Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care

Latest Episodes:

Travel Restrictions When Fostering - Weekend Wisdom Sep 06, 2025

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Question: Are there travel restrictions when you are fostering? For example, my family lives out of state, but can I bring the child with me when I travel to visit family?

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Please leave us a rating or review. 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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Adopting Older Kids Sep 03, 2025

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Are you considering adopting a child over the age of 5? Listen to this interview with Sarah Hansen and Simi Riesner. Sarah is the Director of International Advocacy at the Gladney Center for Adoption, with over 20 years of experience supporting adoptive families and children. She is also an adoptive parent to an older child from Thailand. Simi is the Executive Director of Mazi Adoption and Family Services, as well as a licensed social worker and foster parent. Simi also has lived experience as an adult adoptee, and is passionate about maintaining sibling relationships and promoting transparency within the adoption community.

In this episode, we discuss:

What are the age ranges you see being the most difficult to find adoptive homes for?
Generally the greatest need in both international and foster care adoption is kids 5+
Why are many prospective parents are almost afraid of adopting a tween or teen.
What are the common challenging behaviors parents may face when adopting an older child: (keeping in mind that not all older children will struggle with these behaviors!)
- Lying, stealing
- Lagging social skills
- Acting out physically or sexually
- Sibling rivalry
- Regression of already developed skills (potty training, sleep, communication etc)
What behaviors might parents expect to see in the children already living in the home that are likely impacted by the behaviors of a newly adopted sibling? Or influenced by the new sibling?
Why do older children behave in some of these challenging ways? What’s driving them?
- Grief, loss
- Trauma, abuse, neglect
- Prenatal exposure to drugs/alcohol
- Fear, unpredictability, Fight/flight/freeze response
- Constant hypervigilance
- Coping or survival skills
- Mental health challenges
- Undiagnosed learning challenges
What are a few specific strategies to build trust and felt-safety for a newly adopted older child?
What suggestions do you offer families who are adopting tweens and teens – especially when those young people have had very few limits or boundaries around them prior to adoption?
What are the signs that maybe an older child is not attaching securely or catching on to the idea that they are now part of this family?
Practical tips to implement today when considering Older Child Adoption

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Fostering or Adopting as a Single Man - Weekend Wisdom Aug 30, 2025

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Questions: I am a 58 single man and I am considering fostering.

My first question is how much of a bias is there against men?
What are the unique challenges that single foster dads face that discourage so many?
What can we do to get more single foster dads to help families reunify, foster, and possibly adopt?

Resources:

Creating a Support Network as a Single Adoptive, Foster, or Kinship Parent (Article)
Adopting as a Single Parent (Online Parent Training course)
Resources for Adopting or Fostering as a Single Parent

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How Do We Handle Weed and Vaping While Raising Adopted, Foster, and Relative Kids? Aug 27, 2025

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Are you educated and informed on the issues around weed and vaping, including THC, nicotine, and the signs of addiction? Listen to this interview with Dr. Krishna White. She is an attending physician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, with board certifications in Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine, and Addiction Medicine.

In this episode, we discuss:

Can you explain why kids who’ve experienced trauma, prenatal substance exposure, or who are neurodivergent may be at greater risk for turning to substances like marijuana or vaping?
How are kids typically using marijuana today? (edibles, vaping THC, traditional smoking, oils)
Are kids generally aware of what they’re consuming, especially when it comes to the potency of today’s marijuana?
What are some of the short-term effects of marijuana use in adolescents?
What long-term impacts are you seeing in your clinical practice, especially for kids whose brains are still developing?
Now let’s move to vaping – what it is, why it’s so popular, and what we need to know about how kids are using it.
Can you break down what vaping is and what substances kids may be inhaling?
Why is vaping so appealing to tweens and teens, even those who’ve never used another substance?
What are some of the immediate health concerns tied to vaping in young people?
And long-term—what are you most worried about when it comes to kids who are vaping regularly?
What strategies can adoptive, foster, or kinship caregivers use to help buffer or “substance-proof” their kids?
How early should conversations about marijuana and vaping begin?
For kids who already have a higher vulnerability, what are some protective factors or environments that help reduce their risk?
What are some signs that a child might be using marijuana or vaping—even if they’re trying to hide it?
If a child has already started using, how can caregivers respond in a way that’s both firm and supportive?
When does occasional experimentation cross the line into something that needs professional help?
What are nicotine pouches – why are they appealing and what are the short or long term impacts we should know about?
What would you say to a caregiver who’s feeling overwhelmed or ashamed that this is part of their child’s story?
If you could offer just one piece of advice to a caregiver trying to navigate this with their teen, what would it be?

Resources:

Prenatal Exposure, Part 2: Parenting Tweens and Teens
Are Kids Exposed Prenatally More Likely to Abuse Alcohol & Drugs?
Preventing Teen Substance Abuse - Center for Parent and Teen Communication

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How to Connect with an Expectant Parent During Pregnancy - Weekend Wisdom Aug 23, 2025

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Question: I have listened to hundreds of adoption-related podcast episodes, but very few of them have talked about talking directly with a potential birth mother. We were matched with an expectant mother who wanted to be able to communicate with us directly. We agreed, believing that it would help us form a better relationship. However, we were mentally unprepared for the wavering she expressed to us. Despite being so certain when we first met with her, as the pregnancy went on, she then had thoughts of parenting. The match ended with disruption, but I would love to hear a podcast about how to handle oneself in that situation. An episode of another podcast talked about how to handle that situation at the hospital during birth, but I felt something dedicated to communication throughout the pregnancy would be helpful. Thanks for such a helpful podcast!

