How can parents protect kids from sexual exploitation without teaching them to fear the world around them? For adoptive, foster, and kinship families, this question can feel especially important when raising children who have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, disrupted attachment, or other challenges that may affect trust, boundaries, and their need for connection. In this episode, child safety advocate and author CJ Scarlet, also known as The Badass Grandma, joins us to discuss how parents and caregivers can help kids recognize grooming and unsafe situations, trust their instincts, set healthy boundaries, identify trusted adults, and build the confidence and practical safety skills they need. We also explore how parents can become the safe, responsive adults their children will turn to when something goes wrong—without placing the responsibility for preventing sexual exploitation on the child.

Resources:

• thebadassgrandma.com
• heroickids.app
• Protecting Our Kids from Sexual Exploitation 
• Understanding How Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) Help Kids Thrive 

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

Are you considering whether your family is ready to foster or adopt a sibling group? Keeping siblings together can preserve important family relationships, shared history, and connection, but parenting multiple children who have experienced trauma also requires careful preparation. 

In this Weekend Wisdom episode, we explore the questions prospective foster and adoptive parents should ask before saying yes, including each child’s individual needs, sibling dynamics, trauma history, your family’s time and emotional capacity, the needs of children already in your home, and the support systems you will need for a successful placement.

Resources:

• Practical Tips for Fostering a Sibling Group
• Combining Kids by Birth and Adoption
• Adopting Siblings

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

If you want to adopt a relative from another country, the process involves much more than simply proving your family connection. International relative adoption—sometimes called international kinship adoption—must meet U.S. immigration requirements as well as the adoption laws of the child’s country. 

In this episode, we talk with Debbie Price, BSW, Executive Director of Children’s House International, and Kathy Holliday, International Specialist, also of Children’s House International. They explain who may qualify, USCIS and Hague requirements, age limits, realistic timelines, and why families should work with a Hague-accredited adoption agency from the beginning. We also explore how to prepare your family for the child’s transition, including grief and trauma, attachment, changing family roles, cultural identity, school adjustment, and the importance of patience and support after adoption.

Resources: 

• International Adoption Resource Page
• Kinship Adoption Resource Page
• Raising a Child Through Transracial Adoption Resource Page

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

Question: I recently received an autism diagnosis in my mid-30s. I have relatively low support needs and am working with my therapist to identify the best ways to manage my energy. I think I could still be a good foster parent, but will it be an issue for an agency?

Resources:

• Adult Autism Diagnosis Tool Kit – from Autism Speaks
• Autistic Self Advocacy Network
• So You Want to Be a Foster Parent

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

What does healthy openness in adoption really look like—and how can adoptive parents maintain meaningful birth family connections over time? In this episode, we talk with adoptive mom Annie Iverson about practical strategies for open adoption, including staying consistent when life gets busy, setting healthy boundaries, keeping your child’s needs at the center, and adjusting openness as children grow. We also explore how connection with birth family can support an adoptee’s identity and sense of belonging, plus ways parents can honor a child’s birth family and story even when direct contact is limited or inconsistent. 

Resources:

• Cards That Connect - use discount code Family20
• Open Adoption: Perspectives from the Triad
• #1 Secret for Navigating Open Adoption
• How to Handle Open Adoption Even When the Birth Parent Chooses to Close It

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

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:

• Helping Children Heal from Trauma
• Practical Guide to Parenting a Child Exposed to Trauma
• The Explosive Child by Ross Greene

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

Children in foster care can experience far more than a change in placement. They may lose caregivers, siblings, schools, routines, communities, caseworkers, therapists, and other trusted relationships—sometimes again and again. What does that repeated instability mean for a child’s behavior, sense of safety, and ability to trust?

In this episode, we talk with Rita Soronen, President and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, about the impact of foster care instability and what caregivers and child welfare professionals can do to create greater stability and connection. 

We explore why challenging behavior can be a form of communication, how foster and adoptive parents can build safety through predictable routines and promises kept, why children’s voices must be included in permanency decisions, and how child-focused recruitment can help children find lasting families. The conversation also explores the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids model and why understanding a child’s relationships, history, culture, and needs can lead to stronger permanency outcomes.

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

Bedtime can be especially challenging for children who have experienced trauma, loss, or disrupted attachment—and even harder when parents disagree about how to respond. In this episode of Weekend Wisdom from Creating a Family, we share practical ways to approach bedtime as a team, divide the parenting load more fairly, support your child’s need for connection and regulation, and protect your relationship from exhaustion and resentment.

Resources:

• When Parenting Feels Uneven: Helping Your Partner Step In
• Sleep Issues in Adopted, Foster, and Kinship Children
• Focus on Father Involvement and Co-parenting: Why It Matters

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

How can play help children heal, regulate big emotions, and strengthen attachment? We talk with Georgie Wisen-Vincent about ways that adoptive, foster, and kinship caregivers can use playfulness to build connection, support emotional growth, and help children impacted by trauma thrive. She is a nationally recognized play therapy expert, co-author of the new book , The Way of Play, and the Founder/Director of The PlayStrong Institute.

In this episode, we explore why play is essential to children's emotional development, how trauma, loss, neglect, and disrupted attachment can affect a child's ability to play, and what caregivers can learn from the stories and behaviors that show up during play. Georgie also shares practical ways to use playful connection to build trust, respond to big feelings, and strengthen attachment—even when a child resists play or a caregiver doesn't naturally consider themselves playful.

Resources:

• The PlayStrong Institute
• The Way of Play: Using Little Moments of Big Connection to Raise Calm and Confident Kids 
• How Do I Handle All These Big Feelings & Big Behaviors?
• The IDEAL Response: How to Maintain Connection When Correcting Your Child

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

Question: I've been looking into a lot of resources and communities for foster parents, and it seems like many of them, especially in my area, approach fostering from a Christian perspective. I was raised Christian but am no longer comfortable in Christian spaces. How do I find community? 

Resources:

1. Laura the Foster Parent Partner 
2. Annie E. Casey Foundation
3. AdoptUSKids
4. Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

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

What are trauma-responsive practices, and how can they impact your child’s behavior, emotional well-being, and success in school? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs, founder of STL234 Outreaches and a frequent speaker on reviving resilience in children, drawing from her professional research and her personal journey as an adoptive parent.

Learn practical trauma-responsive practices for building connection during calm moments, responding to meltdowns, balancing empathy with healthy boundaries, and partnering with your child’s school. This conversation offers encouragement and actionable strategies for adoptive, foster, and kinship parents who want to strengthen resilience and help their children feel safe, supported, and ready to thrive.

RESOURCES: 

• Moving Beyond Adverse Childhood Experiences: ACES and PACES
• Wholehearted.org
• PACEs Connection
• Fostering Resilience in a World of Adversity

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

Question: Our adopted son is almost 4 months old and perfectly healthy. He eats well, sleeps well, and seems to be hitting his milestones just fine. We know that he was exposed to cocaine during pregnancy, but he was born only three weeks early, which is still full-term. He had a healthy birth weight, he was not suffering from withdrawal in the hospital, and he has checked out as perfectly healthy at all of his pediatrician visits so far. My question is, does the lack of negative effects of cocaine in these early months of his life give us any indication of whether or not he will have learning difficulties or development issues due to the cocaine when he reaches school age? I am curious whether there is any research showing that a lack of symptoms at a young age following prenatal exposure indicates fewer symptoms at an older age. 

Resources:

• FASD United
• Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Exposures
• Raising a Child with Prenatal Substance Exposure
• Prenatal Substance Exposure Training for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Parents

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

Are you parenting teens, or will you be in a few years? Don’t miss this 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 discuss:

• 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 

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

Question:  I feel terrible even saying this, but I am counting down the days until school starts. My kids have trauma histories, ADHD, and prenatal exposure, and summer has been rough. The lack of routine seems to make everything harder—sleep, behavior, arguing, screen time, all of it. We started summer with big plans, but now everyone is cranky, including me. How do we make it through the rest of summer without completely falling apart?

Resources: 

• Embracing Summer: Supporting Children Through Seasonal Transitions
• Empowered to Connect: Summer Survival Resources
• Surviving Summer with Kids Impacted by Trauma
• 5 Tips for Surviving Summer with Kids Impacted by Trauma
• Keeping Your Older Grandkids Busy During the Summer

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

When we think about attachment in adoption and foster care, we usually focus on the child. But parents bring their own attachment histories and life experiences into the relationship as well. Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker explores how a parent's past can shape their parenting, influence reactions to challenging behaviors, and impact family connection and healing. Dr. Wirta-Leiker is a licensed psychologist, transnational and transracial adoptee, adoptive parent, creator of the National Adoptee-Therapist Directory, and author of the Adoptees Like Me children’s book series.

In this episode, we discuss:

• When we talk about trauma and attachment in adoption and foster care, most of the focus tends to be on the child. Why is it equally important to explore the parents' history?
• What do parents sometimes miss about the role their own experiences play in parenting?
• Why can it feel uncomfortable or even threatening for parents to turn the lens inward rather than focusing exclusively on the child?
• Can you give us a working definition of what you mean by "attachment" so we are all on the same page?
• How does that relationship from our childhood influence our parenting style now? 
• The 4 major adult attachment styles, and what do they look or feel like in our parent-child relationship:

1. Secure
2. Anxious/Preoccupied
3. Avoidant/Dismissive
4. Disorganized/Unresolved

• Many parents hear descriptions of attachment styles and immediately start self-diagnosing. Why is that unwise or unhelpful? And what do you want parents to understand about using these concepts as tools for growth rather than labels?
• How do unresolved childhood experiences or trauma shape our parenting responses?
• Our kids with their histories of trauma, attachment disruptions, grief, losses, and trauma often bring those into our relationships. When these histories intersect with our unresolved experiences, both parent and child can feel triggered.
• What are some common ways our history of trauma may get activated—or "triggered"—by our adopted or foster children?
• How can we talk to ourselves when we feel that activation happening? Scripts we can use or messaging we can rehearse?
• Are there certain child behaviors that tend to be especially activating for parents with unresolved attachment or trauma wounds? 
• What is happening neurologically and emotionally when a parent feels disproportionately angry, hurt, rejected, or powerless in response to a child's behavior?
• Why do you think parenting in adoption and foster care is uniquely effective at exposing unresolved issues that a parent may not have known were there?
• How do our parental expectations—about bonding, gratitude, trust, or family life—sometimes become obstacles to connection?
• What are some signs we notice when we are responding from our own history rather than from what the child actually needs in the moment?
  • What signs can we notice in our kids to help us see that we may be responding from our own histories?
• What does healthy self-awareness look like for adoptive and foster parents?
• When parents recognize their own triggers, what practical steps can they take in the moment?
• How can parents begin exploring their own attachment history safely and productively?
• Is it possible to move toward a more secure attachment style as an adult? If so, how does that happen?
• What's one question parents should ask themselves when they find themselves repeatedly stuck in conflict with their child?
• Where would you encourage parents to begin if today's conversation has raised some difficult but important self-reflection?

Resources:

• Grow Beyond Words
• Understanding Attachment Between Parent and Child
• Adoptee and Foster Alum Voices resource page
• Therapy Resources for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Families

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

Question: What advice do you have for fostering/adopting children with autism, particularly those with limited communication skills? How can we best support them in expressing big feelings and feeling safe to do so? What can we do to help them feel they have some control and feel heard when they can't always communicate what they want and have a harder time understanding what's going on?

Resources:

• Setting Up Your Child with Autism for Success
• Helping Autistic Kids Shine
• What Is Pathological Demand Avoidance and How Do I Parent This Child?
• Helping Your Child with Autism Thrive
• Parent Support Toolkit (Autism Foundation)

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

How can storytelling help kids heal? In this episode, we talk to Dr. Sharon Zaffarese-Dippold to explore how story helps children make sense of their experiences, build resilience, and move toward thriving, including simple, everyday ways to begin using it at home. She is a psychotherapist with 27 years of experience in counseling and author of the "Garbage Bag Life" series, which emphasizes her journey through foster care.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Can you tell us a little about your own journey and why helping children make sense of their stories became such an important part of your life?
• What did you wish the adults around you had understood about what you were carrying as a child?
• Why are stories such powerful tools for helping children heal?
• What is it about a story that often feels safer than direct conversations, especially for children who have experienced trauma, loss, foster care, adoption, or family disruption?
• What happens when children don't have a coherent story about their lives?
• What are some of the questions they may silently wrestle with?
• Many parents and caregivers are afraid of saying the wrong thing around a child’s story. What do you suggest?
• What does it mean when a child moves from "What's wrong with me?" to "What happened to me?"
• What are some simple ways parents and caregivers can build storytelling into everyday family life?
• Stories can be used for more than understanding a child’s history in adoption, foster care, and relative care. They can also help children recognize their strengths, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
• How can parents and caregivers use storytelling to build family identity?

Resources:

• How to Talk with Our Kids About the Difficult Parts of Their Stories
• How to Make and Use an Adoption Lifebook
• Building the Framework for Adopted & Foster Children to Process the Hard Parts of Their Stories
• The Healing Power of Storytelling
• Suggested Books for Kids:  Adoption, Foster Care, and Kinship Care

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

Question: My partner and I parent really differently, especially with our adopted child. I’m more focused on connection and understanding behavior, and my partner is much more strict and consequences-focused. We keep arguing about discipline and routines, and honestly, it’s starting to hurt our relationship too. How do we stop fighting about parenting and work better together?

Resources:

• Prioritizing Your Marriage in Adoption, Foster Care, or Kinship Care
• When Your Child's Trauma Impacts Your Marriage
• Self-Care Isn't Selfish

Related Podcasts:

• Strategies for Maintaining a Healthy Marriage or Partnership While Raising Adopted, Foster, or Relative Children
• When Parenting Feels Uneven: Helping Your Partner Step In

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

Navigating special education can feel overwhelming—but you don’t have to do it alone. In this episode, we’re joined by Paula J. Yost, a licensed clinical mental health therapist, special education advocate, lawyer, educator, and author who breaks down IEPs, 504 plans, evaluations, and how to effectively advocate for your child.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What led you to focus on helping families navigate the special education system?
• For parents and caregivers who may be feeling overwhelmed, confused, or even intimidated by this process, what would you want them to know right at the beginning?
• Is there a preferred or more respectful language we should be using—special education, exceptional children education, or something else?
• What are the key laws that govern special education in the United States?
  • FAPE
  • IDEA
• What are some of the most common acronyms parents & caregivers will encounter, and what do they mean?
  • IEPs
  • 504 plans
  • LRE
  • SDI
  • OHI
• What are some early signs that a child might need additional support or an educational assessment?
• How does trauma impact a child’s ability to learn and show up in the classroom?
• What are the first steps a parent or caregiver should take if they believe their child needs to be evaluated?
• What is involved in an educational assessment, and what should families expect from that process?
• Once a child is evaluated, how do families understand the results and translate them into meaningful support?
• Can you explain the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan in terms of the support and accommodations they include?
• What kinds of accommodations or supports should parents and caregivers be aware of that they can request in an IEP or 504 plan?
• What are some common mistakes or misconceptions parents have when entering this process?
• What rights do foster or kinship parents have when it comes to requesting evaluations and services?
• Are foster or kinship parents allowed to attend IEP or 504 meetings, and what role can they play in those discussions?
• How can foster or kinship parents support a child with learning differences or disabilities at home, to reinforce what is being done at school?
• What should parents do if they feel the school isn’t providing adequate support or following through on a plan?
• For families just beginning this journey, what are a few practical first steps they can take this week to start advocating for their child?
• What message of encouragement or reassurance would you like to leave with parents and caregivers who are walking this path?

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

Question: My child is in upper elementary school, and we’ve been together for a while, but they still keep me at arm’s length. What are some concrete things I can do now to help build a more secure attachment?

Resources:

• Establishing Secure Attachment with Your New Foster or Adopted Tween or Teen
• Understanding and Improving Parent-Child Attachment
• The Power of Curiosity: Helping Kids Feel Safe to Grow
• Understanding How Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) Help Kids Thrive

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

What should you consider when preparing to become a host family to a child who is eligible for international adoption? We talk with Misty Lucas, an International Program Director at Gladney Center for Adoption. 

