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

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Kids & Family
**Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship 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).

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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.)

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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:

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

Transracial Adoptees Teach Us About Adoption Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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.

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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

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

Raising an Anti-Racist Child Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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 in the United States.
The Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi.
Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide

Support the show

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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:

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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?

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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

Support the show

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

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

Show notes

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

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.

Support the show

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

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

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected