting.
In this episode, we cover:

Understanding the foundations of attachment.
What do parents bring to the situation that influences how their children attach.
Using “scripts” to help you implement Trust-Based Relational Intervention.
Coping with chronic fear in our kids.
Coping with parental fear that things will never improve or that our children will never be able to heal.
How to discipline the TBRI® way.
How to teach respect.
Understanding how sensory issues can be confused with attachment issues.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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How Does Adoption Affect the Siblings Already in a Family? Dec 22, 2021

Does adoption positively or negatively affect children already in the family and what can parents do to lessen the negative impacts. We discuss this topic with Dr. Jana Hunsley, an experimental psychologist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and TBRI® Practitioner, specializing in understanding and meeting the needs of siblings is foster and adoptive families.
In this episode, we cover:

Much of the focus of adoption literature and research is on the adopted child and the adoptive parents with little attention on the children already in the family.
Tell us your story as the sibling of 7 adopted siblings.
Research on adopted siblings.
What are some of the challenges that siblings of the adopted child might face?
- Feeling invisible
- Coping with overwhelmed distracted parents
- Parentification
  - Becoming another parent to your siblings
  - Becoming the emotional support for their parents
- Trying to keep the peace in the home by acting as a peacemaker
- Feeling the need to be extra good or accomplished to add less stress to their parents. Or suppressing their own needs so as to not add to their parent’s burden. Try to not have any needs.
- Feeling embarrassed by your sibling’s behavior
- Blaming parent who isn’t able to “control” the new child or make them behave better or meet their needs.
- Mourning the loss of your calm “normal” family
- Secondary trauma
- Unwanted public attention on your family because of size, behavior, transracial adoption
- Jealous of the adopted child because they perceive them as getting all the attention
- Resentful of the adopted child because of the added burden they brought to the family
What factors influence the degree of these challenges to siblings in an adoptive family? (age of the children in the family and the children being adopted, degree of trauma, type of behavioral issues, etc.)
Disrupting birth order.
What can adoptive parents and professionals do to mitigate some of these challenges of siblings of adopted children?
How can parents prepare kids already in the family for the adoption of a sibling?
Tips for parents in reducing the negative impact of adoption on the children already in the family.
What are some of the benefits of adoption to siblings in the family?
Have you talked with your parents?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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LGBTQ+ Parenting (Part 2): Adoption Dec 15, 2021

We talk about LGBTQ+ adoption with Dr. Abbie Goldberg, a Professor of Psychology and Director of Women’s & Gender Studies at Clark University. Her research and writing focus on diverse families, including LGBTQ parent and adoptive families, and she has authored and edited 8 books and over 130 peer-reviewed articles in this area.
In this episode, we cover:

Legality of LGBTQ+ parents adopting in the US.
Statistics on LGBTQ+ adoptions. Percentage, transracial, foster care adoption
Do you see any residual prejudice against LGBTQ+ parents when wanting to adopt or foster? Foster care? Domestic infant? International? Embryo?
Hesitancy with placing with someone who is transgender?
Does open adoption look different in LGBTQ+ adoptive families.
Do LGBTQ+ parents parent in ways that are different than cisgender heterosexual parents?
How are children in LGBTQ+ faring?
Lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parents’ experiences with pediatricians: A mixed-methods study.
Parental naming practices in same-sex adoptive families.
How are LGBTQ+ youth in foster care doing?

Additional resources:

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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LGBTQ+ Parenting (Part 1): Surrogacy Dec 08, 2021

What's it like for a gay couple to create their family through egg donation and surrogacy. We talk with Armando Correa, People Magazine En Español's Editor In Chief and author of In Search of Emma: How We Created Our Family.
In this episode, we cover:

Did you always want to be a parent?
Did you think that you would get to realize that dream?
What options for becoming a parent did you consider?
Why did you decide on surrogacy?
Did you also use a separate egg donor?
What was your process to finding an egg donor and surrogate?
Was cost a consideration?
How much did it cost you in total to become Emma’s dad?
What has happened to your family since Emma arrived?
What would you recommend to other gay guys who want to become a father?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Child Hosting Programs: Getting Prepared to be a Host Family Dec 01, 2021

Have you ever thought of hosting a child for the summer or over the winter holidays? Check out this show where we interview Kathy Holiday who worked in adoption for 25 years and she supervised the child hosting program for Children’s House International.
In this episode, we cover:

What are child hosting programs?
What is the purpose of a child hosting program?
What are some of the ways different agencies design their hosting programs?
- Whether they are open to families that do not want to adopt, but are willing to advocate for the child.
- When they have host sessions. What times of year?
- Length of time the children are here.
How much does it usually cost for a host family?
Are there many differences in cost to the host family?
What type of training?
What is the age range of children commonly available for hosting?
What type of special needs do you commonly see?
What are the children told before they come? Are they aware that they are "on trial" to be adopted? (Be on your best behavior if you want to get adopted?) Do hosting programs put too much burden on kids and set them up for feeling like a failure?
What type of trauma have the children experienced in the past?
Influence of trauma. Typical behaviors you might see in the short term.
Language issues?
How much information are you given on the child before you decide whether to accept?
What type of home study is usually required?
How to prepare children already in the home?
How much do you share with the children in the home about your interest in hosting? Should you share that you might adopt the child?
Disciplining a host child?
What type of support should you expect from your hosting agency?
Advocating for your host child or for other children in the orphanage. What do you mean by advocating and how do you do it?
If you decide to adopt this child, what is the typical process and how long does it take?
What are the benefits to being a host family?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Home Based Therapy Nov 24, 2021

Have you ever thought that it would be a lot more effective if the therapist could really see your child in action? That's the gist of home-based therapy. We talk with Stephanie Glickman, a licensed clinical social worker at the Clinical Director of the Family Centered Treatment Foundation and an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina Charlotte's School of Social Work.
In this episode, we cover:

What is home-based therapy?
Is it family therapy or child therapy?
Why is it so effective for families struggling with behavioral issues?
What type of issues respond well to in-home therapy?
What does the research show about the effectiveness of home-based therapy vs. residential placement?
How does in-home therapy work? How often does the therapist come? How long do they stay? How long does it need to continue?
What if the child does not act out while the therapist is in the home?
Who in the home participates in home-based therapy? Parents? Siblings? Others?
Are their confidentiality concerns with this type of therapy?
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to home-based therapy?
How does the cost of this therapy compare to office-based therapy?
Does Medicaid cover home-based therapy?
How do you find an in-home therapist that is knowledgeable about adoption and fostering and the trauma these kids may have experienced?
What are some tips for knowing if you have found a good fit between the therapist and your family?
Family Centered Treatment Foundation

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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How to Avoid Triggering and Being Triggered by Our Kids Nov 17, 2021

Do your child's reactions seem bigger than they should be to everyday events? Are your reactions sometimes a bit too big? What causes us to get triggered by our kids or to trigger them? We talk with Dr. Tripp Ake, a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience in the field of child trauma treatment. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center and the program director for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
In this episode, we cover:

What do we mean by “triggering” and how does it differ from getting our buttons pushed?
What’s the difference between being triggered and being annoyed or irritated?
How to become a trauma detective?
What types of things can trigger a child?
How much of having our “buttons pushed” stems from the belief that our child’s behavior is a reflection on us as parents?
How do the belief systems that we grow up with impact us as adults? We may not even be aware that hold these values and may not even agree with them.
How can we identify the things in our past that make us likely to be triggered?
Examples of things parents have told us drives them to distraction (aka triggers them).
- Whining
- Disrespect
Two universal parenting tips for improving a child’s behavior.

National Child Traumatic Stress Network

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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How Trauma Impacts a Child’s Development Nov 10, 2021

Trauma can impact almost every single aspect of a child's development. But there are things parents can do to buffer that impact. We talk with Brett Loftis, CEO of Crossnore Communities for Children and Dr. Dawn O'Malley, Crossnore's Senior Director of Clinical Services.
In this episode, we cover:

How can trauma impact a child’s attachment and relationships?
- How does this impact them in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood?
How can trauma affect a child’s physical development or brain development?
How can trauma impact a child’s emotional development?
- Self-regulation
- Disassociation
How does trauma impact the way the child sees and values herself?
How can trauma affect a child’s behavior?
How can trauma impact a child’s ability to learn?
What are some of the long-term physical health consequences of having been exposed to trauma as a child?
What can parents and other adults do to build resilience in our kids to help withstand some of the impacts of trauma?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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Decisions To Be Made at Egg Retrieval Nov 03, 2021

We talk with Corey Burke, an embryologist and Tissue Bank Director at Cryos International-USA and Dr. Mark Trolice, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Director of The IVF Center in Orlando and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, and author of The Fertility Doctor's Guide to Overcoming Infertility about decisions doctors and patient have to make concerning eggs or embryos after retrieval.
In this episode, we cover:

Overview of the IVF Process.
What determines how many eggs will be produced?
What number of eggs is ideal for an egg retrieval as part of IVF? Are more eggs always better?
Once eggs are retrieved, one of the choices a patient and doctor have to make is whether to freeze eggs vs. embryos.
Compare the challenges between freezing eggs vs freezing embryos.
How does vitrification differ from other methods of freezing?
What is the thaw rate success for frozen eggs compared to frozen embryos?
Why are eggs more difficult to vitrify than embryos?
Does the quality of the eggs retrieved factor into the decision?
What are the advantages to the patient of freezing eggs rather than embryos?
What are the advantages to the patient of freezing embryos rather than eggs?
How many eggs is usually recommended for a woman to freeze to have a good chance of being able to create a viable embryo?
Can genetic testing be done on eggs?
How long can human eggs remain viable if frozen vs. the viability of frozen embryos?
If embryos are created, one of the choices a patient and doctor have to make is whether to transfer fresh or frozen embryos.
How does genetic testing impact fresh vs frozen?
What are the advantages to the patient of transferring fresh embryos?
What are the advantages to the patient of transferring frozen embryos?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire infertility patients and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Parental Leave: What you Need to Know Before You Adopt or Foster Oct 27, 2021

Are adoptive parents eligible for parental leave? What about foster parents or kinship parents? We talk with Dr. Amy Beacom and Sue Campbell, with the Center for Parental Leave Leadership and co-authors of The Parental Leave Playbook.
In this episode, we cover:

What are the laws and rules surrounding parental leave in the US?
Who is eligible for parental leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?
Parental leave on the company level.
How does parental leave differ from maternity leave or paternity leave?
Policies that require employees to pay back their parental leave if they do not stay employed with the company/organization for a certain period of time.
How does this differ from other countries?
Are the laws/rules different for mothers and fathers? Are they gender neutral?
Do you receive your salary when you are on parental leave?
Does parental leave differ for someone adopting a child?
Are adoptive families protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?
Are birth mothers eligible for parental leave?
Does there have to be a legal relationship between the parent and the child? Does parental leave differ for someone fostering a child? Are you eligible for parental leave with every new foster placement?
Can kinship caregivers receive parental leave?
The Parental Leave Playbook lays out a process for approaching parental leave in three phases: preparing for your leave, during leave, and returning from leave.
What steps should you take to be successful in each phase?

To support the Paid Leave for All Act
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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A Guide to Raising Your Grandchild Oct 20, 2021

We talk about raising your grandkids with Christine Adamec, coauthor with Dr. Andrew Adesman, of The Grandfamily Guidebook. She and her husband have been raising their teenage grandson since his infancy.
In this episode, we cover:

Why are grandparent led families increasing?
What are some common emotions that grandparents and other kin experience when they realize that they need to step in and raise their grandchildren or other kin?
What type of decisions should you make about legal custody or permanency? How to protect your grandchild? How to enroll them in school? How to be able to get medical and mental health care for them? How to prevent the child’s parents from removing the child from your home? Becoming a foster parent? A will?
What are some of the strains that grandparents can experience with their children (the parents of their grandchildren)?
How to navigate the relationship with your adult child?
Explaining the situation to the child? (“Why am I living with you and not my parents?”)
Raising kids that likely experience trauma, including prenatal exposure.
Adjusting to parenting in this new time.
Some of the joys of raising your grandchild.

Resources:

AARP has a Benefits QuickLINK tool to find out if you or your grandchild may qualify for 15 public benefits — 10 for adults and families and five for children.
Creating a Family podcast: Helping Parents & Kids Manage Phones, Internet, & Gaming

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Talking With Your Adopted or Foster Child About the Hard Parts of Their Story Oct 13, 2021

Talking with your adopted or foster child about the hard parts of their story can feel like a daunting task. Should you tell your child that her birth father is in jail or that her birth mother is addicted to drugs, or that she was conceived by rape? If so, how in the world do you share this news. We talk with Lesli Johnson, an EMDR therapist who specializes in adoption and foster care and an adult adoptee; and Susan Myers, a licensed Master Social Worker with Adoptions from the Heart Adoption Agency with offices throughout the northeast.
In this episode, we cover:

Should you tell your child these difficult parts of their history?
Talking about the hard parts of adoption
How should you tell your child these hard parts of their background?
How do you lay the groundwork with young children in order to fill in the details later?
By what age should you have shared all of your child’s story with him?
Give specific examples of how a conversation might go with a preschooler, and how would you fill in the gaps for a 6 year old, 10, 13 year old, etc.
- Child abuse
- Addiction
- Parent in jail
Can you use a lifebook to talk about rape, imprisonment, drug and alcohol addiction?
What is a lifebook and what should be included in a lifebook?
How to use a lifebook when there is jail, rape, abuse, etc in the child’s story?
Specifically, how should parents tell their child that they were conceived during a rape?
Oversharing can happen with both parents and with children.
It’s tempting when your child is an infant to tell people private information. Why should foster and adoptive parents avoid this?
When might it be important to share some details of the child’s background?
How do you help your child understand how much of his story he should share with others outside the family?
How can adoptive parents help their children understand that they are more than the hard parts of their history and that they are not doomed to repeat their birth parents’ mistakes?

Additional Resources:

Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past, by Betsy Keefer and Jayne E. Schooler

Talking with Children about Difficult History, by Holly van Gulden

Lifebooks: Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child (2nd Edition September 21, 2011), by Beth O'Malley M.Ed

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Primary Ovarian Insufficiency Oct 06, 2021

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency is a difficult and little understood diagnosis for infertility with ramifications for your general health as well as for your fertility. We talk with Dr. Alex Quaas, a Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist with Reproductive Partners of San Diego and an Associate Professor at UCSD.
In this episode, we cover:

What is Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)?
Is there a difference between the labels/diagnoses - Primary Ovarian Insufficiency, Premature Ovarian Failure, Premature Menopause?
What are the symptoms (other than an inability to get pregnant)?
Is there a decrease in egg quality and increase chromosomal abnormalities?
How is POI diagnosed?
How does the diagnosis differ from PCOS?
What causes primary ovarian insufficiency?
Is there any correlation between POI and taking Accutane (a treatment for acne) as a teen?
Is there a link between premature ovarian failure and the HPV vaccine (Gardasil or Cervarix)?
Can losing one ovary lead to Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?
Are those with autoimmune diseases more susceptible to POI?
Can IVF lead to Primary Ovarian Insufficiency? Is there any evidence that aggressive stimulation of the ovaries during a typical IVF cycle can contribute to POI?
How effective is IVF with woman with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?
What are the odds of a spontaneous pregnancy for a woman with POI?
What is the role of the infertility nurse in helping women with POI?
Is there a medical way to slow down the diminution of ovarian egg reserves?
Are their lifestyle choices that contribute to POI or contribute to increasing a woman’s ovarian reserves?
Are there supplements or vitamins that help improve fertility for women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?
Has alternative medical approaches or Eastern Medicine been effective with increasing fertility for women with POI?
What are the other health implications for women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire infertility patients and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following expert-based content:

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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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How to Afford Adoption Sep 29, 2021

What are some tried and true ways to afford adoption? In this episode, we talk with Julie Gumm, author of You Can Adopt Without Debt: Creative Ways to Cover the Cost of Adoption. We cover ways to find “extra” money that you can put towards your adoption, ideas for increasing your savings, and reasons to be cautious about asking for donations to pay for an adoption.
In this episode, we cover:

How much do adoptions cost for families adopting in the US?
Julie’s story of how they afforded to adopt
What are the different options for paying for an adoption? Savings, second job, sell things, grants, fundraise, ask for money from family and friends
How to effectively save money? - “Start with the money you already have”
How long in advance do you need to start?
Federal Adoption Tax Credit State Adoption Tax Credit, Adoption Employee Benefits
Second job and freelance ideas
Downside of adding additional work to your schedule
Selling items you have but don’t use much or don’t need
Fundraising to help pay for an adoption. Controversial in some adoption circles
Difference between offering a service or event vs. asking for money
Things to be aware of when deciding on how to fundraise for adoption. Dangers of oversharing your child’s story in order to raise money

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Family Building Challenges for Military Families: Adoption, IVF & Fostering Sep 22, 2021

We talk about the challenges of adopting, fostering, IVF, or third-party reproduction while being in the military. We talk with the co-founders of the Military Family Building Coalition, Katy Bell Hendrickson and Ellen Gustafson.
In this episode, we cover:

What are the challenges of being in the military and trying to adopt?
What are the challenges of being in the military when seeking fertility treatment
Military health insurance: Tri Care
Military Family Building Coalition https://www.militaryfamilybuilding.org/
What does Military Family Building Coalition do?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Kinship Caregivers & The Hidden Foster Care System Sep 15, 2021

Kinship caregivers (primarily grandparents raising their grandchildren) are often functioning as a shadow foster care system. We talk with Josh Gupta-Kagan, a Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina School of Law and author of America’s Hidden Foster Care System in the Stanford Law Review, and Karissa Phelps, a Stoneleigh Emerging Leader Fellow at Temple Legal Aid, where she provides legal representation and services to kinship caregivers.
In this episode, we cover:

In many cases, child protection agencies induce parents to transfer physical custody of their children to kinship caregivers by threatening to place the children in foster care.
How often does this happen?
Why do you call this the “hidden” foster care system?
Generally speaking, don’t we consider it best practice for kids to remain with extended family? So why is this a problem? Is it inherently coercive?
What are the advantages to encouraging placement with kin before they enter the formal foster care system?
What are the risks?
If this transfer takes place outside of the system, how long does it last? How can children go home? Who decides?
How does this differ from informal kinship care?
How does The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 contribute to the “hidden foster care system”?
Do you see kinship placements increasing?
What are child welfare agencies doing to support kinship families?
Follow the money: Is it less expensive for agencies to place with kin rather than unrelated foster parents?
How is foster care funded?
What is the status of kinship navigator programs?
How can we best support kinship families?
What do you see as the biggest challenges to kinship families?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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The Traumatic Impact of Racism Sep 08, 2021

The trauma of racism impacts our children's physical and emotional health. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Roger Harrison, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and a pediatric psychologist in the Division of Behavioral Health at Nemours/Alfred I DuPont Hospital for Children; Dr. Lonna Gordon, the Division Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Florida. She is board certified in pediatrics, adolescent medicine and obesity medicine; and Cindy Bo, Senior Vice President, Delaware Valley Strategy and Business Development and Interim DRIVE Enterprise Leader.
In this episode, we cover:
We talk a lot about the impact of trauma on children and often we do so in the context of neglect, loss, abuse, removal from biological family, and prenatal exposure. Today we are going to expand the concept of trauma to include the impacts of racism.

What is racism and what are the different forms it can take?
Examples of the different types of racism.
Does racism impact the physical health of minorities?
Racism hurting the emotional health of minorities.
In other forms of trauma we can see that the impact on the child varies depending on many factors, such as who was responsible for inflicting the trauma and that persons relationship to the child, the child’s age, and the child’s basic temperament. Is the same true for the traumatic impacts of racism?
Internalized racism
Cumulative impact of different types of trauma.
Are children of color being raised by white parents more vulnerable to the traumatic impacts of racism?
Does the trauma of racism differ depending on the race or ethnicity of the child or person? Model minority?
Are non-minority children also impacted negatively by racism?
How can we help children of color cope with racism and not be unduly impacted by the trauma?
Suggested books and activities.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Uterine Fibroids: Causes, Treatment, and Impact on Fertility Sep 01, 2021

What do you need to know about uterine fibroids if you want to get pregnant? We talk with Dr. Desiree McCarthy-Keith, is the Medical Director of Shady Grove Fertility Atlanta and a Board Certified OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist. She also has a Master of Public Health in maternal and child health. She has been listed in Atlanta Magazine’s Top Doctors for Infertility from 2017-2021 and as one of Black Health Magazine’s Most Influential African American Doctors.
In this episode, we cover:

What are uterine fibroids?
What are the main symptoms of fibroids?
Who is most at risk for having fibroids?
Is there a genetic connection to uterine fibroids? Do fibroids pass through families?
Why do some fibroids grow very slowly and others rapidly? Is the speed the fibroid is growing something to worry about? How should women track this?
Are fibroids always a problem requiring treatment?
How to diagnoses fibroids.
Symptom distinction between endometriosis and fibroid?
What is the best way to medically treat uterine fibroids?
Are their alternative medicinal treatments that have been seen to be effective at treating uterine fibroids?
When is a hysterectomy the preferred treatment?
Skill of surgeon is important when using a surgical treatment. How can a patient determine the surgeon’s skill?
Can fibroids cause infertility?
Impact of fibroids on pregnancy?
What happens to fibroids during pregnancy? If a woman knows she has fibroids, what should she be aware of when she is pregnant?
Are their lifestyle factors that contribute to having fibroids or worsening fibroids once you have them?
Does diet affect fibroids?
Are women with fibroids at a higher risk for uterine cancer or reproductive tract cancers?
What other routine medical treatment should women with fibroids make sure they receive?
What can infertility nurses do to help patients with fibroid.
Other health issues associated with fibroids.
Are tampons safe to use? Do they cause or contribute to fibroids? Are the sponge and cup safe to use or better to use?
What happens to fibroids after menopause?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. Creating a Family brings you the following expert-based content:

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How to Raise an Intense Child Aug 25, 2021

Do you have a child that is more—more loud, more energetic, more argumentative, more everything? Intense children can be harder to raise, but their intensity is a gift as well as a parenting challenge. We talk with Howard Glasser, creator of the Nurtured Heart Approach to parenting. He is the author of Transforming the Difficult Child and Transforming the Intense Child Workbook.
In this episode, we cover:

What do you consider to be an intense child? My child was “more”—more loud, more energy—their reaction to most things was simply more. They go from 5 mph to 60mph in about a second.
What are the labels and diagnoses that intense children often accumulate? ADHD, ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder), conduct disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression.
What makes some kids more “intense” than others?
What do you mean by energy-challenged kids? Unable to handle or effectively control their physical, cognitive or emotional energy. They have a disorder of self-control. They have more energy than they have self-control.
Energy is a gift as well as a challenge.
You mention in Transforming the Difficult Child that many intense or difficult kids love video games—more so than the average child. I’ve noticed this too. Why?
Structure-while I think all children need structure, the high intensity child really needs structure. Positive forms of structure vs. negative forms of structure
Traditional parenting techniques did not work well for my intense little wonder. Your approach to raising an intense child is based on your Nurturing Heart Approach as outlined in your book, Transforming the Difficult Child and Transforming the Intense Child Workbook. What are the basic principles of this approach to parenting? The 3 strands.
Strand 1: Refuse to energize the negative. What are some of the challenges parents face when applying this? What are some common ways we might accidentally energize the negative?
Strand 2: Energize the positive. active recognition, experiential recognition, proactive recognition, creative recognition.
Is there a problem with too much praise?
Strand 3: Absolute clarity on limits and consequences. How to set limits?
Intensity is not something that a person outgrows.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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How to Become a Foster Parent Aug 18, 2021

Have you ever thought about becoming a foster parent but didn't know where to begin? This is the show for you! We talk with Vicki Ochoa, State Director for South Carolina MENTOR, an organization that provides an array of child and family services, on the ins and outs of becoming a foster parent.
In this episode, we cover:

Why should you become a foster parent?
What is the role of a foster parent?
What are the expectations of what a foster parent will do?
How to become a foster parent.
How do you get licensed to be a foster parent?
How much training is required?
What type of ongoing training is required?
Do you have to own your home?
How big does your house need to be?
How many kids can you have already in your home?
What agency can you work with to become licensed?
Who places the child with you?
What are the needs of kids in foster care?
How is the decision made as to which child or children should be placed in your home?
Can you specify the age, gender, # of kids, and degree of special need of the child you want to foster?
What type of help should the agency provide for you after the child is in your home?
If you have a choice, how do you choose a foster agency to work with?
How much voice do foster parents have on what happens to the child?
Do foster parents get paid?
Can you adopt your foster child?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
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Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Raising Resilient Kids Aug 11, 2021

How can we raise children who are resilient and able to bounce back from the ups and downs of life and move forward with optimism and confidence? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ken Ginsburg, the Co-Founder and Director of Programs at the Center for Parent and Teen Communications, a Professor of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and The University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, and author or “Building Resilience in Children and Teens” and “Raising Kids to Thrive”.
In this episode, we cover:

What is resilience and why is it important. Resilience is the ability to bounce back and the capacity to rise above difficult circumstances, allowing our children to exist in this less-than-perfect world, while moving forward with optimism and confidence.
What are the biggest challenges in creating resilience in children?
Raising resilient kids
We want our kids to be successful. What is Success- how does it relate to happiness?
The importance of imagining the person we want our child to be at 35. How to take the long view of parenting?
How to Foster Resilience in Children / What are the two fundamental principles of building resilience in our children? Young people will be resilient when the important adults in their lives believe in them unconditionally and hold them to high expectations.
Unconditional love is key to resilience. It gives children the deep-seated security that allows them to take chances when they need to adapt to new circumstances and the knowledge that in the long run all will be okay.
What do we mean by hold them to high expectations?
What are the 7 crucial ingredients to building resilience in our kids/raising resilient kids: strategies to build the seven crucial “Cs” — competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control.
How does trauma impact resilience?
Resources mentioned in this episode: https://parentandteen.com/category/for-teens/

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

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How Our Immune System Affects Fertility and Miscarriage Aug 04, 2021

Can problems in our immune system cause infertility, miscarriage, or premature birth? Today we talk with Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Daniel Stein, Director of RMA of New York’s Westside office and Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology at Mount Sinai West Hospital, about the impact our immune system has on our fertility.
In this episode, we cover:

In what ways are our immune system and reproductive system linked?
Why does the woman’s immune system not react to the presence of a fetus?
Autoimmune diseases-how do they impact fertility and miscarriage or premature birth
What are the most common auto-immune diseases? (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s Disease, Hashimoto's disease, celiac disease, endometriosis, premature ovarian insufficiency)
Are autoimmune mechanisms involved in infertility disorders such as premature ovarian failure or diminished ovarian reserves, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), unexplained infertility, and repeatedly unsuccessful IVF attempts and may be responsible for the pathophysiology of preeclampsia or spontaneous abortions?
Endometriosis
Premature ovarian insufficiency
Impact of auto-immune diseases on pregnancy complications, miscarriage, and still births.
What is antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and do they impact fertility or miscarriage
Mucosal immunity of the female genital tract? Female immune system reacting to sperm.
What are anti-seminal/sperm antibodies in men and women?
Can a woman be allergic to sperm?
What role does our microbiome play in our immunity?
What role does our microbiome play in fertility?
What are natural killer cells?
Does infertility treatment, such as IVF, affect a woman’s immune system?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. Creating a Family brings you the following expert-based content:

· Weekly podcasts

· Weekly articles/blog posts

· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Parenting a Child with Prenatal Exposure Jul 28, 2021

What are the long-term impacts of prenatal alcohol and drug exposure and how can we parent these kids to help them thrive. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Mona Delahooke, a clinical child psychologist and the author of Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children’s Behavioral Challenges.
In this episode, we cover:
Long term impact of prenatal alcohol and drug exposure: Research has found that most drugs that are commonly abused easily cross the placenta and can affect fetal brain development. In utero exposures to drugs and alcohol thus can have long-lasting implications for brain development resulting in behavioral challenges and mental and physical health implication. Some things to consider:

The amount of drugs and alcohol used by the mom and the timing in the pregnancy matter, although this is information that is seldom available to adoptive or foster parents.
Very often children are exposed to more than one substance in utero. For example, it is not uncommon for a pregnant woman who is drinking alcohol to also use drugs.
Untreated drug abuse/addiction often coincides with poor nutrition and prenatal care, which increases the risk further for pre-natal and post-natal trauma with potentially lifelong impacts.

It helps to begin with understanding how alcohol and drugs exposure in pregnancy can affect the child not just in infancy but throughout their life.

Alcohol
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) is characterized with a broad range of deficits. Children with FASD may not have the facial dysmorphology and other physical abnormalities associated with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
FASDs currently represent the leading cause of mental retardation in North America.
Of all the substances of abuse (including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines), alcohol produces by far the most serious neurobehavioral effects in the child and into adulthood.
Alcohol exposure can cause a host of cognitive and behavioral impairments, including:
- Low to average IQs (IQ can range from mental retardation to normal)
- Poor executive functioning skills
- Poor information processing skills
- Lack of social and communication skills
- Lack of appropriate initiative
- Discrepancy between their behavioral age and their chronological age (i.e., acting younger than they are)
- Difficulty with abstract concepts, such as time and money
- Poor judgment
- Failure to consider consequences of actions. Doesn’t learn from mistakes.
- Poor concentration and attention
- Social withdrawal
Other drugs: Methamphetamines, Amphetamines (speed and also some of the medications used to treat ADHD), 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)- street name Ecstasy, Opioids-(including heroin, fentanyl), Methadone or Suboxone, cocaine (including crack), and marijuana. While there are distinctions, after reviewing a lot of research it is fair to say that the following long-term impacts are often found.
In newborns: growth restriction, decreased weight, length, and head circumference, but these don’t necessary follow the child through life.
Executive function impairments. (Executive function is a set of mental processes for the management of cognitive operations that include attention, behavior, cognition, working memory, and information/problem solving.)
- Attention and impulse control issues.
- May include some learning difficulties.
- Increased child externalized behavioral problems.

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What’s It Like to Be In Foster Care: Former Foster Youth Speak Out Jul 21, 2021

In this episode we talk with a panel of four former foster youth to find out what it is like to be raised in foster care and what they wish foster parents knew about the experience.
In this episode, we cover:

What was the experience of being removed from your home and taken from your parents?
Was there something that your foster parents could have done when you were first placed in the home to help alleviate some of the trauma?
Did you feel fully included in your foster family? What can foster parents do to help the child feel included?
This wasn’t relevant when you were in foster care, but what are your thoughts on blurring out the foster child or putting stickers over their face when posting pics on social media?
Relationships with the children of the foster family.
Who did you feel like was on your side? Who could you go to if you needed help?
Do you think enough was done to help your biological parents before you were removed?
Do you think enough was done to help your biological parents with reunification? Or do you think they were given too many chances?
Do you have pictures or keepsakes from the time you were in foster care? Would these have been or are they important to you now? What can the system do to make sure these are preserved?
While I’m sure you carry the scars of your early life trauma, you have all become successful and--at least from the outside looking in—emotionally healthy adults. What factors contributed to this?
Tips for foster parents.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Handling Social Media Jul 14, 2021

What issues do you need to think about when using social media as an adoptive or foster parent? What issues do you need to consider for your teens and tweens as they engage in social media? We talk with Katie Biron, Director Fostering Connections for Families and Program Manager of the Family Connections Program; Laura Jean Beauvais, licensed professional counselor with New Wind Counseling; and Dawn Friedman, a licensed professional clinical counselor with supervisory designation at Building Family Counseling about handling social media with adopted, foster, and kinship children.
In this episode, we include:
Some of the most popular social media platforms include:

Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
Snapchat
Twitter
Pinterest
Reddit

Social Media pre-adoption

Keep in mind that states have varying laws on matching online and advertising for an expectant parent. You need to know what is allowed.
How much information can you or should you post after you have been matched with an expectant mom during her pregnancy?
How much info can you share post birth and after the baby comes home, but before the adoption is finalized?
Is it OK to “snoop” on expectant family and birth family online pre-adoption? You should know that the expectant family will also be checking you out online.
Should you friend the expectant mom and family pre-adoption?
How, when, and if to announce a child coming into your family through adoption.

Social Media as an Adoptive Parent

How much of your child’s adoption story should you share online?
How much should you share of your child’s birth parent’s online presence with a school aged child or younger?
Sharing photos online. How to handle differing opinions between adoptive and bio family on sharing pics. Common scenario is adoptive parent doesn’t share online pics and bio family does.
Friending biological or first family or accepting friend requests from biological family.
How to seek help online without divulging your child’s personal information or oversharing.
- Post anonymously either on your own or ask group admin.
- Ask general questions without personal details.
How to juggle the ups and downs of adoption groups on social media.

Social Media as a Foster Parent

Differing rules and expectations on social media use between foster child and foster parent will be discussed later in the interview.
Can a foster parent post a foster child’s picture online?
- Ask you caseworker
- Confidentiality is essential
- Use the Reasonable Prudent Parent Standard
Discussion in online forums. How open can you be?

Social Media with Adopted/Fostered Teens

What age do adolescents start having access to social media without adult supervision?
How to handle and navigate social media with the teens in foster care?
Benefits of social media for adopted and fostered adolescents.
- Maintaining social ties. Social media is how many youth connect with friends, both old and new. May be especially important for young people who have been moved from their communities and families.
- Support. Through either organized online groups for youth in similar situations or informally.
- Family connections. Youth may be able to with biological family members between family visits, where appropriate and approved by the caseworker.
- Self-expression. Social media is where many budding poets, artists, videographers hone their skill

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Preparing Kids Already in the Home for an Adoption Jul 07, 2021

How can we prepare kids already in our home for the adoption of a sibling whether that new sibling is an infant or an older child. We will talk with Michelle Hoevker, a board-certified Clinical Social Work Supervisor and Program Director of Adoption and Foster Care at Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services with more than 20 years experience in child welfare; and Adam Crawford, a Licensed Master Social Worker and the Program Director of Adoption and Foster Care at Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services with more than 15 years of experience in child welfare.
In this episode, we cover:
Adopting an Infant

How to prepare children for the adoption of an infant?
How to answer question from others.
How to explain open adoption to kids already in the home?
What if the child already in the home is adopted but with a different degree of openness with their birth family?

Transracial Adoption

How to prepare children for the adoption of an infant when it is a transracial adoption where the child being adopted is not the same race or ethnicity as the children already in the family?

Adopting an Older Child Who is Not Your Foster Child (adopting from foster care or adopting internationally)

How much of your new child’s history should you share with the kids already in the family?
How to prepare kids in the family for potential behavioral challenges.
Prepare your kids in advance for changes to the family routine to accommodate the new child’s needs?
Creating a support network in advance.
Handling the transition period.
Different expectations and rules.
How much voice should children in the family have on whether to adopt?
Advice on parenting if you are disrupting birth order.
Advice on parenting if kids are in the same grade at school.

Adopting an Older Child Who is Your Foster Child

Role change from foster sibling to adoptive sibling (and foster parent to adoptive parent).
Expectations of transition period.

Resources:

Creating a Family has a great list of books for Preparing Kids for the Adoption of a Sibling
Suddenly Siblings website answers the question on every parent's mind: how will fostering or adoption affect my kids already in the home?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Is Human Fertility Declining and What Can We Do About It Jun 30, 2021

Is human fertility declining? What is the cause and what can we do about it. Our guest is Dr. Shanna Swan, an award-winning scientist based at Mount Sinai Medical Center and one of the world’s leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologists. She is the author of Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race.
In this episode, we cover:

Is sperm count in human males declining?
Is this decline seen worldwide or just in developed countries?
Is sperm count the only measure of sperm health that is declining? Are we seeing a change in sperm motility or morphology also?
Do we see a change in the average testosterone level in men worldwide?
Do we know what is causing the decline in sperm count?
Do we see a similar impact on women’s reproductive health? And if so, how do we know?
Could the decline in the fertility rate be, at least in part, the result of a general trend toward delayed childbearing, access to birth control, move from an agrarian society where large numbers of children were valued, etc.? Certainly, so in the western world but also so in developing countries where girls have the opportunity for education and employment.
Has there been a reduction in the age of puberty in girls in the US. Worldwide?
If we are comparing current sperm count of men on a country wide basis to past sperm count how do we know we are comparing apples to apples? Couldn’t differences in studies techniques and who they studied account for the difference?
Has there been an increase in gender fluidity?
Has there been an increase in disorders of sexual development?
Can exposures to environmental toxins impact human sexuality and gender identity?
Can exposures in utero or childhood or adulthood that can impact sexuality and gender identity?
What lifestyle factors negatively influence fertility?
What environmental exposures affect fertility for both men and women and how do we avoid exposure?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and infertility patients and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

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Adopting a Relative from Abroad Jun 25, 2021

What issues should parents think about when adopting a relative (niece, cousin, sibling) from abroad. We talk with Mary Beth King, who has a Master of Science in Social Administration and is Frank Adoption Center’s Executive Director, and with Katie Schultz, an International Adoption Specialist with Madison Adoption Associates.
In this episode, we cover,

What level of genetic relationship is required to call it a kinship adoption as well as what circumstances make a child eligible for an international kinship adoption, especially in the eyes of USCIS.
At what age is a child no longer eligible for international kinship adoption?
Changing relationship for both adopter and child – to go from the “cool, exotic US visitor” to everyday caregiver.
Relationship with bio family in home country.
Helping children navigate (and choose) the language of family – will they continue to refer to you as “aunt” or will you be “mom,” etc.
Blending children by birth and this newly adopted child.
Understanding that trauma and loss are still a part of the child’s story even though they are remaining in their biological extended family.
It can take a long time for relative adoptions to come to fruition, the child can be much older than when the family started the process and so helping families adjust to the fact that they may be bringing home an older child can be challenging.
Helping families embrace pre-adoption education as necessary even though they have experience in parenting or they know this child and therefore don't need education on how to parent.
Recognizing that the child’s immigrant experience will be different than your own and how to separate the two.
One parent not related and maybe not been an immigrant.
Navigating two identities, for example - Preparing your child to embrace their identity not just as a Cameroonian, but also as a Black American.
Managing expectations of cultural changes – Understanding that these children are very likely to take on cultural norms of America kids and teens which may be different than the parent-child relationship expectations of your country of origin
Understanding the importance of hobbies, sports, extracurricular activities, play time, etc. in addition (and sometimes even as backseat to) academics, especially as kids adjust to these big changes, make new friends, and heal from trauma and loss
Navigating the American school system and understanding that grade levels don’t always translate internationally. Accessing services to help the child transition.
Adjusting to parenting as an older parent. Things may have changed since they parented last.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

How to Raise a Child Who Will Thrive Jun 18, 2021

What are the 7 essential character traits that parents can teach their children to increase resiliency? In this episode we talk with Dr. Michelle Borba, an internationally renowned educational psychologist and author of Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine.
In this episode, we cover:

You paint a picture in your book of tweens, teens and young adults who are stressed, anxious, depressed, and lonesome. Why are our kids experiencing this?
Importance of play.
Importance of sleep.
7 essential character traits of a child who will thrive both in childhood and adolescence but also into adulthood.
Self-Confidence
- What is the difference between self confidence and self-esteem?
- How does parental praise factor into teaching self-confidence?
- How do you teach self-confidence?
Empathy
- Why is empathy so important to resilience?
- How do you teach empathy or at the very least encourage it?
- How does our modern technology impact empathy?
Self-Control
- What is self-control in children?
- How do we teach self-control?
Integrity
- How do you define integrity?
- How can we help our kids develop integrity?
Curiosity
- Why is curiosity important for thriving?
- What can we do or not do to encourage curiosity?
Perseverance
- What causes kids to give up?
- What can parents do to help?
Optimism
- Is optimism an inborn temperament or one that can be taught?
If you could leave parents with 5 actionable tips for raising a “thriver”, what would they be.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Partnering with Birth Parents in Foster Care Jun 10, 2021

Call it co-parenting, shared parenting, or partnership parenting, the gist is the same: foster parents are expected to share the nurturing of a foster child with the birth parents to facilitate reunification whenever possible. Join us today to talk about shared parenting with Carrie Sgarlata, an educator, mom, foster mom, and foster parent trainer and recruiter; and Andrea Leaman, a social worker with the Foster Care Licensing and Placement Program with Children’s Wisconsin Community Services and trainer in partnership parenting.
In this episode, we covered:
1. Why is shared parenting best for the child? (less divided loyalty, foster parents can be a role model, less time in foster care, better behavior, majority of kids will return home and co-parenting makes that easier)

2. Building a relationship that begins when someone’s child is removed is not easy. What are some of the emotions the birth parents are likely feeling when they first meet the foster parent? (fear, confusion, denial, anger, embarrassment, feeling that the authorities over-reacted, shame, grief, betrayal, sadness, uncertainty, taking their child away, loss of control)

3. How to build a relationship of co-parenting?

a. Start with compassion
b. Lower expectations
c. Reassure them that you are only here to help not adopt their child
d. Show a picture of where the child is staying
e. Don’t take things personally? (be the more emotionally stable person) Realize that you are seeing these people at likely the worst moment of their life.
f. Go the extra mile
g. Language matters: refer to the child as their child.
h. Treat them with dignity and respect.
i. Go the extra mile to make it easier or less awkward for them.
j. Ask birth parents questions about the child, her likes, dislikes, fears, etc.
k. Send pictures, share artwork, share cute stories

4. Communication between birth and adoptive parents is key to success. Ideas for setting up good communication. How to communicate between visits?