In this episode, we talk about:

• For listeners new to this topic, what is a child hosting program, and what are the goals of hosting today? 
• How have hosting programs changed in recent years, especially around ethics and child welfare practices? 
• What types of children most commonly participate in hosting programs (ages, sibling groups, common needs, etc.)? 
• Are children typically already eligible for adoption before participating?
• What does it look like to be a host family?
• What types of families tend to thrive in hosting programs
• What does it mean to advocate for a child during hosting?
• What signs may suggest a family is not ready?
• What kind of screening, training, and preparation do host families typically complete?
• How much information do families usually receive about a child beforehand?
• How should families prepare the children already living in their home?
• Are there special considerations for families whose children already have trauma histories or who were adopted themselves?
• Why is it so important for host families to understand trauma before hosting?
• How does trauma commonly show up during hosting, especially in a short-term environment?
• What behaviors or emotional responses should families realistically expect?
• What are common mistakes well-intentioned host families make?
• Hosting programs can raise strong criticisms and concerns. What are the most common criticisms or misunderstandings about hosting?
• How do ethical programs work to reduce a child’s feelings of being “chosen” or evaluated?
• How are children prepared emotionally before they travel?
• How do programs and host families work to avoid creating false hope for children?
• What does a typical hosting session look like? How long, what to do, etc.
• What activities and support should host families expect during hosting?
• What financial realities should families understand before committing?
• Can families host even if they are unsure about adoption?
• If a family decides they want to pursue adoption, what typically happens next?
  • What does that process and timeline often look like?
• What is emotionally difficult for families after a child returns home while adoption decisions are pending?
• Are the children made aware of a potential adoption plan once hosting is over? 
• What does a successful hosting experience look like from the child’s perspective?
• What’s one thing you hope every prospective host family understands before beginning? 

Resources:

• Gladney Center for Adoption, Hosting Program
• Hosting Package from CreatingaFamilyEd.org
• Is Our Family Right for an “Orphan” Hosting Program? 7 Questions to Ask
• Prepare for Hosting an International Orphan 

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

Question: We have applied to adopt a baby. We’re more or less being told that if we don’t agree to an open adoption, we’ll never get chosen by a birth mom. But, I really don’t want an open adoption. I think kids need just one mom and dad and opening up our family to others will just be confusing for everyone. But, I’m afraid that we’ll never get chosen if I say this.

Resources:

• Open Adoption (Resource page)
• Listening to Adoptee Voices
• Understanding the Birth Parents’ Experience

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

Parenting neurodiverse tweens and teens can feel overwhelming, especially when traditional parenting strategies don’t seem to work. In this episode, we talk with Carl Young and Joel Sheagren, co-authors of Embracing Hope: Innovative Strategies to Empower Parents Raising Neurodiverse Teens, about practical, brain-based strategies to reduce conflict, support emotional regulation, strengthen connection, and navigate the hard seasons with more hope.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What are parents of tweens and teens carrying right now that you know they want people to understand?
• Why do the tween and teen years often become especially hard for neurodiverse kids and their caregivers?
• One of the themes in your work is “understanding over stigma.” Can you tell us what that means?
• What are examples of behaviors parents are often blamed for, or blamed on the child, that may actually be rooted in neurodevelopmental differences?
• Many parents feel confused because traditional parenting advice doesn’t seem to work for their child with neurodiversity. 
• Can you explain executive functioning in a way that helps overwhelmed parents understand what their child is actually struggling with day to day? 
• What are some real-life ways those struggles show up at home?
• What are some common expectations we place on tweens and teens that may not match their developmental abilities? 
• How can parents shift toward more reasonable expectations without giving up on growth?
• What are some practical strategies to reduce conflict at home while still maintaining structure and boundaries?
• We understand that self-regulation is a learned skill that comes from years of our own regulation and then sharing it with our kids, called co-regulation.  What does co-regulation actually look like with a tween or teen who is escalating emotionally?
• How can parents respond differently to behaviors like impulsivity, shutdowns, avoidance, perseveration, or lying?
• Many caregivers say they feel like they’re “walking on eggshells.” It’s exhausting and creates so much stress in our homes.
• Where do you recommend families start when the home has fallen into a state of constant stress or chaos?
• How can parents introduce and maintain the “calm” in spite of the chaos that our kids’ neurodivergence may bring with it?
• What helps parents hold onto a connection with their child during seasons when everyone feels frustrated or discouraged?
• Sometimes families need help redefining success. How do you encourage parents to rethink what thriving can look like for neurodiverse tweens and teens?

Resources:

• Embracing Neurodiversity
• Embracing Hope: Innovative Strategies to Empower Parents Raising Neurodiverse Teens
• Raising Kids with Neurodiversity (ADHD, Autism, & Learning Differences)
• Suggested books for Raising Kids with Learning You

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

Question: We’re getting close to adopting our foster child, and I keep worrying there are things we should be asking for before finalization that we don’t even know to request. What information or records should we make sure to get from the agency so we truly understand our child’s history and needs?

Resources:

• 23 Crucial Questions to Ask at Foster Care Placement Meetings
• Are You Considering Foster Care Adoption This Year?
• Adopting a Child of a Different Race or Culture

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

Many parents raising adopted, foster, or kinship children feel like they’re carrying most of the parenting load alone. Talking about it and changing it can be hard. In this episode, Josh Davis, PhD, shares practical, non-blaming strategies to improve communication, build confidence, and create a stronger parenting partnership when raising kids from hard places. As Father's Day approaches, Josh also offers some downloads for Dads!

In this episode, we discuss:

• How common is it for one person in a partnership or marriage to feel as if the parenting load is uneven?
• How can we influence the relationship to invite our partners into a more balanced dynamic?
• What are the common reasons partners step back instead of stepping in? 
• What are some signs that maybe criticism—even subtle—is affecting our partner’s willingness to engage?
• What do you mean by “lowering the barrier to involvement?”
• How can we offer specific, doable examples to our partners without “telling them what to do?”
• What scripts can we use, or what language, to invite partnership?
• For parents/caregivers raising challenging kids who require a LOT of time, energy, emotional investment, etc., what are some helpful ways to stay emotionally connected and protect their marriage or partnership?
• If a listener wants to take what they’ve learned here and invite their partner in to share the parenting load, what are one or two first steps to try? 

Resources:

• Celebrating & Supporting Men in Foster & Kinship Care
• Josh Davis, PhD  - www.joshdavisphd.com/www.joshdavisphd.com and www.nlpfordads.com 
• Why Mentors are Crucial When Raising Relative Kids

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

Question: Our daughter is 11 months old and was adopted through an open adoption. We have a relationship with her birth mother, but don't yet feel it's the right moment to ask about family history, and her birth father is completely unknown to us. We do know that both birth parents are Hispanic, but beyond that, we have no additional information about her heritage or background. We want her to grow up with as rich a sense of her identity and heritage as possible. What guidance do adoption professionals offer around using genetic testing like 23andMe or AncestryDNA for adoptees? Is there an age-appropriate time to do this, or is it better to wait and let her decide for herself when she's older? Are there any other considerations unique to the adoptee experience we should keep in mind?

Resources:

• Genetic Testing for Adoptees: Key Considerations and Benefits
• Genetic Testing for Adoptees - Is It Worth It?
• Genetic Testing and Genealogy for Adoptees

Listen here to learn more about our Executive Director, Linda Fiore

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

We talk a lot about the child’s experience in foster care, but what is this experience like for the child’s birth parents? You may be surprised! Join our conversation with Dr. Darcey Merritt, a professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Work who researches this topic.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What is a typical scenario, if there is such a thing, of how a parent finds themselves connecting with the child welfare system?
• What rights do birth parents have within the system?
• What are some of the challenges families face before the child is taken into custody?
• What are some of the challenges that they face once the child is in foster care?
• How can you become an ally to the child’s parents?
• How does poverty factor in?
• Who most commonly reports birth parents to child welfare?
• How does race factor in?
• Research in the area of working memory on parental decision-making.

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

Question: We’re new foster parents and have noticed that our child is hiding food in their backpack, closet, and even under the bed. We make sure there’s always plenty to eat, so we’re confused and a little concerned. Is this something we should be worried about? Why might they be doing this, and how should we respond in a way that helps them feel safe?

Resources:

• Practical Solutions to Typical Food Issues with Adopted, Foster, & Kinship Kids
• Physical and Emotional Health Issues Common with Foster Kids
• Panel of Parents Adopting Older Kids: Surviving That 1st Year

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

Raising kids while caring for aging parents is more common than ever—and often overwhelming. We talk with Robyn Wind, the GRAND Voices Support Coordinator for the National Center on Grandfamilies at Generations United, about the realities of sandwich generation caregiving and practical ways foster, adoptive, and kinship families can find support. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Can we start with a working definition of the term “sandwich generation”?
• How have you seen that definition evolve in recent years? 
• From your work with the National Center on Grandfamilies and Generations United, what are you seeing right now that suggests this is becoming a bigger issue? 
• What are the most common pressures you hear caregivers talk about?
• Where do you see caregivers feeling the most “pulled apart” between generations for whom they are caring? What are the moments when they feel like they can’t meet everyone’s needs at once?
• Are there differences in how this shows up for: 
  • Parents of young children vs. teens? 
  • Kinship caregivers or grandparents raising grandchildren? 
• Many of our listeners are already parenting children with trauma or complex needs. How does that layer onto sandwich caregiving? 
• Do you see unique challenges for kinship caregivers who may already be caring for grandchildren and are now also caring for aging spouses or siblings? 
• What are some ways systems unintentionally fail these families? Where do they tend to fall through the cracks? 
• What would better support look like if systems were truly designed for multigenerational families? 
• What are the early signs that a caregiver is stretched too thin and at risk?
• What does realistic self-care actually look like in this season of life? 
• How do you advise the caregivers you support to balance guilt or feelings of inadequacy, given that there is SO much need on both sides of their sandwich?
• What supports should caregivers try to put in place early? 
• How can families share this sandwich-caring experience more effectively, instead of having one person carry it all? 
• What resources or programs from Generations United should caregivers know about? 
• What strengths do you see in sandwich generation families that we don’t talk about enough? 