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Understanding the Hague Treaty on Intercountry Adoption Aug 20, 2025

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Are you considering adopting internationally? You need to listen to this interview about the laws and processes that you will be required to follow. We'll be talking with Kelly Dempsey, a partner with Fox Rothschild, who specializes in adoption and assisted reproduction. She is a fellow in the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys and an adoptive parent through both international and domestic adoptions.

In this episode, we discuss:

Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption
1. Purpose
  1. Key Elements of the Hague Treaty:
    1. Central Authority
    2. Determining the child’s eligibility for intercountry adoption
    3. Accredited or Approved Adoption Agencies
    4. Transparency
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)
1. INA 101(b)(1)(F) I-600 “Orphan Route”
  1. Child must qualify as an orphan under US definition
  2. Only one parent – incapable of providing support
  3. Deadlines: I600A before child’s 16th birthday -- only have 180 days to file the I-600, after USCIS approves the I-600
2. INA 101(b)(1)(G) I-800 “Convention Route”
  1. Work with CA Art 12, Art 16
  2. Eligibility decided by CA COO, but if consulate does an I-604 investigation that disqualifies child, then case will be denied
  3. Deadlines: Must file I-800A before age 16 and within 180 days of the approval of the I-800A, must file the I-800 (even w/o Art 16)
  4. Children adopted from other countries must first obtain a U.S. visa before they can travel or move to the United States. Visas are issued at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the foreign country where a child resides. Since a child being adopted abroad by a U.S. citizen parent(s) will usually be brought to live in the United States, that child will need an immigrant visa.
International Accreditation Act
Process When Adopting from a Hague Country.
Process When Adopting from a Non-Hague countries.
1. Must qualify as orphans as defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) before they can be considered for U.S. permanent residence or citizenship.
2. Get more information at the State Department - Adoption Process/Non-Hague Visa Process.
More information on the Hague Convention and other applicable Federal regulations
1. US State Department - International Adoption
2. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
US Department of State has a section on their website on “Understanding the Hague Convention”
US Department of State has a section on their website on “Immigrant Visa Process”

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When Your Extended Family Isn't Into Your Adoption Education Journey - Weekend Wisdom Aug 16, 2025

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Question: Hi, my husband, biological daughter and I are in the process of infant adoption. We have passed our home study and have made our profile book. We are at the point where we are viewing expectant moms' profiles. My husband‘s family is very excited and ready for this new chapter in our lives, but my family, however, seems unsure. It’s been hard to communicate with my parents about adoption, and it seems like when they are ready to talk about adoption it’s when I am not in the room and they are alone with my husband. I have sent them a book called “In On It: What Adoptive Parents Want You to Know About Adoption,” but they don’t seem to want to read the book or communicate with me about it. So my question is, should I continue to foster conversations around adoption while we wait to be matched, or since it seems kind of triggering or taboo for them, should I back away and just focus on my immediate family and our journey together? My intent was to offer them support with all of the learning and education that I have gone through during this pre-adoption process, but I’m wondering if I should let them move at their own speed regarding this adoption.

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Helping Our Kids Cope with Bullies at School Aug 13, 2025

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Most children will experience bullying at some point. What can parents do to help protect their children and to help their children cope if they are bullied? Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility & adoption education and support nonprofit, interviews Brooke Randolph, LMHC, a child and family therapist and author of The Bully Book: A Workbook for Kids Coping with Bullies; and Debora Gish, LCSW, with Adoption Connection with 20 experience working with kids and families.

In this episode, we discuss:

What is bullying?
Distinction between bullying and typical childhood cliquish behavior or “mean girl” behavior or kidding around behavior of middle school boys.
How to help kids not be over-sensitive to teasing or taunting. For example, a first grader having a hard time distinguishing between name-calling meant to bully and the kind of taunts that are part and parcel with schoolyard games like tag (e.g., he went to the teacher over “na na na na na na, you can’t get me”).
What children are at greater risk for bullying?
Why do children bully?
Cyberbullying
Bullying on the school bus.
How effective are the classic things we tell kids about how to handle bullies?
Effective tips for helping kids handle bullying.

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Tips for Welcoming Home Your Newborn - Weekend Wisdom Aug 09, 2025

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We frequently hear from waiting parents that they are unsure when to prepare the nursery, what formula is best, or how often they should expect to feed their new baby. It's a huge life transition, and we thought today we could talk about some basic baby care tips to help you think about what's next for you and your family when you get the baby home.

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Smart But Scattered Aug 06, 2025

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Does your child struggle to get or stay organized? Is homework a battle you dread every day? Prepare yourself to support your children for the Back to School season with this interview with Dr. Richard Guare. He's a neuropsychologist and board-certified behavior analyst focused on autism, learning, attention, and behavior disorders, and acquired brain injuries. He is the co-author of Smart But Scattered: The Revolutionary Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential.

In this episode, we discuss:

Define executive skills in a way that makes sense to a parent or caregiver who is unfamiliar with the term.
Why are these executive skills essential for school success and independence?
How does early childhood trauma, neglect, or prenatal substance exposure delay or disrupt a child’s executive skill development?
What kinds of executive skill delays are common in children who’ve experienced foster care, adoption, or early adversity?
How might a parent or caregiver begin to see a child’s delays in executive skill deficits in school?
Define the strengths-based approach to teaching executive skills.
How can we structure our homes and daily routines to best support what our kids will face during the school day?
- And practical strategies for supporting your student after school?
What language can parents and caregivers use with our kids, and with teachers and support staff, to frame a child’s behavior in terms of execution skills vs. defiance or distraction?
Why is it important for parents and caregivers to understand their own executive skills strengths and struggles?
Top “takeaways” you want to encourage and support parents and caregivers to consider.

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