5. How to handle visits to facilitate co-parenting?

6. How to overcome our own anger and judgement towards birth parents?

7. How to establish healthy boundaries?

8. Is it possible to do partnership parenting with incarcerated parents?

9. How to handle Social media

10. Becoming a parenting mentor to birth parents. What are some skills that birth parents may need help developing and how can foster parents help? (importance of routine, working with the school, discipline, normal child developmental stages, how to find community support)

11. How can we help birth parents shift their attitude towards the foster care system from existing to keep them from their children towards existing to help stabilize the family?

12. What if:

a. What if the birth parent abused the child?
b. What if the birth parents don’t accept responsibility for what they did that caused the child to be removed?
c. What if the birth parent lies about what happened that resulted in the child being removed?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:<

Support the Show.

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The Endocrine System, Thyroid Gland, and Fertility Jun 04, 2021

How does the endocrine system impacts fertility, what can go wrong, and what can be done about it. We talk today with Dr. Mark Trolice, the Director of Fertility CARE: The IVF Center in Orlando and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. He is double Board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility and OB/GYN.
In this episode, we include:
· What is the function of the endocrine system in human health?

· How does the thyroid gland function within the endocrine system?

· How is female fertility impacted by the endocrine system?

· How is male fertility impacted by the endocrine system?

· What is hypothyroidism?

· What is hyperthyroidism?

· How are dysfunctions in the endocrine system diagnosed?

· How are dysfunctions in the endocrine system treated?

· What dietary and lifestyle choices impact the health of the endocrine system and thyroid gland?

· What are some common endocrine disrupting chemicals in our environment?

· How are environmental endocrine disruptors impacting fertility?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. Creating a Family brings you the following expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Interview with Sarah Sentilles, author of "Stranger Care" May 28, 2021

In this episode we interview Sarah Sentilles, author of a newly released book by Random House titled Stranger Care. "Stranger Care" is a beautifully written book that captures the promise and often the failure of foster care. And it is a beautiful portrait of love with no promise of a future.
In this episode, we cover:
Beautifully written book that captures the promise and often the failure of foster care. And a beautiful portrait of love with no promise of a future.

· How did you come to the decision to become foster parents? And did you come to that decision or were you really trying to become an adoptive parent?

· Discussion of “ethically cleaner”.

· I appreciated how you showed Evelyn, the birth mom, to be human and to love her child. You did a good job of showing the nuances, which are hard to do, especially when you are the one losing the child. I very much enjoyed seeing how that relationship grew. What helped change it?

· Rooting for and against birth mom

· Love and yet not belonging to you

· The power of the state to remove kids should not be used without great care.

· What qualifies as good parenting and is “good enough” enough. Ex. of the car seat.

· Keeping siblings together.

· It is discouraging that organizations, such as Creating a Family exist to support people like you when you were first considering your options. And if we didn’t reach someone like you who is educated and I would assume someone who researches and gathers info then how in the world do we reach people. Education research focused woman are our demographic!

· How long has it been and do you know what has happened to Coco?

· How have you and your husband been changed by this experience?

· Is this book in part an attempt to reach out to Coco. Did you write it with an ear to her reading it later in life and you talking to her. Do you hope she will hear about it and read it?

· Did you decide to give up on fostering? What about adopting?
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Blending Children by Birth and Adoption May 21, 2021

Have you ever considered adopting after you had children by birth? Or thought about trying to get pregnant after you adopted? Is it a good idea to combine kids by birth and adoption. In this episode, we talk with Rebecca Ricardo, an LCSW who has worked in the field of adoption since 1991. She currently serves as the Executive Director for a licensed, child-placing agency that provides both placement and support services. She is an adoptee and a birth mom. The son she placed for adoption was raised as the only adopted child between two children born to his adoptive parents.
In this episode, we cover:

• What are the typical reasons why families have both adopted and non-adopted kids?

• What does the research show on how children and families adjust when there are children by both adoption and infertility?

• Do parents have a tendency to favor their biological children? Kin Selection Theory based on evolutionary psychology.

• Does it matter if the adopted child is adopted after the family has had bio kids, or if the adopted child comes first (most often because the parents were infertile) and they went back into treatment after they adopted to try for a biological child? What different factors come into play?

• Favoritism by grandparents or extended family. How to handle?

• The tendency of parents of families that combine biological and adopted kids to downplay genetics, birth stories, etc.

• How to handle conflicts with children or extended family members when children require a different type of parenting because one child has experienced trauma?

• How to handle conflicts when one child requires more of the parent’s time than another child?

• Tips for parents who are combining kids by birth and adoption. How can social workers help families that are considering this?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Taking Care of Yourself When Parenting Harder to Parent Kids May 14, 2021

Do you sometimes feel that self-care is an impossible goal when you are parenting kids who have experienced trauma. There isn't enough time in the day to do it all, much less take care of yourself. Or is there? Join us to talk about how to find time to take care of yourself. We will talk with Angelica Jones, MSW, Program Director of Intercountry Services and the Intensive Service Foster Care Recruiter and Trainer at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services.
In this episode, we cover:

· “Selfcare” or “take care of yourself” are overused but still vitally important terms for foster, adoptive, and kinship parents.

· Why do all parents but especially parents of kids who’ve experienced trauma need to practice self-care?

· What is secondary trauma?

· Why are kids who’ve experience neglect, abuse and other childhood traumas harder to parent?

· The busyness of foster and adoptive parenting.

· What are some of the barriers to taking care of ourselves as adoptive, foster or kinship parents?

· The importance of respite care and the barriers to parents using it.

· Practical ideas for providing self-care.

· Think small when thinking self-care.

· Ask for help and accept it when offered. If someone offers to help, say “yes” and suggest something specific. Ex. A meal on Wednesday night. Babysitting or taking a child to the movies once a month.

· Parent Support groups

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Impact of OTC Drugs on Fertility May 07, 2021

Do you worry that the over the counter medications you take for a headache or allergies could impact your fertility? What about CBD or melatonin? We talk with Dr. Kathleen Tucker, a scientific director for various IVF labs; and with K.E. Tucker Consulting, and Dr. Angie Beltos, CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Vios Fertility Institute.
In this episode, we include:

Research has found three reasons why the impact of OTC medication on fertility has become an increasing issue.
- We are taking more medications now that people in the past.
- People are waiting longer to start a family and age is associated with greater medication use.
- People are experiencing more chronic disease at earlier ages.
Taken together, these factors have increased the number of prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs being taken by women and men attempting to get pregnant with or without fertility treatment.
As always, talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding both prescription and non-prescription medications.
Impact of OTC drugs on fertility - female and male fertility.
- Impact on natural conception.
- Impact when taken during fertility treatment.
- Impact on pregnancy.
Impact of NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) on fertility.
- Aspirin (brand names include Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin, St. Joseph)
- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
- Excedrin (acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine)
- Naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox DS, Naprosyn)
- Celecoxib (Celebrex)-prescription only
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Antacids-histamine blockers and proton pump inhibitors
Antihistamines B-both types? 1st generation, 2nd generation
Sleep aids
CBD
Other common over-the-counter (OTC) medications
Skin and hair care products
Herbal supplements?
As always, talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding both prescription and non-prescription.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Talking with Young Children about Adoption and Birth Parents Apr 30, 2021

How should you talk with young children, toddlers, and preschoolers about adoption. How do you talk about birth mothers and birth fathers? In this episode we talk with Jenna Howard, a LMSW who has worked in the adoption field since 1994 in both domestic and international adoption. In addition, she is an adoptee and an adoptive mom.
In this episode, we cover:

Why is it important to start talking about adoption and birth parents with kids when they are very young?
When should you begin talking about adoption with children if they are adopted at birth or a very young age?
How to talk with infants about adoption.
What do young children understand about the concept of adoption?
What name should be used when referring to birth parents?
How to talk with toddlers and preschoolers about adoption. (They are accepting of what parents say and the attitude it was said.)
Adoption is cool stage.
Oversharing details. Distinction between secret and private.
Oversharing as a parent.
Helping child explain adoption.
Talking about adoption vs. different ways families are made.
Keep it short and simple. Laying the groundwork.
Positive adoption language.
Common questions children this age might ask and sample answers.
How to talk about birth fathers and the role of birth fathers when the child doesn’t understand conception?
How to talk about birth fathers when birth father is unknown or otherwise not in the picture?
How to talk about birth siblings.
Why do some adoptive parents hesitate to talk with young children about adoption?
When should parents share some of the harder parts of their child’s adoption story (domestic violence, substance abuse, incarceration, unknown birth father, rape)?
Tips:
1. Books – Creating a Family has a great list of the Best of the Best Adoption books for kids broken out by type of adoption and age of the child.
2. Movies/TV shows (Sesame Street, Mister Rodgers, etc)
3. Make a life book
4. Parenting Your Adopted Preschooler and the link won’t change so that makes it easy. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/preschool

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Practical Tips for Disciplining Children Who Have Experienced Trauma Apr 23, 2021

How do you discipline kids who have experienced trauma? We provide 5 tips and then discuss 5 challenging parenting situations. Our expert is Karen Doyle Buckwalter, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor, and co-author of "Raising the Challenging Child".
In this episode, we cover:
1. The Relationship Bank Account

Spend effort building your relationship with your child so that you have banked “good will” for when you need to say no or set a firm rule.
Ideas for making quick and easy deposits:
- Praise efforts, successes, helpfulness, their unique essence—big and small.
- Let the child choose whenever possible.
Look for compromises.
Make more deposits than withdrawals.
Magic “rule” 5 positive comments to every 1 negative.
- Difference between making a deposit and spoiling your child.
- Sideswipe instead of confront.

2. Respond to What is Beneath the Behavior

Behavior is a reflection of a need. It’s a symptom.
Strategies for digging deeper into what is underneath the behavior.

3. Reexamine Your Expectations

See your child for who she is.

4. Balancing Structure and Nurture

How does structure lead to feelings of safety and why is this often misunderstood when parenting children with a history of trauma?
Choose your battles: choose to ignore some behaviors.

5. Share Power to Gain Power

Specific Behaviors:

Tantrum
Name calling and teasing
Handle attention seeking behaviors.
Lying
Sexualized Behavior and Play

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Panel of Kinship Caregivers: What's It Really Like Apr 16, 2021

What's it like to have your world turned upside down when you become the parent to your grandchild, niece, or nephew? What are the hidden joys and challenges. In this podcast episode, we have a frank and open talk with a panel of kinship caregivers about their experience.
In this episode, we cover:

What has been one of the greatest joys you’ve experienced as a kinship caregiver?
What has been one of the greatest challenges you’ve had in raising your grandchild or niece or nephew?
How has your age played into your parenting experience with this child?
How has caring for your grandchild affects your friendships and activities?
How do you handle the dual roles of being a mom to your grandchild and a mom to your grandchild’s parent? How has kinship caregiving impacted your role as parent to your child?
Have you had to set boundaries with your child to protect your grandchild?
How have you handle if your grandchild’s parent has another child? Would you take that child in as well?
How have you learned about technology, screens, video gaming, etc. in order to parent a child of this younger generation?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Helping Parents & Kids Manage Phones, Internet, & Gaming Apr 09, 2021

How old is too young for a phone? Is gaming harmful to our kids? How much technology is too much. We talk with Dr. Jay Berk, a licensed psychologist and an expert in working with children and families. He is the author of two books: “A Parent’s Quick Guide to Electronic Addiction” and “Codeswitching: Social Skills in the Screen-Age”.
In this episode, we cover:
Parents from time immemorial have worried about the impact of the “new technology” and this goes back to our great great great grandparents worrying about the influence of novels to parents of the 50’s worry about too much time on the phone, to parents of the 80s worrying about too much TV, and on to the present where we worry about screen time, texting, and gaming.

We parents are digital “immigrants” while our kids are digital natives. How does this dynamic present challenges?
How to keep up with what our kids are doing?
What are the general best practices for elementary aged kids using digital technology?
- What age should kids be given a phone?
- What are reasonable rules for phone use?
How do things change as our kids each around age 11 or 12 and on into their teen years
How important is the use of digital media to socialize for this generation?
When should parents worry?
- Is the child getting enough sleep?
- Are they eating well?
- Are they getting enough exercise?
- Are they doing well in school?
- Do they have real life friends?
- If so, they are probably just fine.
What are the signs that our kids may be too involved with digital technology or gaming
How much screen time is too much for tweens? For teens?
Do different types of technology have different risks and benefits? Internet? Gaming? Porn?
What are some reasonable rules for families to set in regards to technology, screen time, and gaming?
How to get buy-in from our tweens and teens?
App-tell kid
A challenge particular to families adopting or fostering older children or teens is that often our kids come to us with having had little supervision or rules about internet use? How can we establish healthy habits when the rules are new to them?