Resources:

• 'Sandwich generation' caregivers caught between two generations in need
• Caring for Those Who Are Caring for Everyone: The Sandwich Generation 
• Generations United
• Grandfamilies.org
• GKSNetwork.org
• Grandfamilies & Kinship University - Generations United

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

Question: I’m in the process of adopting an infant and feeling overwhelmed by the paperwork. How do I get my child’s birth certificate and Social Security number after the adoption is finalized? What steps do I need to take, what documents are required, and how does this vary by state?

Resources:

• Where to Write for Vital Records: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics
• Social Security Administration

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

Are you considering residential treatment for your adopted child? We speak with Daniel Hochstetler of Fair Play Camp in South Carolina about preparing our families for residential treatment, navigating the programs, and how to set our families up for success after treatment. 

In this episode, we talk about:

• Pursuing residential treatment is one of the hardest decisions adoptive families can face. Based on your experience, how should we think about residential treatment within the broader picture of supporting our adopted kids? (i.e., exists on the spectrum of resources and interventions)
• Before we get into the details, what do you want adoptive families to hear right away if residential treatment is something they think they may need to consider?
• When we say residential treatment in this conversation, what does that mean?
• How is it different from other supports families may have already tried, like therapy, out-patient programs, or in-home services?
• What kinds of needs is residential treatment for adopted kids designed to meet?
• In your experience, how can residential care be helpful for kids and families who are really struggling?
• What are some misunderstandings that make this option feel more frightening or confusing than it needs to be?
• This is where many parents feel stuck. What are some signs that a family may need to start thinking about a higher level of care?
• Who should be part of making this decision? How can adoptive parents make sure they’re not making it in isolation?
• When a family finds it necessary to move forward to placement in residential care, how can they talk with their child about residential treatment in a way that keeps the relationship intact?
• What reactions should parents expect, and how can they respond in ways that don’t escalate their child’s fear or shame?
• How can families stay connected while their child is in care?
• What helps parents partner well with the treatment team?
• Coming home is an important goal for parents and their kids to work toward. But it’s not a reset button that magically clears the cache. It is, however, another transition. And transitions can be hard on everyone.
• What can you help our listeners understand about the transition home from the child’s perspective?
  • How should we be talking with our kids before leaving the residential program?
  • What are realistic expectations for those first few weeks?
• What supports should already be in place before a child comes home? (work with caseworker from treatment, get recommendations, referrals, etc.)
• What are some simple ways to rebuild a connection without overwhelming the child?
• When old behaviors resurface—and they often do—how should parents respond?
• What does progress actually look like in real life during this phase?
• This experience affects everyone in the home. How can parents support siblings who may have been impacted by what’s happened?
• Parents are often exhausted by this point. What does realistic, doable support look like for caregivers themselves?
• If a parent listening today feels like they’re nearing this decision, what’s one step they can take to feel more grounded and prepared for the experience?

Resources:

• Parenting Children with Challenging Behavior (Resource Page)
• Accessing Residential Treatment Care for Adoptees
• Exploring Medication for Adopted Children
• Does Your Child Need Residential Treatment
• Get Residential Treatment for Your Child

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

Question: The school thinks my foster son may have ADHD, but I know he’s been through a lot of trauma. How do I know what’s driving his behavior and how to advocate for the support he actually needs?

Resources:

• The Grandparents' Guide to Back to School
• How Do Teachers Understand Adoption and What Can Parents Do About It?
• A Parent's Guide to Working with the Schools on Behavior
• Back to School with Foster and Adopted Kids
• Understood.org

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

What if families had support before a crisis led to foster care? In this episode, we talk with Dr. David Anderson, psychologist and founder and executive director of SAFE Families for Children, about a community-based model that helps keep children safe while supporting parents through difficult seasons. Dr. Anderson also serves as Executive Director of Lydia Home Association in Chicago and has been recognized as an Ashoka Fellow and Prime Movers Fellow.

In this episode, we discuss:

• For someone new to SAFE Families, how would you explain what it is?
• Can you share a little about yourself and what drew you to create SAFE Families?
• Who are the families you serve, and what situations bring them to you?
• Why is a program like SAFE Families especially needed right now?
• What happens to families when this kind of support isn’t available?
• How is SAFE Families different from traditional foster care?
• What kinds of training and screening do volunteers undergo?
• What support do volunteers receive along the way?
• What are the main ways people can get involved?
• Can you share a story or two that captures the impact of SAFE Families?
• What do families or volunteers often say after being part of this?
• Who tends to be a great fit for this kind of role?
• What hesitations do you hear most, and what would you say to those concerns?
• If one of our listeners is interested in serving this community, what’s the first step to get involved?
• For a parent or caregiver listening today who feels underwater or overwhelmed, what encouragement can you offer?

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

Question: We are seriously considering becoming foster parents.  We have 2 children by birth, and I am really worried about how this will affect them and what I can do to prevent some of the negative effects.

Resources:

• The Impact of Fostering and Adoption on Kids Already in the Family (Resource)
• Talking with your Resident Kids about Foster Care or Kinship Care (Resource)
• What You Should Know About Disrupting Birth Order in Adoption & Foster Care

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

Foster families are doing significant work to support both the children in their homes and the parents of those kids. What do they need to thrive in this work? We talk with Cathleen Bearse, a licensed therapist, foster mom, and the creator of Fearless Fostering. She supports foster and adoptive parents with practical tools, emotional guidance, and trauma-informed strategies with her real-life experiences and clinical expertise.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Your organization is called ‘Fearless Fostering’ – what does that mean to you right now in the work that you do with foster families every day?
• What makes fostering profoundly worth it in your life and in your family, even when it’s hard?
• What are some unexpected joys in fostering that people don’t hear about enough?
• When things feel heavy, how do you recommend resource parents reconnect with their ‘why’?
• What are the challenges that catch foster parents off guard the most?
• Where do you see foster parents becoming depleted or overwhelmed?
• What is often misunderstood about the emotional weight of fostering?
• How does isolation show up in foster parenting?
• How can fostering strain a household without the right support?
• What patterns have you seen in marriages or partnerships under stress?
• How does chronic stress show up in foster parents’ mental and physical health?
  • What early warning signs should families not ignore?
• If you could give every foster parent four supports, what would they be?
  • Community
  • Therapeutic Space
  • Permission to Unschedule
• Permission to Focus on “Just You”
• What does realistic self-care actually look like for foster parents?
• Where should foster parents begin if they realize they need more support?
• How can they pursue continuing education without becoming overwhelmed?
• What would you say to someone who wants to foster but fears they aren’t strong enough?
• What is one message you want every foster parent to hear today?
• Finally, what would a strengthened foster family look like five years from now if we truly supported them well?

Resources:

• Self-care for Foster Parents
• What is Respite Care and How Do I Access It?
• What Foster Parents Want You to Know About Fostering

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

Question: I’m new to raising my grandchild and still learning about trauma. People keep saying it changes a child’s brain, but I don’t really understand what that means. What does trauma actually do to the brain, and how does that show up in behavior at home or school?

