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

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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
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. 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

Connecting with Teens Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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!

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

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

Additional Resources:

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

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

Adopting From Foster Care Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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.

Support the show

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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:

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

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

Understanding Adoption: Voices From All Sides Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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

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

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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

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

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

Sticky Situations That Arise During the Holidays Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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.

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

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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:

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

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

Triplets Separated at Birth Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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?