Resources:

A Parent’s Quick Guide to Electronic Addiction by Dr. Jay Berk
Center for Parent and Teen Communication: A Fact-Not-Fear Approach to Parenting In the Digital Age https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aNtRhYfA3k
Creating a Family’s Navigating the Internet with Adopted or Foster Tweens and Teens https://creatingafamily.org/adoption-category/adoption-blog/navigating-the-internet-with-adopted-or-foster-tweens-and-teens/
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.

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Genetics and Fertility Apr 02, 2021

Have you ever wondered if your struggle to conceive could be caused by your genes? Today we're going to answer that question and more about genetics and fertility by talking with two certified genetic counselors with CooperGenomics: Sharyn Lincoln and Sheila Johal.
In this episode, we cover:
Infertility is a disease affecting nearly 7% of all couples. It is a highly heterogeneous pathology with a complex etiology that includes both environmental and genetic factors. In this episode we will be focusing on the genetics.
What percentage of infertility can be attributed to our genes?
Genetics and Female Infertility
47,XXX (trisomy X; Triple X)
⁃ What is trisomy X?
⁃ How common is 47,XXX?
⁃ What are the symptoms of Triple X syndrome?
⁃ How common is infertility in women with Triple X?
⁃ Will the children conceived also have this chromosomal abnormality?
Turner syndrome (monosomy X)
⁃ What is Turner Syndrome?
⁃ How common is it?
⁃ What are the symptoms?
⁃ How common is mosaicism with this chromosomal defect?
⁃ How common is infertility in women with monosomy X?
⁃ Will the children conceived also have this chromosomal abnormality?
Single Gene Disorders
⁃ Fragile X (Primary Ovarian Failure)
⁃ Premutation
⁃ Galactosemia
⁃ Others
Polygenic, complex female infertility (environment & genetics)
⁃ Endometriosis
⁃ Is there a genetic link?
⁃ Fibroids
⁃ Is there a genetic link?
⁃ Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC)
⁃ Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
⁃ Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)
⁃ Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)
⁃ Is there a genetic link?
⁃ XXX syndrome
⁃ Fragile X syndrome
Genetics and Male Infertility
Klinefelter syndrome
⁃ What is Klinefelter syndrome, 47,XXY?
⁃ How common is Klinefelter syndrome?
⁃ What are the symptoms of Klinefelter syndrome other than infertility?
⁃ Is it possible for a man with Klinefelter syndrome to reproduce?
⁃ Will the children also have chromosomal abnormalities?
47,XYY syndrome
⁃ How common is XYY syndrome?
⁃ What are the symptoms of XYY syndrome other than infertility?
⁃ Will the children also have chromosomal abnormalities?
Structural chromosomal abnormalities (SCAs) include deletions, duplications,
translocations (balanced, imbalanced, and Robertsonian), and inversions.
⁃ Y chromosome micro deletions
Single Gene Disorders (Cystic Fibrosis)
Why has it been so hard to pinpoint the exact genes associated with male and female
fertility?

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Impact of Fostering on Kids Already in the Family Mar 26, 2021

Bringing foster children into your family may impact the kids already in your home—both in positive and potentially negative ways. We will provide suggestions on how to integrate new foster children into your home as seamlessly as possible. Our guest expert is Dr. Eshele Williams, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who brings her professional expertise with counseling foster families as well as her personal experience as being a biological child in a family that fostered many children in her childhood.
In this episode, we cover:

Positive benefits of fostering on children already in the family.
Possible challenging issues children in the family might face when foster children join the family.
Benefits of preparing children in the family for the realities of fostering.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Attachment 101 Mar 19, 2021

What do we mean by attachment and what can parents do to help their child attach. What can parents do if they are struggling with attaching to their child. We talk with Dr. Casey Call, the Assistant Director of Education at the Institute of Child Development at TCU. She is a researcher and trainer for Trust-Based Relational Intervention.
In this episode, we cover:

What is attachment and why is it so important to a child’s development?
How does attachment develop in children who are raised from infancy in a healthy functioning family? What does healthy attachment look like?
What events can interrupt the normal development of healthy attachment? (e.g. multiple caregivers, abuse, neglect) What about a primary care giver with mental illness? What about long term hospitalization?
When we have a child placed in our homes for either adoption or fostering, what are some signs that this child may have attachment issues?
Attachment issues fall along a spectrum from mild to severe. Describe typical behaviors that might appear along this spectrum.
Reactive Attachment Disorder
We have people contacting us with worries after only a few weeks in their home when the child and family are still adjusting to a total change in their lives. What is a reasonable time to give a child before parents begin to worry about major attachment issues?
What are some things parents of newly adopted or fostered kids can do to help their child attach?
What type of therapy is effective for children with attachment issues?
How can you find a therapist who will be knowledgeable on how to help a child and family that is struggling to attach?
How to discipline while still focusing on attachment.
The importance of parental attachment.
What interferes with a parents ability to attach to their child?
What are some things that a parent can do if they are struggling to attach to their child?
Post adoption depression.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the show (https://creatingafamily.org/donation/)

Support the Show.

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Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Opiates, Opioids, Methadone, Suboxone, and Other Common Drugs Mar 12, 2021

What do adoptive and foster parents need to know about the impacts of prenatal exposure to opioids, Suboxone, and Methadone. What are the risks to a baby born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome or Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS)? We talk with Dr. Julian Davies, a pediatrician at the University of Washington’s Center for Adoption Medicine and their FASD and Prenatal Exposure Clinic.
In this episode, we cover:

What are opiates or opioids?
What are the most common opiates that are being used during pregnancy?
What are the most common non-opiate drugs that are being used by pregnant women?
What are the common treatment medication/drugs given to those struggling with addiction who are trying to get off opioids? Methadone, Suboxone, and Subutex
Are Methadone, Suboxone, and Subutex safe to use during pregnancy?
What are the short- and long-term impacts on infants exposed to opiates?
What are the short- and long-term impacts of infants exposed to Methadone in pregnancy?
What are the short- and long-term impacts of infants exposed to Suboxone in pregnancy?
Does the dosage of methadone or suboxone have an effect on the baby?
What are the short- and long-term impacts of infants exposed to methamphetamines (meth) in pregnancy?
What are the short- and long-term impacts of infants exposed to cocaine in pregnancy?
What are the short- and long-term impacts of infants exposed to marijuana in pregnancy? Edible vs. smoking vs. vaping
Does the timing of exposure in pregnancy affect the prognosis for the child? Is there a safer time for a fetus to be exposed to drugs in utero?
Many parents believe that if the child is not born dependent or with drugs in their system that the prognosis is better. Or conversely, if the child is born dependent and has to go through withdrawals that they will suffer more impact from the in-utero drug exposure. Is this true?
How serious is drug dependency and withdrawal for the infant?
How is withdrawal treated in the infant? How is Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) treated in babies born dependent?
Families that adopt out of state are often concerned about how soon they can travel home with their baby if she has been born dependent and is going through withdrawal.
How long does withdrawal in an infant born dependent last?
If a baby tests positive for opiates is it possible to determine what drug the baby has been exposed to? Does the long-term prognosis matter depending on which drug?
How do you foster attachment while baby is suffering through withdrawal?
How common is it for women who use drugs during their pregnancy to also drink excessively during their pregnancy?
One thing you hear a lot is that “early intervention is key” and that a baby’s brain can be rewired during the first couple of years with the right therapy. What exactly does that therapy entail? Where can you find it? What strategies should you be using at home with your child with a diagnosis of prenatal drug exposure?
There are many similarities between drug exposure and trauma in how it affects children’s learning, behavior, etc. When a child has both of those challenges, is it possible to tell the difference on what is causing specific problems, and is the treatment different depending on the cause?
Are children who are exposed prenatally at a greater risk for drug abuse as teens and adults if they were adopted and not raised in an environment that exposed them to drug use?
What are the most common blood borne diseases that

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Coping with Pregnancy Loss and Miscarriage Mar 05, 2021

Have you or someone you care about experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth? We talk about coping with pregnancy loss with Dr. Poonum Sharma, a Licensed Psychologist specializing in reproductive issues. She is a long term member of the Mental Health Provider Professional Group at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.
In this episode, we cover:
Miscarriage and Stillbirth Statistics

Distinction between a miscarriage and stillbirth. A stillbirth is the death of a baby before or during delivery. Both miscarriage and stillbirth describe pregnancy loss, but they differ according to when the loss occurs. In the United States, a miscarriage is usually defined as loss of a baby before the 20th week of pregnancy, and a stillbirth is loss of a baby at 20 weeks of pregnancy and later.
About 1 pregnancy in 100 (1%) end in stillbirth, and each year about 24,000 babies are stillborn in the United States.
For women who know they’re pregnant, about 10 to 15 in 100 pregnancies (10 to 15 percent) end in miscarriage. As many as half of all pregnancies may end in miscarriage. We don’t know the exact number because a miscarriage may happen before a woman knows she’s pregnant.
Most miscarriages happen in the first trimester before the 12th week of pregnancy. Miscarriage in the second trimester (between 13 and 19 weeks) happens in 1 to 5 in 100 (1 to 5 percent) pregnancies.
The primary cause of first trimester miscarriage is chromosomal abnormalities.

The Grief Process

Factors that may impact grief:
- How long a woman or couple has been trying to get pregnant.
- Timing in the pregnancy of the loss.
- The number of miscarriages or pregnancy losses she has experienced.
- The cause of the miscarriage or lack of an explanation?
- Patient’s age.
- If she has existing children. Secondary infertility.
- The ability to talk about the loss to family and friends.
- Temperament of the patient and her partner.
Pregnancy loss before others know about the pregnancy.

Helping Patients Cope

How can those around the woman or couple support them during this time?
How to share the news.
How can nurses help patients cope?
What are the symptoms of compassion fatigue that infertility nurses should be aware of.
How can nurses prevent or cope with compassion fatigue.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the show (https://creatingafamily.org/donation/)

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Adopting as a Single Parent Feb 26, 2021

What issues should you consider if you want to adopt as a single person? We talk with Susan Fremer, a licensed mental health intern and a single mom of five adopted girls; and Lee Varon, a LICSW specializing in adoptive parenting, a single mom to two sons through adoption, and author of two books on single parent adoption.
In this episode, we cover:

Single parenting is common. Are there distinctions between becoming a single parent through divorce, conception, and adoption?
How easy is it to adopt as a single woman or single man?
Are there any additional requirements for single parents to be able to adopt? Any additional questions in the home study?
Legal issues. Importance of a will and naming a guardian.
What are some potential issues single parents should consider before they decide to adopt?
Is there another single parent or family that you could partner with to provide mutual child care support either full time or babysitting type arrangement?
Emotional support.
Consider moving closer to family.
Changes to your friend network after you become a parent.
Finances.
Costs for raising a child.
Look at your debt.
Will your housing have to change?
Child care.
May influence the age of child you decide to adopt.
Finding the opposite gender role model for your child.
Self-care.
Dating.
Are you ready to be a single parent?
Are you ready to give up the fun parts of being child-free, like the freedom to do what you want when you want? The freedom to tackle a new time consuming work project, educational degree, hobby, travel, etc.
Are you ready to feel the inevitable time crunch of single parenting?
Are you ready financially?
Annoying comments you may hear.
You haven’t given enough time to finding a partner.
Consider joining a single parent by choice support group. Online or in-person (check Meetup)
Resources:
1. Single Adoptive Parents: Our Stories (Book by Lee Varon and Sherry Fine)
2. Adopting On Your Own: The Complete Guide to Adoption for Single Parents (Book by Lee Varon)
3. Single Mothers By Choice (organization and website)
4. Motherhood Reimagined (organization and website)
5. ChoiceMom.org E-guide: Finding Support (eGuide)

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

What Do Kinship Caregivers Need to Succeed? Feb 19, 2021

Grandparents raising grandkids or aunts and uncles raising nephews and nieces is often complicated and comes with a mix of challenges and blessings. What are the unique issues that kinship caregivers face and what do they need to succeed. We talk about these issues with LaNette Jacobs, an aunt raising her two nephews; Marla Galvan, a licensed clinical social worker and Foster Care Strategic Consultant for Child Welfare Information Gateway; Dr. Ali Caliendo, the Executive Director of Foster Kinship, a nonprofit support of kinship families in Nevada; and Jaia Lent, the Deputy Executive Director at Generations United where she provides direction for the National Center on Grandfamilies.
In this episode, we covered:

Kinship care, also often called grandparent care or grandparent-led families, is used to care for children whose parents are unable. And while we will often use the term grandparent, we fully recognize that it is often aunts, uncles, cousins, and sometimes other siblings that are stepping up to care for these children. Kinship care can be permanent or temporary, financially subsidized or not, formal or informal. Kinship care at its best helps to maintain family connections and cultural traditions that can minimize the trauma of family separation.
Grandparents raising grandkids or aunts and uncles raising nephews and nieces is often complicated and comes with a mix of challenges and blessings.
There is often a blurred line between being a family member and assuming responsibility for a relative's children. Is your role the grandparent or the parent and if parent, to whom is your first allegiance—to your child or your grandchild.
It’s also a blessing. It’s a do over, a chance to be fully involved in a child’s life again and make a difference in the next generation.
Why is raising your grandkids different from raising your own kids the first time around?
Understanding emotions.
- Guilt, shame, anger, distrust, loss, loneliness, grief. And these feelings are often felt by both the parent and the kinship caregiver.
- Managing boundaries.
Communication
Being honest about your needs and the kids needs
Putting the children’s needs first.
How to help with reunification?
Try to show empathy towards the challenges that the parents are struggling with.
Don’t put down birth parents, especially in front of the kids.
Assure children that their parents love them.
Tell parents that you know that they love their child.
Don’t put the children in the middle.
Make visits a conflict free zone—if possible.
Have adult conversations on working out disagreements away from the kids.
Support change in the parents.
Support groups.
Not financially prepared for the addition of kids.
Parenting kids who’ve experienced trauma.
Legal resources to be in the best position to advocate for the child.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Fertility Preservation and Egg Freezing Feb 12, 2021

Should you consider freezing your eggs? What is involved and how much does it cost. We talk with Dr. Taraneh Nazem, Board-Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist with Reproductive Medicine Associates of NY.
In this episode, we cover:
Female Fertility

Overview of female fertility.
What impacts fecundity?
How important is age in female fertility?
Why does age negatively impact fertility in women?
What other factors decrease a woman’s fertility?