Resources:

• The Three Es: Understanding the Impacts of Trauma
• A Conversation with Dr. Bruce Perry About Trauma
• How Trauma Impacts a Child's Development
• Meeting Children Where They Are: The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics

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

Have you considered fostering? What might be holding you back? Join us for a conversation with Laura, the Foster Parent Partner, to explore what it takes to be ready to foster, what the licensing and placement process looks like, and how to navigate relationships with the child's birth parents while providing a safe place for the child to land. Laura is the author of First Time Fostering and brings awareness and advocacy for foster families to social media spaces.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How can someone tell if fostering might be the right step for them?
• What are some common misconceptions about foster parenting that you often hear from people who are just starting to explore it?
• What mindset shifts do people often need to make before stepping into foster parenting, especially around trauma and reunification?
• Once someone decides to move forward, what does the licensing process look like?
• What tends to surprise people about that process?
• How should families prepare the people already in their lives—a partner, kids in the home, or extended family—for fostering?
• What kind of support system do new foster parents need?
• How can they start building that before they get their first placement?
• When you're waiting for your first placement, what are some basics you should have ready in their home?
• What is it actually like to get that first placement call and welcome a child into your home?
• In those first hours and days, what are some practical ways foster parents can help a child feel safe and supported?
• It’s important to remember that reunification is the goal of foster care. What does co-parenting mean for foster parents? Why is it a crucial element of fostering?
• In foster care, children often still have relationships with their families, especially when reunification is still the goal. How can foster parents begin building a respectful relationship with a child’s parent?
• How can foster parents help facilitate connection or healing with the child’s parents?
• How do foster parents navigate the reality and emotions of a child leaving their home, for another placement, or for reunification?
• How should they support their resident children for that loss?
• What are some of the other hard realities of foster parenting that people should be prepared for?
• What would you want a newly licensed foster parent to know before they say yes to their first placement?
• What keeps you anchored in this work and committed to supporting others?

Resources:

• Becoming a Foster Parent
• What Foster Care Alumni Want You to Know
• 23 Crucial Questions to Ask at Foster Care Placement Meetings
• Welcoming an Older Child to Your Family

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

Question: How do I delicately share information about my child’s birth parent with my child, when we know their biological parent has a long history of arrest? They are not a safe adult for my child to maintain a relationship with. Our family is struggling with how to balance the message that the adoption plan was made out of love for the child and not wanting to cast a negative message about the child’s birth parent, even though we know there is a history of some very violent acts. We want this child to know and understand why the birth parent is not part of their life.

Resources: 

• Talking with Young Children about Adoption and Birth Parents
• Using Lifebooks to Explain Complex Issues in Adoption to Kids
• Building the Framework for Adopted & Foster Children to Process the Hard Parts of Their Stories

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

Join us for this interview with former NFL Running Back and Super Bowl Champion Ricky Watters. He is an adoptee, an adoptive dad, and author of a new children’s book on adoption, A Gift Called Shane.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How old were you when you learned you were adopted and how did you find out?
• When you discovered you were adopted, you mentioned in your NFL movie that it put a big chip on your shoulder. How has that chip served you well as an adoptive dad? 
• How has it been a detriment?
• Why did you decide to adopt?
• Why did you decide to adopt internationally?
• Did your experience with finding out late that you were adopted affect the way you discussed adoption with your son?
• Do you see any signs of a similar “chip” in your son that you had when you found out you were adopted? How do you help him navigate it for his own success?
• How did you prepare your biological son for the adoption of his brother? 
• How do you support your adopted son in his questions about identity, birth family, etc.?
• Are you in reunion with your biological family?
• How has your adoptive family handled your reunion with your birth family?
• How excited were you for fellow hometown boy Shady McCoy to get into the Eagles Hall of Fame?
• What was your experience with playing at Notre Dame? 

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

Question: I’m an intern therapist working with kids involved in DHS and the foster system. Could you guys talk about what a kid in the system needs from therapy? Or like what helped them, what didn’t, what they needed in that space that their therapist didn’t provide?

Resources:

• Trauma-Informed Therapy: Finding the Right Fit for Your Family
• Therapists: Parents Should Be With Their Kids for Adoptive or Foster Therapy Sessions
• Finding an Adoption Competent Therapist

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

Could you use a few new strategies to help your child improve misbehavior? Listen to this conversation with Dr. Casey Call, the Associate Director of Education at the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at TCU and Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the TCU Department of Psychology. She will help us understand how to maintain connection while correcting challenging behaviors.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why and how should parents and caregivers work toward secure attachment with kids impacted by trauma? 
• What does it mean when we say we are rewiring the child’s brain for connection?
• What is the purpose of discipline? 
• How can parents and caregivers set a firm foundation of secure attachment if they also need to correct misbehavior or inappropriate behavior?
• Why do traditional or punishment-based disciplinary approaches not work for children impacted by trauma? 
• Why do kids impacted by trauma tend to respond better (meaning an improvement in behavior) to discipline that guides them to think about their choices and consequences?
• How can parents and caregivers maintain a safe, loving connection with firmness and kindness while still holding the goal of retraining a behavior?
• In this process, what does it mean to share our power?
• What is the “IDEAL” approach?
• What is a re-do? Why is it so powerful for re-training?
• What are a few practical ways that parents and caregivers can maintain attachment during these disciplinary or re-teaching processes?
• What are some of the common behaviors that drive parents crazy? 
• How can parents and caregivers maintain the intensity and pace of disciplining a child who has been impacted by trauma, without burning out?

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

Question: My 2nd grader, adopted domestically, has some pretty big, hard behaviors, like tantrums, clingy whining, and difficulty cooperating or sharing. We know there was prenatal substance exposure. I feel stuck to help them with their big feelings and big behaviors — what do I do to help them day to day?

Resources:

• 5 Tips to Save Your Sanity While Raising Kids with Prenatal Substance Exposure
• Prenatal Exposure, Part 1: Parenting Babies Through Elementary Ages
• Tantrums, Meltdowns, Whining, Oh My! How to Parent Challenging Behaviors
• Free E-Guide: Navigating Challenging Behaviors - Practical Strategies for Families

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

Join us for a conversation about why men in foster and kinship care matter - to the family unit, to the system, and most importantly, to the kids. Our guest is Tony Craddock, a Prevention Social Worker in Wake County, NC, with more than 25 years of experience supporting families. For the past decade, he has engaged kinship families and fathers through his co‑facilitation of the Kinship In Action Support Group.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What first drew you to working with families, and later to engaging fathers and kinship caregivers?
• Why is it so important that we intentionally engage and celebrate men — fathers, grandfathers, uncles, mentors — in foster and kinship care spaces?
• What positive differences have you seen in children’s lives when men are actively supported and involved in caregiving?
• What unique strengths do men bring to families in foster and kinship roles?
• What are some ways that normalizing men as caregivers helps not just families, but the larger community?
• What are some of the reasons you hear men sharing about their hesitation to step into these caregiving roles or to seek support when they take on such a role?
• Do you see common themes of how they describe their experiences of being welcomed — or not — into support spaces?
• What strategies have you found most effective for inviting and retaining men in support groups and similar caregiving networks?
• What role do their peers who are already plugged into their roles as caregivers play in encouraging or retaining engagement with newer father figures in your groups?
• What have you noticed in children’s emotional, behavioral, or developmental well-being when there’s consistent male involvement?
• How does having a balanced caregiving network, one that includes a multi-generational approach and welcomes both men and women, strengthen a family’s resilience?
• Who are the men — in your work or your life — who inspire you as caregivers and supporters?
• What advice would you give to a man who may already be a foster or kinship caregiver, but who also wants to step more intentionally into that role to make a difference for their child?
• If you could change one thing about how the system engages men in foster and kinship care, what would it be?
• Looking ahead, what gives you the most hope about supporting men in these spaces?
• What’s one message you’d like every listener — caregiver, professional, or community member — to walk away with today?

Resources

• Father Engagement Strategies
• The Vital Role of Men in Foster Care
• Finding Male Role Models for Kids of Single Moms
• Normalizing Men as Caregivers Helps Families and Society

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

Question: I love my child so much, but lately I feel emotionally worn down and shut down in my parenting. Someone mentioned they recently learned about blocked care, and now I’m wondering if that's what’s happening. What is blocked care, and what can a parent do about it?

Resources:

• Understanding and Overcoming Blocked Care
• What Is Blocked Care? How Do I Overcome It?
• Trauma-Informed Therapy
• Building Rhythms of Self-Care Into Our Parenting
• Making Self-Care a Priority for the New Year

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

Are you raising a child with known or suspected prenatal opioid exposure? Understanding the impacts and how to parent them will help you set your child up to thrive! We are joined by Lenette Serlo, an adoptive mom of four children impacted by prenatal substance exposure and the founder of Generation O, a nonprofit focused on creating understanding and support for children with prenatal opioid exposure and their families.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What are opioids, and what does it mean when a child has been exposed to opioids before birth?
• What are some of the short-term and long-term ways prenatal opioid exposure can affect a child’s brain, body, and development?
• What were some of the earliest things you noticed that helped you understand that your kids might experience the world differently?
• How can parents make the shift from asking “What’s wrong with this child?” to “What does this child need?”
• When a child has prenatal opioid exposure, what practical ways can parents help support emotional regulation and nervous system balance for these kids?
• What are some everyday challenges families might see at home?  And what strategies can parents and caregivers try to support their kids with those challenges?
• What tools or routines can help kids succeed with things like organization, memory, and follow-through?
• How could a parent or caregiver partner with teachers or schools so that children impacted by prenatal opioid exposure can succeed academically and behaviorally?
• What have you learned about helping children build friendships and navigate social situations successfully?
• In the baby and preschool years, what supports or parenting approaches can make the biggest difference?
• What challenges tend to emerge during the elementary school years, and how can caregivers support learning, independence, and confidence during that stage?
• As children move into adolescence, what new challenges can appear, and how can parents continue supporting identity, independence, and life skills?
• What is one small change parents or caregivers can make tomorrow that could have a big impact?
• You founded Generation O to support families navigating prenatal opioid exposure. What gaps did you see that made you want to start this organization? 
• What’s giving you hope right now? 
• What is one message would you most want our listeners to take with them about helping their kids with a history of opioid exposure thrive now and into their futures?

Resources:

• Prenatal Substance Exposure Workshop for Foster, Adoptive & Kinship Parents
• Raising a Child with Prenatal Substance Exposure
• Prenatal Substance Exposure Training for Child Welfare Professionals

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

Question: Should I tell my nephew that by the time he turns 18, he has to be in school and passing his classes, or have a job, to continue living with us? He will turn 18 at the end of this school year and will inherit a small amount of money that could get him started. He is currently in school, and he doesn’t have a job or any interest in getting one. Anytime someone asks him about his goals or future plans, his answer is “I don’t know” or “I don’t care.” I know that he is depressed and apprehensive about growing up, so part of me worries about pushing him too hard, but on the other hand, without a push, I worry his situation will continue to deteriorate. 

Resources:

• Prenatal Exposure, Part 2: Parenting Tweens and Teens
• Practical Ways to Connect with Your Tween or Teen
• Supporting Kids with Prenatal Exposure in the Transition to Adolescence and Beyond
• Raising Resilient Kids
• Raising Kids for a Lifelong Parent/Child Bond

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

Helping young adults in foster or kinship care transition toward adulthood can feel overwhelming for foster parents and relative caregivers. Join us today for a conversation with Vernell Gore of Youth Villages and Nick Sgarlata of Bridge to Brighter, for practical ways to prepare and equip your foster or kin youth for adulthood.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What makes this stage of life uniquely challenging for youth in foster or kinship care compared to their peers?
• What does a successful transition to adulthood actually look like?
• What are some common misconceptions that caregivers or professionals have about youth who are nearing adulthood?
• When you think about a young person leaving care and thriving in adulthood, what key elements need to be in place?
• Why might a young person leaving foster care or relative care at the same time they are leaving high school feel the weight of this uncertainty more than their peers? 
• How and where can foster parents or kin carers help youth explore different career paths and possibilities?
• What are some practical ways they can research those options and make informed decisions?
• What types of programs or pathways will help youth develop skills, discipline, or career direction?
• What are the most important money skills young people need before they leave care?
• What are some simple ways to start teaching these skills while the youth are still at home?
• What are some everyday adult responsibilities that youth may struggle with? 
• What are some of the benefits of mentors for a young person transitioning out of foster care? 
• How can they begin finding mentors or supportive role models?
• Beyond practical skills, what character traits or skills do young people need to develop to succeed in adulthood?
• Many youth in foster care or living with a grandparent or relative are carrying trauma from earlier experiences. How important are healing and identity development in preparing them for adulthood?
• How might a foster parent or relative caregiver support their young person toward healing?
• What are a few common mistakes adults make when trying to prepare youth for adulthood?
• What practical steps can foster or kinship carers start today to prepare their youth for adulthood? 

Resources:

Raising Kids with Neurodiversity (ADHD)

Maintaining a Healthy Perspective When Parenting Tweens & Teens

Prenatal Exposure, Part 2: Parenting Tweens and Teens

Supporting Kids with Prenatal Exposure in the Transition to Adolescence and Beyond

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

A Lifebook is the story of how your child came to be yours and the story of his life before he came to you. Adoption is only one aspect of your child, and at some point, his life merges into your life. However, he had a life before he came to your family, and his Lifebook tells this part of his story.

Resources:

• Adoption Lifebooks (Suggested Books)
• Welcoming an Older Child to Your Home (Resource Page)
• Transitioning a Child to Your Home (Resource Page)

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

Raising kids impacted by adoption, foster care, or kinship care can do a number on your marriage or life partnership. Join us for a conversation with Jeremy & Jara Walden, authors of The Heart Work of Foster Care: A Hopeful and Honest Guide to Foster Parenting, about strategies to re-prioritize and strengthen your most significant relationship.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How can raising kids together enhance a marriage or relationship? 
• Why are kids in our community often harder to parent?
  • Trauma, loss, neglect
  • Prenatal substance exposure
  • Challenging behaviors that come from those experiences
• Why and how might our kids’ needs test our adult relationships?
• What are some of the additional stressors our relationships may face when fostering or adopting kids who’ve been exposed to trauma?  
• What are some challenging behaviors kids who’ve experienced trauma can bring that might be particularly difficult for the marriage?
• What are some signs that we may be neglecting or at least not maintaining our significant relationship?
• How does your history impact your marriage, while raising kids with trauma impacts?
• Can you offer specific strategies for “going back,” healing, or re-prioritizing our marriages or partnerships if we are listening to this and realize we haven’t done so?
• How do single parents prioritize the adult relationships that they value?

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

Question: We have two children adopted through the foster care system as infants - an almost 10-year-old (AudHD) and a 4.5-year-old (neurotypical). They both come into our room every night in the middle of the night, and it really disturbs my sleep and my husband's sleep. It seems like we've tried everything to get them to stop. Recently, we told them we were going to start locking our door, but then they just come and knock and knock until one of us gets up. If we try to put them back in their own beds, they make us lie down with them until they fall asleep - then I can't get back to sleep after that. Not sure how to handle this situation.

Resources:

• Sleep Issues with Adopted, Foster, or Relative Children
• Why Won't My Child Sleep?! (And What Can I Do?)
• Help! My Newly Placed Child is Regressing on Sleep

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

Would you like to learn how to build a culture of joy, connection, and healing in your home? Join us for a conversation with Bryan Post, an adoptee and therapist specializing in child behavior, adoption trauma, and love-based parenting. He's the founder of Fear to Love LLC, Bondify.ai, and Leaf Wraparound, and the author of several books, including From Fear to Love.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Bryan's journey as an adoptee and how that shaped his work with families today.
• What do we need to know about trauma, its impacts on the kids, and how it shows up day to day?
• Why might we as parents be tempted to misinterpret those behaviors and expressions as defiance, manipulation, or disrespect? 
• When a child is melting down, shutting down, or pushing adults away, what’s actually happening in their brain and nervous system?
• In a very real-life parenting moment — like a slammed door, eye rolls, a screaming match, a refusal to comply — what does the shift from fear-based reactions to love-based responses actually look like?
• Can you share two or three concrete strategies parents can start practicing immediately that reflect that mindset shift?
• Could you give us an example of words or scripts a parent might use in that moment? 
• How can a parent calm themselves first when their child’s behavior is triggering them? 
• What might a “culture of love and joy” actually look like inside a home — especially one that has experienced a lot of chaos?
• What are some of the small, daily practices that build trust over time?
• What does growth look like in a trauma-impacted home?
• One or two examples of how-to or where to capture JOY in the moments when we are feeling challenged about when or where healing may happen. 

Resources:

• Learn more about Bryan Post
• Introduction to Attachment - Online Parent Education course
• Raising Kids for a Lifelong Parent/Child Bond - Podcast

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

Question: My husband and I finalized our adoption in December 2025, and we’re still waiting for our son’s birth certificate in the mail. Then we’ll need to take it to file for an SSN and wait for that to arrive. How can we file taxes, including our newborn baby, without a Social Security Number for him? (We didn’t know we could file for a temporary number with the IRS until it was too late - after his finalization hearing).

Resources:

• The 2025 Adoption Tax Credit (podcast)
• The Annual Adoption Tax Credit Guide: 2025 Edition
• IRS.gov: Adoption taxpayer identification number

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

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 discuss:

• 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 Behavior
  • 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

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

Question: As a single mom, how do I find good role models for my kids?