Fertility Preservation

At what age does fertility begin to decrease?
What causes Diminished Ovarian Reserves?
What are the symptoms of Diminished Ovarian Reserves?
How to evaluate and diagnosis Diminished Ovarian Reserves?
What can women do to support their fertility and maintain optimum fertility for as long as possible?
Does birth control influence future fertility positively or negatively?
Does exercise impact female fertility?

Egg Freezing

Who should consider egg freezing?
At what age should women consider freezing their eggs?
What is the egg freezing process?
What are the short and long-term risks of the fertility medication needed for egg freezing?
Do you need to have your IUD removed in order to go through an egg retrieval process?
How many eggs do you need to freeze to provide a fair chance of having a baby?
Are women with low AMH levels a good candidate for egg freezing?
How many egg retrieval cycles should you expect in order to have enough eggs for a strong chance for a baby?
How long can eggs be frozen?
Does freezing damage the eggs?
If you don’t use your frozen eggs can you donate them?
What is the success rate for frozen eggs?
Should you freeze eggs or freeze embryos?
Cost of egg freezing:
- Initial egg retrieval.
- Cryopreservation storage fee.
What is the process when you want to return to use your frozen eggs?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen families. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family also has an active presence on many social media platforms. Please like or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

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How a Parent's History with Attachment and Trauma Impacts Adoption and Fostering Feb 05, 2021

Have you ever wondered why a specific behavior by your child drives you crazy? What do we as parents bring to the relationship that could be part of the problem? We talk about how a parent's history with attachment and trauma impacts our parenting with Dr. Patrice Berry, a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training in adoption and foster care and over 15 years of clinical experience.
In this episode, we cover:
· Research has shown that our attachment style with our own parents is the biggest predictor of the attachment style we’ll have with our child.

· What do we mean by attachment style? Attachment style refers to the internal “working models” we develop of how relationships function. They influence the way we relate to important people in our lives. The attachments we form in our early relationships with parents or caretakers can have an impact on our feelings of insecurity, anxiety, fear, avoidance, and satisfaction in our closest relationships throughout our lives.

· A detailed tool has been developed to determine our attachment styles. Adult-Attachment Inventory (AAI). In the inventory, done by a professional with specific training, adults are asked to describe their childhoods, and it is in the telling of their stories that attachment styles are assessed.

· What are the types of attachment styles that have been identified in adults?

· Are our attachment styles fixed in childhood by how we were parented or can they change through growth and work on our part?

· To further complicate the parenting picture, it’s important to remember that foster and adopted children come to us having experienced some degree of trauma and a set of experiences from their own family of origin or previous care settings that did not develop in the family system of their adoptive family and may contrast sharply.

· All parents are susceptible to being “triggered” by things in their past and, consciously or unconsciously, having this shape their behavior. A child’s behavior can certainly be such a trigger.

· Examples of situations where a parent’s past trauma and attachment style may interfere with their being the best parent to their child.

· How can we move toward a more secure attachment style?
This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family also has an active presence on many social media platforms. Please like or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Support the Show.

Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Adoption Tax Credit 2020 Jan 27, 2021

How can you talk full advantage of the Adoption Tax Credit? What changes are important when filing for this credit for your 2020 taxes. We talk with Becky Wilmoth, an Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist with Bill's Tax Service and Josh Kroll, the Adoption Subsidy Resource Center coordinator at the North American Council on Adoptable Children.
In this episode, we cover:

What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2020 federal taxes $14,300
It is a non-refundable tax credit. How to advocate for refundability.
What is a “credit” and how does it differ from a deduction or some other form of tax savings?
If you get a tax refund every year, how would you use the Adoption Tax Credit?
If you don’t have any federal tax liability, should you still apply the credit to your federal income taxes?
What type of adoptions are included or excluded? Stepparent adoption? Embryo adoption? Same-sex partner second parent adoption? Unmarried heterosexual second parent adoption? Surrogacy?
Can you get credit for each adoption you complete even if completed in the same year? What about adopting siblings at the same time?
What is a Qualified Adoption Expense for purposes of the Adoption Tax Credit?
When can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit?
- Domestic Infant Adoption
- International Adoption
- Re-adoption in the US for International Adoption
- Foster Care Adoption
Special Needs Adoption: How does the Adoption Tax Credit differ for adoptions from foster care?
Special needs child for international adoption
What income level is excluded from claiming the Adoption Tax Credit in 2020?
How long can the credit be carried over?
Will the Adoption Tax Credit offset self-employment tax or will it only offset income tax liability?
How does the Adoption Tax Credit work in conjunction with employer benefits?
What type of documentation should you submit with your taxes? What type of documentation should you keep in your records?
What should you do if you do not have your child’s social security number when you get ready to file your taxes? When should you consider using an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN #) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN #)?
How does the Adoption Tax Credit work with kinship adoptions? What if the child never was involved with the foster care?
What are the most common questions received about the Adoption Tax Credit?
How to find a tax specialist knowledgeable on the Adoption Tax Credit?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family also has an active presence on many social media platforms. Please like or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and

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Evaluating Risk Factors in Foster Care Jan 22, 2021

We talk about evaluating the risk factors for foster care with Dr. Kimara Gustafson, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota with appointments at both their Adoption Medicine Clinic and Pediatric Emergency Department.
In this episode, we cover:

The common risk factor that foster parents and those wanting to adopt from foster care need to be aware of include physical, emotional, developmental, educational, and behavioral problems rooted in childhood adversity and trauma.
What types of trauma are foster kids exposed to? Neglect, abuse, prenatal exposure, multiple caregivers, not having a reliable caregiver, constant stress
What percentage of children in foster care have been exposed to drugs or alcohol prenatally?
Impact of trauma on physical health.
Foster parents often have little information about prior health history.
Overmedication of foster children and youth.
Research has found that the average number of psychiatric diagnoses and psychotropic medications prescribed were significantly greater for youth and children in foster care. o Children in foster care are likely to be kept on them longer than other Medicaid-enrolled children who are not in foster care.
What are psychotropic drugs and why are so many foster children on them?
Who has authority to make health care decisions for foster children and youth?
Impact of trauma on mental health.
hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity.
What types of behaviors are common as a result of trauma?
Sleep issues common to children in foster care.
Food issues common to children in foster care. Creating a Family course: Practical Solutions to Typical Food Issues
Impact of trauma on a foster child’s education.
Children in foster care need educational advocates.
Risk factors to consider for children already in the home. Creating a Family course: The Impact of Fostering on Children Already in the Home
Children can heal and foster parents can and do make a difference!

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family also has an active presence on many social media platforms. Please like or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Support the Show.

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Maintaining Your Marriage & Relationships When Adopting or Fostering Jan 15, 2021

We don’t just bring kids into our homes; we bring them into our marriage and relationships. And marriages or relationships are particularly challenged when we are parenting kids who have been exposed to trauma. We talk with Amy Garber, MSW and LICSW, the Manager of the Post Adoption Program with Wide Horizons for Children, a child welfare organization. We also talk with Anne Meijers, a licensed clinical social worker, specializing in adult and couples therapy.
In this episode, we cover:

Our goal should be for our marriage or relationships to be around long after the kids leave home. This takes being proactive because if we’re not careful our relationship becomes all about parenting or fostering.
How can kids enhance a marriage or relationship?
We know that kids who’ve experience trauma can be challenging to parent and can test a marriage or a relationship.
Why are children adopted or fostered past infancy, children with prenatal exposure, and kids who have experienced trauma often harder to parent?
CreatingaFamily.org has many courses on Trauma Informed Parenting.
What are some of the stresses that relationships may face when fostering or adopting kids who’ve been exposed to trauma?
Feeling isolated
One parent wanting to adopt or foster more than the other
Blame from the outside or between the parents
Grief- that parenting is harder or less fun than you anticipated, etc.
What are some situations that children who’ve experienced trauma can bring to the family and be particularly difficult for the marriage?
Disagreement on how to handle behaviors
Triangulation
What are some signs that you are neglecting your marriage?
How can trauma or neglect in the parent’s background impact the marriage once children arrive?
How to handle extended family members (grandparents, etc.) that are negatively impacting your relationship?
Tips for strengthening your relationship while parenting kids who’ve been exposed to trauma, including prenatal exposure.
Special issues for single parents.
- We encourage single parents to establish a support network. How can challenging kids test this network?
- How can single parents find support?
- Tips for singles to strengthen their support network and relationships.

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
· Weekly podcasts
· Weekly articles/blog posts
· Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family also has an active presence on many social media platforms. Please like or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram.

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Transitioning Home as a Newly Adoptive Family Jan 08, 2021

What should you expect as you return home with a newly adopted baby or child? What are the common emotions? We talk with Laura Jean Beauvais, a licensed professional counselor and mother of two adult daughters through adoption. She has conducted domestic, foster, and international adoptions for more than 25 years.
In this episode, we cover:
Adopting a Newborn

What are some common emotions when adopting a newborn?
What are some common stresses when adopting a newborn?
How may the revocation period affect the transition to new adoptive parenting?
Expectations of extended family during this transition period.
How do the stresses of newly adopted families differ from a family that gives birth to their child?
How does the pre-adoption process affect this transition to new parenthood?
What are some feelings that come up about birth parents after the baby comes home?
- Realities of open adoptions
- Handling grief of birth family
- Feeling like the presence of a birth mom makes the adoptive mom less of a “real” mom
- The balance of power shifting from the expectant/birth mom to the adoptive mom
How much of your child’s “story” should you share?
How can infertility struggles impact the transition period?

Adopting a Child Past Infancy

What are some common emotions when adopting a child from foster care or through international adoption?
What are some common stresses when adopting a child past infancy?
The challenge of setting realistic expectations.
How to help your child and you settle in to becoming a new family.

Post Adoption Depression

What is post-adoption depression?
What are the symptoms?
How common is post-adoption depression?
Can fathers also have post-adoption depression?
Who is at risk for post-adoption depression? Are there ways to predict which people are more prone to post-adoption depression?
How can post-adoption depression impact parenting?
What are some steps to take to prevent post-adoption depression?
What should you do if you think you are suffering from post-adoption depression?

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What to Eat to Increase Your Odds of Success with IVF Jan 01, 2021

What foods and supplements help improve fertility for those trying to conceive naturally and for those undergoing fertility treatment. We talked with Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chavarro’s research is focused on understanding how nutrition and lifestyle impact human reproduction. He is the Principal Investigator of the Nurses’ Health Study 3 – an ongoing prospective cohort of young professional women started in 2010 designed to investigate the role of lifestyle and biologic factors on women’s health – and leads the nutritional component of the EARTH Study, an ongoing prospective cohort of couples undergoing infertility treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
In this episode, we cover:

How Does Nutrition Impact Fertility

We know that women are born with all the eggs they are ever going to have so how does nutrition impact female fertility and egg quality?
How does nutrition impact male fertility?
How does weight and BMI affect fertility?
We know that the microbiome in our reproductive tract is important to fertility. Does what we eat impact this microbiome?

What Foods and Diet are Best for Enhancing Fertility

What foods improve natural fertility or the fertility of those in fertility treatment?
What is the importance of protein? What type of protein is best
Role of carbohydrates in fertility. Low carb? Complex vs simple carbs?
Caffeine
Soy products

What Supplements are Effective at Improving Fertility

What supplements should you take if you are trying to conceive with or without fertility treatment?
Prenatal vitamin
Micronutrient supplementation
Folates
CoQ 10
Vitamin B12
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)
Vitamin D
Fish Oil

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Healing After Abuse and Neglect Dec 24, 2020

Children adopted from foster care or from abroad have often experienced abuse, neglect, or trauma. These children require a different form of parenting. This is a re-air of an older interview we did with the late Dr. Karyn Purvis, author of The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family, and the founder and Director of the TCU Institute of Child Development, about how to help children from hard places heal.
In this episode, we cover:

Why is parenting abused children different from traditional parenting?
What are the 3 most important things you should do during the first 6 months home with a newly adopted child?
How can we discipline our children while still remaining connected and create attachment?
How can we help a child who has tantrums whenever he hears the word “no,” or is told he can’t do something?
How long should parents stay home (if possible) after adoption?
How can parents be proactive with children who have experienced abuse and neglect in order to help them and to improve behavior?
Parenting kids adopted from foster care and internationally can be hard on the marriage and especially when one of the parents is the one getting educated on the type of parenting these kids need and the other one has not “bought into” it yet. How to help both parents get on the same page.
How should parents handle criticism (implied or direct) about their parenting style when they are trying to follow the empower to connect style?
What are some practical tools for encouraging attachment?

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Adopting a Child from Another State Dec 18, 2020

How do you find and adopt a baby or child in another state and what is the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC)? We talk with Chantilly Wijayasinha, MSW and MPH and Interim Director of Adoptions and Foster Care at Vista Del Mar Child & Family Services; and Jim Thompson, adoption, foster care, and assisted reproduction attorney at the Thompson Dove Law Group, and a Fellow at Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys.

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Impact of COVID-19 on Surrogacy Dec 11, 2020

How is the COVID-19 pandemic impacting those people who are trying to create their family through surrogacy —both those seeking surrogates in the US and those going abroad. We talk with Dr. Barry Witt, the Medical Director of WINFertility and Greenwich Fertility.
In this episode, we cover:

How is surrogacy practiced in the US?
What is the distinction between gestational surrogate and a traditional surrogate?
Is it possible to go abroad to find a surrogate?
Why do people go abroad?
What are the most popular countries for people to go to for surrogacy? (including the US)
How has COVID-19 impacted intended parents seeking surrogates in the US?
How has COVID-19 impacted people seeking surrogates in another country, including those coming to the US?

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Legal Process of Domestic Adoption: What You Need to Know Before You Adopt Dec 04, 2020

Do you know how the legal process of adoption works? How do you get an original birth certificate? How do you get a social security number for your adopted child? We talk with Brinton Wright, an adoption attorney and Fellow in the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys about the legal and social implications of adoption.
In this episode, we cover:

Different types of adoption.
The difference between voluntary and involuntary termination of parental rights.
What is meant by a "legal risk" adoption.
What is meant by open adoption.

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Coping with the Stress of Infertility Nov 27, 2020

We talk about Coping with the Stress of Infertility with Dr. Tonya Wood, a clinical psychologist specializing in family planning, pregnancy loss and infertility. She is the Director of Clinical Training at Pepperdine University and is 2020 President of the California Psychological Association.
In this episode, we cover:

Why is infertility so stressful?
What are the losses women experience when they realize that either they or their partner is infertile?
What are the losses men experience when either they or their partner is infertile?
Why do some patients feel shame or guilt surrounding their infertility?
What is ambiguous loss and why is that type of loss more stressful?
How can infertility impact marriages and partnerships?
How do men and women deal with the stress of infertility in different ways?
What are healthy techniques to deal with the stress of infertility?
Importance of not postponing life while in infertility treatment.
Should patients share that they are infertile with others?
What are some of the cultural, racial, and religious differences in how people experience infertility stress? What are the differences in how they cope with the losses and grief of infertility?
Are there specific triggers or times of year that are more stressful for many people?
What can clinics and medical professionals do to help patients cope with the stress of infertility?
What aspects of the clinic experience or treatment experience contributes to the stress of infertility?
How to find a therapist that specializes in infertility?

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Talking with Your Adopted or Foster Child about the Hard Parts of Their Story Nov 20, 2020

Talking with your adopted or foster child about the hard parts of their story can feel like a daunting task. Should you tell your child that her birth father is in jail or that her birth mother is addicted to drugs, or that she was conceived by rape? If so, how in the world do you share this news. We talk with Lesli Johnson, an EMDR therapist who specializes in adoption and foster care and an adult adoptee; and Susan Myers, a licensed Master Social Worker with Adoptions from the Heart Adoption Agency with offices throughout the northeast.
In this episode, we cover:
1. Adopted and foster children often come to us with hard back stories: his birth parents are in jail, her birth mother used drugs or drank alcohol when she was pregnant, he was conceived via rape, siblings were kept by first family, it’s not known where siblings are, her first mother abused him, his birth father abused his mother, her first parents are addicted to drugs or alcohol, …

2. Should you tell your child these difficult parts of their history?

3. How should you tell your child these hard parts of their background?

4. How do you lay the groundwork with young children in order to fill in the details later?

5. By what age should you have shared all of your child’s story with him?

6. Give specific examples of how a conversation might go with a preschooler, and how would you fill in the gaps for a 6 year old, 10, 13 year old, etc.

a. Child abuse

b. Addiction

c. Parent in jail

7. Can you use a lifebook to talk about rape, imprisonment, drug and alcohol addiction?

8. What is a lifebook and what should be included in a lifebook?

9. How to use a lifebook when there is jail, rape, abuse, etc in the child’s story?

10. Specifically, how should parents tell their child that they were conceived during a rape?

11. Oversharing can happen with both parents and with children.

12. It’s tempting when your child is an infant to tell people private information. Why should foster and adoptive parents avoid this?

13. When might it be important to share some details of the child’s background?

14. How do you help your child understand how much of his story he should share with others outside the family?

15. How can adoptive parents help their children understand that they are more than the hard parts of their history and that they are not doomed to repeat their birth parents’ mistakes?

Additional Resources:

Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past

by Betsy Keefer and Jayne E. Schooler

Talking with Children about Difficult History

by Holly van Gulden

Lifebooks: Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child (2nd Edition September 21, 2011)

by Beth O'Malley M.Ed

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The Holidays with Adopted or Foster Kids Who’ve Been Exposed to Trauma Nov 13, 2020

Does it feel like your adopted or foster child is sabotaging the holidays? Are there more tantrums, sullenness, and anxiety during the holiday season? In this episode, we explore why holidays are difficult for kids who have been exposed to trauma and what to do about it. We talk with Rebeccca Robotham, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Beehive Counseling & Wellness in Connecticut. She is also an adoptee and former foster child.
In this episode, we cover:

There are many sources of trauma for children, and many adopted and foster children have experienced trauma before they come to our homes. Trauma can include neglect, prenatal exposure, abuse, domestic violence, and the actual act of being removed from your parents.
How can trauma impact children both physically and emotionally?
What is it about the holidays that makes it hard for kids with trauma? (change in routine, lots of people, bringing up memories, over-stimulation, change in diet, distracted parents, build up of anticipation, let down after the fact…)
What type of behaviors might you see? (more tantrums, dysregulation, “sabotaging” the holidays, sibling bickering, depression, sullenness, anxiety, …)
How can families do the holidays differently to help kids who have experienced trauma?
Trauma in adoption and foster care
Adoptive Parenting/Foster Parenting Tips

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Collaborative Parenting Nov 06, 2020

Is your child more challenging than most? Do typical parenting approaches not work? We talk about how to parent harder to parent kids with Dr. Ross Greene, the originator of the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions parenting model, a non-punitive, non-adversarial, trauma-informed model of care. Dr. Greene is a clinical psychologist, former Harvard professor, and the author The Explosive Child and Raising Human Beings.

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Disrupting Birth Order in Adoption and Foster Care Oct 30, 2020

Should you consider adopting or fostering a child that is older than a child already in your family. Are there things you can do to make it easier for all the children. We talk with Teresa Bernu, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Adoption Center of Illinois, and Mark Lacava, LCSW and Chief Clinical Officer at Spence Chapin Services to Family and Children an Adoption organization in NYC.

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Parenting Tweens and Teens Oct 23, 2020

Do you dread the teen years? Do you want to keep your kids little forever or go back to that sweet stage when they were still in footy pajamas? Listen to this fantastic interview with Dr. Ken Ginsburg to help you embrace the wonderful years between 11 and 20. Dr. Ginsburg is the Co-Founder and Director of Programs at the Center for Parent and Teen Communication and Professor of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is the author of 5 award-winning books including: Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings.

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7 Core Issues in Adoption and Foster Care Oct 16, 2020

We talk about the 7 core issues in adoption and foster care with Allison Davis Maxon, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and co-author of Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency: A Guide to Promoting Understanding and Healing in Adoption, Foster Care, Kinship Families and Third Party Reproduction.

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Evaluating Risk Factors in International Adoption Oct 09, 2020

Have you ever thought about international adoption. Are you terrified of having to decide what types of medical or emotional conditions you would accept. This is the show for you. We interview Dr. Judith Eckerle, Medical Director of the Adoption Medicine Clinic at the University of Minnesota to help demystify the common issues she sees in kids adopted from abroad. She is also an adult transracial international adoptee.

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Male Infertility 101 Oct 02, 2020

What are the causes and treatment for male infertility? What lifestyle factors impact fertility in men? We talk with Dr. Natan Bar Chama, Director of the Center of Male Reproductive Health at RMA of New York and a board-certified Urologist and Male Infertility Specialist; and Dr. Eleanor Stevenson, a Professor and Chair of Division of Women, Children and Families at the Duke University School of Nursing where she focuses her scholarship on improving the emotional and informational needs of men experiencing infertility. She is the co-founder of All about Fertility, a website providing resources on male infertility.

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Practical Tips for Disciplining While Maintaining Attachment Sep 25, 2020

In this episode we talk about practical tips for disciplining while maintaining attachment with Amanda Purvis, a Training Specialist at the Karyn Purvis Center for Child Development, a social worker, and a mom of five.

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Adoption Options: What Type of Adoption is Best For You Sep 18, 2020

The world of adoption can be confusing. How do you adopt, what type of adoption is best, what is the cost, and how long does it take. Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national adoption & foster care education and support nonprofit answers all of these questions and more.

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How to Afford Adoption Sep 11, 2020

What are some tried and true ways to afford adoption? We talk with Julie Gumm, author of “You Can Adopt Without Debt: Creative Ways to Cover the Cost of Adoption”. In this episode we cover ways to find “extra” money that you can put towards your adoption, ideas for increasing your savings, and reasons to be cautious about asking for donations to pay for adoption.

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Infertility Medications 101 Sep 04, 2020

Learn more about popular medications used to treat infertility. We talk with Dr Alex Quaas, an associate physician with Reproductive Partners San Diego and a clinical assistant professor at the University of California San Diego, about the basics of infertility medications.

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Understanding Expectant Moms Who are Considering Adoption Aug 28, 2020

Who are the expectant moms who place their baby for adoption? What factors influence their decision? We talk with Stephanie Rider, a birth mom who placed her daughter for adoption in 1997, and Chantilly Wijayasinha MSW, MPH, and the Supervisor of the Domestic Adoption Program at Vista Del Mar Child & Family Services.

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Preparing Children Already in the Home for an Adoption Aug 21, 2020

Adding a child to your family changes the dynamics for everyone, but most especially for the children who are already in the home. We talked with Gail Heaton, the biological mother to five children and an adoptive mother to twins. She is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner and Circle of Security Parenting facilitator. She founded Suddenly Siblings™ to help parents prepare their children already in the home when a family adopts or fosters. We also talked with Molly Heaton, an adult resident sibling, and a big sister for 15 years to Russian-born, orphanage-raised, twin adoptive brothers with special needs due to early trauma.

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Typical Behaviors of Children Adopted Internationally Aug 14, 2020

What are some behaviors that are typical of children adopted internationally? How can parents help their children overcome these behaviors. We talked with Leah Strom, a social worker who has worked in the Child Welfare community for nearly 20 years. She is the Director of Social Work for International and Domestic adoption at Children’s Home Society & LSS of Minnesota.

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Female Fertility 101 Aug 07, 2020

Everything you ever needed to know (but where afraid to ask) about female fertility. We talk with Dr. Julie Lamb, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at Pacific NW Fertility in Seattle who also serves as a clinical faculty at the University of Washington.

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Genetic Testing 101 Jul 31, 2020

What must you know about pre-implantation genetic testing when going through IVF and should you consider it? We talk with Rachael Cabey, a Licensed Certified Genetic Counselor and a lead laboratory genetic counselor for Cooper Genomics and Jenna Miller, a Licensed Certified Genetic Counselor and a clinical science liaison for Cooper Genomics. Jenna travels around the US educating clinicians about genomics and genomic testing.

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Evaluating Risk Factors in Domestic Infant Adoption Jul 24, 2020

What are the common risk factors when adopting a baby in the US and how can adoptive parents evaluate these risks when considering an adoption match. We talk with Dr. Dana Johnson, a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota where he co-founded the Adoption Medicine Program in 1986. Over the course of his career, he has reviewed the medical records of over 20,000 children and counseled potential adoptive parents on the likely medical needs of these adoptees. He is a dad by both birth and adoption.

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What is it Really Like to Raise a Child with FASD Jul 17, 2020

How does prenatal exposure to alcohol damage the brain of the developing fetus? What type of behaviors are typical from children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)? What parenting techniques are effective for helping a child with FASD reach their full potential? We talk with Suzanne Emery, a Nurse Practitioner and Program Director at FASCETS (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Consultation Education and Training Services). She is also a mom to a son with FASD.

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How to Prepare Transracial Adoptees for Transitioning to College Jul 10, 2020

How can parents help their transracially adopted child transition to college and why can this transition be hard for both teen and parents. We talk with Dr. Amanda Baden, a Professor in the Counselor Education Program at Montclair State University. She is an active researcher and currently leads their Adoption Research Team. She is also a transracial adoptee.

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The Connected Parent Jul 03, 2020

The next step in understanding Trust-Based Relational Intervention is the new book, The Connected Parent, by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Lisa Qualls, with great assistance from Emmelie Pickett. We interview Lisa and Emmelie for this episode.

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Adopting Siblings Jun 26, 2020

Adopting or fostering siblings presents advantages to both the children and parents, but also presents unique challenges that parents should be prepared for. We talk with Erin Q. Nasmyth, LCSW specializing in adoption, and Executive Director of Adoption Support Alliance.

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Adopting a Child with Down Syndrome Jun 19, 2020

Should you consider adopting a child with Down syndrome? What medical, behavioral, and emotional issues may accompany this genetic disorder. We talk with Dr. Emily Jean Davidson, Down Syndrome Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School.