Resources:

• Finding Male Role Models for Kids of Single Moms
• Creating a Support Network as a Single Adoptive Foster or Kinship Parent
• 1 Yes, 4 S's: How a Post-Adoption Support Group Changed My Life

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

Are you raising a child with known prenatal exposure to alcohol? Does your child have a diagnosis for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder? Listen to this conversation with Barb Clark, Founder and CEO of FASD Mosaic. She offers coaching, training, and consulting on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), trauma, neurodivergence, and challenging behaviors, and is the author of Raising Kids and Teens with FASD: Advice and Strategies to Help Your Family to Thrive!

In this episode, we discuss:

• In your experience, what do caregivers most misunderstand about FASD at first?”
• How does prenatal alcohol exposure impact brain development?
• What is the difference between FAS and FASD?
• Do the timing, frequency, and amount of alcohol all matter in the outcomes experienced by the child? Are there other factors at play?
• Why is FASD still so often missed or misunderstood?
• Primary neurological impacts on a child who has FASD
• Secondary behaviors – which, when viewed through that brain-based lens, are adaptive responses that help them process and cope with their environment
• What are a few practical strategies parents and caregivers can implement to help them reframe how they support their child with FASD?
• Tantrums or raging as an example of challenging behaviors – how it may look differently across these ages and developmental levels
• What are a few of the typical strengths seen in individuals with FASD?
• Why do these strengths often emerge inconsistently?
• How our home environment and culture set a child with FASD up for success
• Can you offer practical suggestions for how parents or caregivers would implement a strengths-based approach to raising a child with FASD?
• Practical strategies that parents and caregivers can implement right away when raising their child with FASD
• How do you recommend a parent or caregiver handle the process of repair and reconnection with a child with FASD? 
• What should parents and caregivers consider in planning for the future?
• Prioritizing self-care and reframing it as interdependence and community care.

Resources:

• Prenatal Substance Exposure Workshops for Parents
• Prenatal Substance Exposure resource page
• FASD Mosaic

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

This is a second question from a listener named Tabitha who adopted a baby boy last year. Tho the adoption looked like it might be at least semi-open, it's effectively closed for now because the baby's birth mom is no longer communicating even with the agency. 

Question: All our training spoke to the benefits of open adoption. We also know (our baby) has two older siblings living with grandparents. There is also a toddler-aged sibling who was adopted. Like us, first mom is in her early 40s, so she’s got life experience. How do we handle questions that arise when baby G is older, with so little info? We seem to be a rarity in this day and age, with a closed adoption not of our choosing. I definitely respect mom’s choices, but I know questions will pop up on our little one’s end down the road.

Resources:

• Strategies for Maintaining Sibling Connections
• Helping Siblings Separated by Adoption or Foster Care - Weekend Wisdom
• Handling Social Media & Birth Family Contact with Your Adopted, Foster, or Kinship Kids

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

Is the idea of attachment parenting new to you and your family? Or could you use a refresher on what secure attachment is and why it matters? Listen to this conversation with Samantha Farris, LMSW, from the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development. She's helping us understand the basics of building secure attachment between parent and child to strengthen our families.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How would you describe attachment in the simplest, most hopeful way for a caregiver who’s new to the idea of parent/child attachment? Or who may feel overwhelmed by what they’ve heard and are unsure where to start or start over?
• Can you walk us through an overview of the attachment cycle and how it typically develops in infancy and early childhood?
• What are some everyday signs caregivers would see that indicate a secure attachment is developing? (even if it’s not “perfect”)
• Why does attachment matter so much — not just in childhood, but across a person’s lifespan?
• What happens in the brain or nervous system when a child feels securely connected versus chronically disconnected?
• How does adding the practice of being “trauma-informed” change a parent or caregiver’s approach to forging that connection with their adopted or foster child?
• What are the types of experiences or stressors that kids in our (adoptive, foster, relative caregiving) community may interrupt the natural flow of attachment development?
• What are the different attachment profiles or styles, in addition to secure attachment?
• What are three common signs that a child might be struggling with attachment?
• How might attachment challenges show up differently in toddlers vs school-age children vs. teens?
• When a child comes with a history of instability, what helps establish a sense of safety and a foundation of trust? 
• What are three things newly adoptive or foster parents can do to nurture attachment in the early days of meeting or welcoming a child home?
• When a child needs professional help for attachment challenges, what kinds of therapy or supports have you seen be most healing?
• If a parent feels disconnected, what are two things they can do starting today to begin building attachment?
• What is one piece of advice you’d give to a brand-new parent or caregiver who has never had to think intentionally about forming attachment before listening to this?

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

Question: When you are preparing your taxes and working out how to maximize this credit and get that $5,000 back, you might find that you want a tax professional to guide you through the filing process. How do you find a qualified, reputable tax specialist who can handle your claim?

Resources:

• Finding a Tax Specialist to File Your Adoption Tax Credit Claim
• The 2025 Adoption Tax Credit (podcast)
• What Documents Do I Need to File for the Adoption Tax Credit - Weekend Wisdom
• Adoption Tax Credit - Resource Guide

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

Should you consider adopting or fostering a child who 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 to Elizabeth Bohlken, Director of Education and Support at Children's Home Society and Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, to talk about the preparation, joys, and challenges of disrupting birth order.

In this episode:

• What is disrupting birth order?
• Why is this a topic that prospective adoptive or foster parents should educate themselves about?
• When combining children by birth and adoption, is it better for the adopted child to be the eldest, the youngest, or in the middle?
• Is there an age gap that is most recommended or best practice between children when disrupting birth order?
• Are there similarities between families that have a blend of children by adoption and birth, and families with blended children from divorce and remarriage?
• How much does age really matter?
  • At what age is a child least affected by having their birth order disrupted?
  • At what age is a child most affected?
  • Is it best to disrupt the birth order of the eldest or the youngest in a family?
• How should parents handle a situation where the newly adopted child is older in age but younger on an emotional or behavioral level?
• What steps can prospective adoptive or foster parents take to prepare children already in the home for the adoption of a sibling, especially an older child?
• What type of sleeping arrangements should parents use in the first couple of months at home when they are adopting a child who is older than their other children?
• What types of behaviors might a parent or caregiver see in the early stages of this new dynamic?
• Why is sibling rivalry a common outcome of disrupting birth order?
  • How to handle physically aggressive behavior between children?
• Practical tips to ease the transition for all the children in the family.
• Parenting mentalities/techniques to help a family adjust to a disrupted birth order?
• What is virtual or artificial twinning?
• What should parents consider before adopting a child of a similar age (within about 9 months) to a child already in the family?
• What are the warning signs that parents need to get help with an adoption that disrupts birth order or involves virtual twinning?
• What type of therapies or therapists should families look for to support birth order changes or artificial twinning?
• What should parents understand about the risk factors of sexual or physical abuse that a child may have experienced before being adopted or placed in this foster home?
• Where and how do parents get help to support their family in the transitions of disrupting birth order?

Resources:

• Sibling Relationships (Resource page)
• Therapy Resources for Adoptive, Foster, & Kinship Families (Resource page)

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

Question: How do we handle an adoption that has been closed from the first mom’s end? We don’t even have a photo of her despite our request.

• Our #1 Secret Tip for Navigating Open Adoption
• 5 Tips for Navigating Sticky Situations with Birth Parents
• Who Holds the Power in Adoption: Birth Parents or Adoptive Parents?
• Where is Mommy? Helping Kids Cope with Absent Parents

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

Did you know that the current reigning Miss Kentucky is a foster alum? We spoke with Ariana Rodriguez about her life leading up to the pageant circuit, what motivates her, and how her foundation, The Lucky Ones, is changing foster care experiences for foster kids in Kentucky.

In this episode, we talk about:

• You made history as the first Miss Kentucky to have been in foster care. Can you start from the beginning and give us the story that led to this title?
• What was it like living with your grandparents? What were the positive changes? What was hardest about this time of your childhood? 
• How did that time in kinship care help shape who you are today?
• Were you able to stay in touch with your siblings?
• What gaps or “pain points” for kids in foster care or kinship care did you experience in those years?
• How did these lived experiences begin to transform into a passion or mission for advocacy? Was there a pivotal moment when you said, “This is my platform”?
• What personal strengths emerged from your past that you leaned on (resilience, empathy, leadership, etc.)?
• How do your childhood and care-system experiences continue to inform your daily life, mindset, or choices?
• Are there challenges or triggers that still surface for you because of your past experiences? How do you navigate them?
• What are your relationships with your siblings like now? 
• Tell us more about The Lucky Ones
• Do you have a specific story you can share that illustrates the impact of your work?
• Are you gaining new connections and collaborations to help further the mission of your platform?
• What’s next for you, personally (as Miss Kentucky, as an advocate, as a leader)?
• What’s next for The Lucky Ones? Are there new programs to launch, etc?
• What advice do you have for young people currently in the foster or kinship-care system who may feel uncertain about their future?
• For foster or relative caregivers?
• If you could speak directly to the decision-makers (legislators, social services, educators) about one thing to make a meaningful difference for foster/kinship care kids, what would that be?