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How to Raise an Anti-Racist Child Jun 12, 2020

How can white parents raise anti-racist children in this time of violence against people of color and protests. We talk with Dr. Ann Hazzard, a clinical child psychologist who was on the faculty at Emory University in Atlanta and co-author of Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice; and Dr. Joy Harris, a Full-time Lecturer at Princeton Theological Seminary and co-author of The ABCs of Diversity: Helping Kids (and Ourselves!) Embrace Our Differences.

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Home Insemination with Donor Sperm Jun 05, 2020

How does home insemination with donor sperm differ from intrauterine insemination? Who should consider this option and how do you do home insemination? We spoke with Corey Burke, the Executive Vice President of Cryos International Sperm & Egg Bank. He answered common questions and walked us through an overview of the process, including discussions about the benefits of home insemination, costs, and other factors to consider.

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Kinship Adoption May 29, 2020

Kinship parenting provides both joy and challenges. Grandparents and other relatives raising their grandkids, nieces, nephews and cousins face unique issues which we discuss with Robin Sizemore, the Director of Hopscotch Adoptions, which specializes in international kinship adoptions; and Jeanette Willis, the Executive Director of Advantage Adoptions - One Church One Child in Fort Worth, TX, which specializes in domestic kinship adoptions. She was also raised by her grandparents and is currently raising a grandchild.

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Adopting Tweens and Teens May 22, 2020

Adopting tweens and teens brings special joys and challenges. We talk with Bryan Post, a Child Behavior and Adoption expert and founder of the Post Institute. He is an adopted and former foster child.

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Impact of Covid-19 on Fertility Treatment and pregnancy May 15, 2020

What do we know about how Covid-19 affects infertility treatment and pregnancy. Are pregnant woman more at risk? What happens if the mom has Covid-19 while pregnant? We interview Dr. David Adamson, a reproductive endocrinologist and surgeon, Clinical Professor at Stanford University, and Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF. He is Past President of the ASRM, SART, AAGL, the Committee on Reproductive Medicine for FIGO and is Founder, of Advanced Reproductive Care (ARC Fertility).

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How to Do Connected Parenting While Quarantined May 08, 2020

How do we apply TBRI during this time of high stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic. We talk with Amanda Purvis, a training specialist with the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development about connected parenting during the shutdown.

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Using This Time of Shutdown to Develop Resiliency in Our Kids and Family May 01, 2020

How can we use this time of isolation to develop resiliency in our children, ourselves, and our family. We talk with Roxanne Thompson, a Licensed Professional Counselor with The Institute for Attachment and Child Development in Colorado. Her expertise is in trauma, abuse, attachment disorders and family systems. She currently serves on the boards of the Colorado State Foster Parent Association and the Colorado Coalition for Adoptive Families.

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How to Juggle Kids, Schooling & Work During Coronavirus Shutdown Apr 24, 2020

Most of us are trying to juggle so much during this coronavirus shutdown: homeschooling, work, cooking, and so much more. How can we do it all? We talk with Julie Beem, Executive Director of Attachment and Trauma Network, an author on trauma and attachment and frequent workshop presenter.

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Things To Think About Before You Begin Treatment Apr 17, 2020

If you are having trouble getting pregnant, what are some things you should consider before starting infertility treatment. We talk with Nancy Harrington, an infertility nurse for over 20 years and a senior specialist of clinical education at AllianceRx Walgreens Prime.

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Homeschooling Kids (on top of everything else) During Coronavirus Apr 10, 2020

Are going a little crazy trying to be your child's teacher, as well as parent during the Coronavirus shutdown. Check out this interview with Heather Forbes, a licensed clinical social worker, the author of the bestselling book Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control: A Love-Based Approach to Helping Attachment-Challenged Children With Severe Behaviors, the founder of the Beyond Consequences Institute, and author of numerous other books, including her newest release, Classroom180: Trauma-Informed Classrooms.

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Surviving Being Cooped Up with Your Kids During Coronavirus Isolation Apr 03, 2020

Are you stressed trying to figure out how you are supposed to do it all now that we are in self-isolation due to the Coronavirus? How do we deal with challenging behaviors and try to work, cook, teach, and generally survive. We talk with Carol Lozier, a licensed clinical social worker with over twenty-five years’ experience counseling children and families. She specializes in adoption and foster care issues, and is the author of the book The Adoptive & Foster Parent Guide.

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Panel of Young Adult Transracial Adoptees Mar 27, 2020

What is it like to be raised by parents of a different race. What can parents do to help their transracially adopted children. We talk with 4 young adults that were transracially adopted by white parents. Katie, adopted from China as an infant. Nathan, who is biracial (black/white), adopted as a newborn in a domestic open adoption. Angie, a black Haitian American, adopted domestically. Jack, adopted as an infant from Vietnam.

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Attachment 101 Mar 20, 2020

What do we mean by attachment and what can parents do to help their child attach. What can parents do if they are struggling with attaching to their child. We talk with Dr. Casey Call, the Assistant Director of Education at the Institute of Child Development at TCU. She is a researcher and trainer for Trust-Based Relational Intervention.

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What is Happening with International Adoptees and the Citizenship Crisis? Mar 13, 2020

What is happening with international adoptees not having US Citizenship. What is being done to help them. We talk with Joy Alessi, Director of the Adoptee Rights Campaign and three adult adoptees that found out once they were adults that they were not citizens.

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The Chinese Medicine Approach to Infertility and Intimacy Mar 06, 2020

How to use Chinese medicine to treat infertility? How to use it to support a Western medical approach to treating infertility (such as IVF and IUI). And how does infertility impact intimate relationships and what can Chinese medicine do to help maintain a healthy sex life during treatment. We talk with with Denise Wiesner, a Traditional Chinese Medicine specialist, and founder of the Natural Healing and Acupuncture Clinic and a professor in the doctoral program in Chinese Medicine, fertility, and women’s Health at Yo San University in LA. She is the author of the book , “Conceiving with Love: a Whole Body Approach to creating intimacy, reigniting passion, and increasing fertility.”

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Helping Children Heal From Sexual Abuse Feb 28, 2020

Parents are often afraid to foster or adopt a child who has experienced sexual abuse, but children can and do heal from this type of abuse. We talk about what parents can do to help the child heal with Dr. Jennifer Shaw a Clinical Psychologist with the Gill Institute for Trauma Recovery who specializes in the assessment and treatment of trauma in children, especially those who present with sexual behavior problems.

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What is it Like Being Raised in an Open Adoption? Feb 21, 2020

We speak with a panel of adult adoptees about the experience of being raised in an open adoption. What were the advantages? What were the challenges? All of our panel guests were adopted at birth. They grew up knowing they were adopted and all are in their 20s and 30s now.

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Common Special Needs in International Adoption Feb 14, 2020

What are the special needs common to international adoption. What special needs do we see from specific countries. We speak with Dr. Kimara Gustafson, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and a pediatrician at their Adoption Medicine Clinic. She also has her Masters in Public Health.

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Living with Infertility Feb 07, 2020

Living with infertility is hard physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially. We talk about this experience with Andrea Syrtash. She struggled with infertility for over 10 years and recently became a mom through surrogacy. She is a relationship expert and coach and TV personality and the founder of Pregnantish, an online lifestyle magazine dedicated to helping singles, couples and LGBT navigate infertility.

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Parenting Children Who Have Experienced Trauma Jan 31, 2020

How can we parent our children who have experienced trauma. How can we discipline them in a way that will help them learn and grow. We talk with Karen Doyle Buckwalter, a clinical social worker specializing in attachment and trauma, and author of Raising the Challenging Child: How to Minimize Meltdowns, Reduce Conflict, and Increase Cooperation.

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Raising Resilient Kids Jan 24, 2020

How can we raise children who are resilient and able to bounce back from the ups and downs of life and move forward with optimism and confidence? We talk with Dr. Ken Ginsburg, the Co-Founder and Director of Programs at the Center for Parent and Teen Communications, a Professor of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and The University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, and author or "Building Resilience in Children and Teens" and "Raising Kids to Thrive".

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Adoption Tax Credit 2019 Jan 17, 2020

If you have adopted within the last several years or even if you are in the process of adopting, you need to understand the Adoption Tax Credit for 2019. We talk with Becky Wilmoth, an Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist with Bills Tax Service in Illinois and Josh Kroll, Adoption Tax Credit specialist at the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC).

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What to Eat to Increase Your Odds of Success with IVF Jan 10, 2020

What foods and supplements help improve fertility for those trying to conceive naturally and for those undergoing fertility treatment. We talked with Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chavarro’s research is focused on understanding how nutrition and lifestyle impact human reproduction. He is the Principal Investigator of the Nurses’ Health Study 3 – an ongoing prospective cohort of young professional women started in 2010 designed to investigate the role of lifestyle and biologic factors on women’s health – and leads the nutritional component of the EARTH Study, an ongoing prospective cohort of couples undergoing infertility treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

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Raising a Child with ADHD to a Successful & Healthy Adulthood Jan 03, 2020

How can we raise our kids with ADHD to become mentally healthy and successful adults. We talk with Dr. Edward (Ned) Hallowell, is a board-certified child and adult psychiatrist, a NY Times bestselling author, and a leading authority in the field of ADHD. He authored the groundbreaking book on ADHD, Driven to Distraction, and has written several other books on ADHD, including a newly released e-book co-authored with Lisa Schuman titled: ADHD and Adoption. He was a Harvard Medical School faculty member for 21 year, and is the Founder of The Hallowell Centers.

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The Importance of Egg & Sperm Quality in Getting Pregnant & What You Can Do About It Dec 27, 2019

What diet and supplements are best for supporting good quality eggs and sperm? What environmental toxins should we avoid? We talk with Rebecca Fett who has a degree in molecular biology and biochemistry and is the author of the bestselling fertility book, "It Starts with the Egg".

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Helping Internationally Adopted Children Develop a Healthy Cultural & Racial Identity Dec 20, 2019

How can adoptive parents help their internationally adopted children develop a healthy cultural, racial, and ethnic identity? We talked with Dr. Hollee McGinnis, an assistant professor in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work who focuses on mental health and identity for international adopted people. She is also an intercountry adoptee from South Korea.

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Should You Use Fresh or Frozen Donor Eggs Dec 12, 2019

Should you use fresh or frozen eggs when doing a donor egg cycle for IVF? Which provides you with the most choices and the greatest chance of success. We talk with Corey Burke, an andrologist and embryologist, with over 20 years experience. He is the Tissue Bank Director for Cryos USA – International Sperm and Egg Bank.

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Basic Baby Care for Newly Adopted Babies Dec 06, 2019

What new adoptive parents need to know about eating, sleeping, and pooping with a newborn. We talk with Dr. Scott Cohen, pediatrician with Beverly Hill Pediatrics and author of Eat, Sleep, Poop: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year.

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Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally Nov 29, 2019

What are the health, emotional, and developmental issues common to children adopted from abroad. What should parents and professionals consider before adopting internationally. Our guest expert is Dr. Dana Johnson, Professor of Pediatrics and one of the founders of the Adoption Medicine Clinic at the University of Minnesota. He is the parent of two birth daughters and an adopted son from India.

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Introduction to Prenatal Exposure for Those Considering Adoption Nov 22, 2019

Should you adopt a child who has been exposed prenatally to alcohol or drugs? What are the short and long term impact of drinking during pregnancy or use of methamphetamines, opioids, Methadone, Suboxone, marijuana, and tobacco (cigarettes or vaping)? We talk with Dr. Julia Bledsoe, a board certified pediatrician specializing in adoption and prenatal exposure. She is a professor at the Univ. of Washington in General Pediatrics, and also the faculty pediatrician at the UW FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome) Clinic, the longest standing FAS center in the US. She is also an adoptive parent.

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What You Need to Know About Open Adoption Nov 15, 2019

What do you need to understand about openness in adoption when you are first considering adopting. What is it and what is it not. We talk with Lori Holden, author of The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, blogger, and adoptive mom.

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A Panel of Birth Moms Talk about Adoption Nov 08, 2019

What is the adoption experience for birth mothers and what do they think of some of the controversies in adoption, such as pre-birth matching, adoptive parents at the hospital, adoptive mother breastfeeding, etc. Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national adoption & foster care education and support nonprofit talks with a panel of birth moms about their adoption experience.

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Transitioning from Foster Care to Adoption Nov 01, 2019

Parents may assume that the transition from foster care to adoption will be smooth and welcome, but that is not always the case. What should parents expect and how can they help their child with this transition? Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national adoption & foster care education and support nonprofit talks with Jayne Schooler, author of numerous books related to adoption including; Wounded Children, Healing Homes: How Traumatized Children Impact Adoptive and Foster Families. Jayne has been involved in the training and education of adoption and foster care professionals and families for over twenty years.

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Coming to Terms with Infertility Grief Before You Adopt Oct 25, 2019

Many people decide to adopt after they have been unsuccessful with infertility treatment. Infertility involves many losses and grief is a natural and common feeling, but it is important to come to terms with this grief before you adopt. We talk with Carole Lieber Wilkins, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in adoption, infertility, and third party reproduction. She is also a mom through adoption and egg donation.

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Should You Consider Adopting a Child of a Different Race or Ethnicity Oct 18, 2019

Are you the right family to consider transracial adoption? How do you know if you could successfully raise a child of a different race? We talk with Dr. Gina Samuels, a Professor at University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, affiliated with the Center of Race, Politics, and Culture, and a long time researcher on transracial adoption, and an adult transracial adoptee. <