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

Question: I recently listened to a podcast featuring an adoptee, a birth mother, and an adoptive parent, which was great. The adoptee talked about when it hit her that she was adopted and feeling like her birth mother threw her away. My sons are adopted through the foster care system. One is technically still a foster child. My oldest was removed from his birth mother immediately after being born and placed with us. My second son spent about a year with his parents in a very neglectful situation, and drugs were a factor in both situations. I'm wondering how to respectfully have that conversation with my sons when the time comes. Note, please, that we are a two-dad household, so there's no hiding the adoption from them.

Resources:

• Talking about Adoption at Different Ages
• How to Make and Use an Adoption Lifebook
• Talking with Young Children About Adoption and Birth Parents
• Books for Kids Adopted from Foster Care
• 9 Things Adoptive Parents Must Do Before Age 13

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

Are you familiar with pathological demand avoidance? Do you need helpful strategies to raise a child with the challenging behaviors that characterize PDA? Listen in to this conversation with Dr. Cynthia Martin, a clinical psychologist, the former Senior Director of the Autism Center at the Child Mind Institute, and founder of CM Psychology in Manhattan, NY.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What is Pathological Demand Avoidance?
• What makes PDA different from typical defiance or resistance?
• Is PDA considered an official diagnosis, or is it more of a way to describe a cluster of behaviors that we’re seeing in some kids?
• What do we know about the underlying causes?
• How does PDA relate to other conditions like autism or ADHD? What are the overlaps with trauma, prenatal substance exposure??
• What are the types of behaviors parents or caregivers might see?
• How can a caregiver tell the difference between a child who can’t comply and one who won’t comply?
• Where do parents start when considering if their child has a PDA profile?
• What observations or examples should parents share to help a clinician understand their child’s challenges?
• What kinds of strategies are effective for parenting a child with PDA traits?
• How can parents reframe their approach so that daily demands — like getting dressed, brushing teeth, or doing homework — don’t turn into constant battles?
• What types of therapies or interventions tend to be most helpful? 
• What do you say to caregivers who are feeling worn down and ineffective? Where do they start?
• How can a parent or caregiver set their child up for success even if they do have this PDA profile?
• What words of hope or encouragement would you offer to parents and caregivers just starting to investigate?

Resources:

• Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in Kids - Child Mind Institute
• Demand Avoidance: Why Kids Refuse to Follow Directions - Psychology Today
• Symptom Tests for Children: Is Your Child Showing Signs of Pathological Demand Avoidance? - ADDitude: ADHD Science & Strategies
• Unstuck & On Target - Evidence-Based Curricula and Resources for Professionals and Families to Support Executive Functions.

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

Question: How to talk to your child about their conception story when embryo donation/embryo adoption is involved in forming your family?

Resources:

• Embryo Adoption (Resource Page)
• Suggested Books for Children Conceived Through Embryo Donation
• Disclosing Donor Conception to Our Kids (podcast)

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

Talking about the difficult parts of our child's story, like abuse or prenatal substance exposure, can be overwhelming. Kelly Weidner, the co-founder and Executive Director of Haven Adoptions & Family Services in Ambler, PA. She has 28 years of experience in foster care, residential care, and adoption, which will help us navigate these challenging conversations with our kids.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What kinds of issues do we mean when we say “difficult parts” of a child’s story? What are some of the everyday challenging conversations that adoptive parents must tackle?
• Why is it necessary to introduce these potentially painful, complex issues to our kids?
• Why are parents reluctant to talk about these issues?
• What steps should adoptive parents take when choosing to start these conversations? Where do they start?
• What is a Lifebook, and how can parents use them to introduce and build on the story as their child grows?
  • What should be included?
  • How does a Lifebook differ between the types of adoption?
  • What if your child wants to bring their Lifebook to school or show it to people outside the family?
• What language can you use with young children to lay the groundwork for later, with more details filled in as they grow?
• How would a parent start the conversation about being conceived during a rape or abusive relationship, across several ages or stages, to build understanding?
• As another example, should we tell our kids about abuse or neglect that happened to them if they don’t remember it? How?
• Should you tell a child that her birth mother’s use of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy might be the cause of their learning disabilities? 
• How do you help your child understand how much of his story he should share with others outside the family?
• What if you don’t believe the birth mother’s story of what happened? 
• What if you don’t know the details of what happened, just that something “big” did happen?
• How can adoptive parents help their children understand that they are more than the difficult parts of their history and that they are not doomed to repeat their birth parents' mistakes?
• What are some practical tips for supporting our kids after we’ve had to share hard-to-hear information?

Resources:

• Suggested Books for Adoptive Families
• Using Lifebooks to Explain Complex Issues in Adoption to Kids
• Building the Framework for Adopted & Foster Children to Process the Hard Parts of Their Stories
• The Art of Talking with Kids (Free Course)

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

Having the right documentation, signed, dated, and completed, is crucial to maximizing the claim and avoiding delays or audits. But before we jump into the actual documents, let's start with the big changes to this year's adoption tax credit, because these are important details for families to know this year.

Resources:

• Adoption Tax Credit Resource Page
• Finding a Tax Specialist to File Your Adoption Tax Credit Claim
• Adoption Tax Credit (IRS)
• 5 Things to Know About the Adoption Credit (IRS)

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

Let us know about your adoption journey

Did you finalize an adoption in 2025 or within the last several years? Are you eligible to claim the Adoption Tax Credit? Listen to this conversation about the 2025 Adoption Tax Credit. Our guests are 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.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2025 federal taxes?
• What is different about this year’s Adoption Tax Credit? 
• How would you claim the Adoption Tax Credit if you get a tax refund every year?
• What types of adoptions are included or excluded in the Adoption Tax Credit? 
• Are kinship adoptions covered? Are kinship guardianship arrangements/expenses covered? 
  • What if the relative child was never involved with the foster care system?
• Can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit for each adoption you complete, even if you completed them in the same year? 
• What is a Qualified Adoption Expense for purposes of the Adoption Tax Credit 2025?
• When can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit for:
  • Domestic Private/Infant Adoption
  • International Adoption
  • Re-adoption in the US for International Adoption
  • Foster Care Adoption
  • Kinship Adoption
• For purposes of filing the Adoption Tax Credit, what qualifies as a 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” in foster adoptions?
  • What is a $0 subsidy agreement?
• Can you reclaim your expenses for an adoption that did not result in a placement (that is, a failed adoption)? How?
• What income level (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) is excluded from claiming the Adoption Tax Credit in 2025?
• How long can the credit be carried over?
• What if you didn’t claim the Adoption Tax Credit when eligible? 
• Will the Adoption Tax Credit offset self-employment tax?
• How does the Secure Act impact us if we are claiming the Adoption Tax Credit for 2025 taxes? 
• What should you do if the child’s Social Security Number is unavailable when you file?
• How does the Adoption Tax Credit work in conjunction with employee adoption benefits? 
• If you adopt, can you still claim the Child Tax Credit?
• Do you need to send any documentation for the Adoption Tax Credit to the IRS when you file your taxes? 
  • What type of documentation should you keep in your records? For how long?
• How to advocate for refundability? https://adoptiontaxcredit.org

Resources:

• Adoption Tax Credit - Creating a Family Resource Page
• Claiming the Federal Adoption Tax Credit 2015-2024 - Families Rising

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

Question: 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:

• Creating a Family Online Support Group
• Adoption Process & Important Considerations
• Self-Care for Parents and Caregivers

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

Are you considering adoption this year but concerned about how to swing the cost? Join us for a practical conversation about managing the expenses of adoption with Ryan Hanlon, PhD, former president of the National Council for Adoption, an adoption advocacy organization dedicated to research, education, and policy in the service of all members of the adoption community.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How much can hopeful adoptive parents expect to pay for adoption? 
  • Domestic infant adoption? 
  • Adopting from foster care?
  • International adoption?
• What do these expenses cover? 
• Most hopeful adoptive families do not have access to large lump sums of $25,000 and upward. So, what are the different options they can pursue to help them afford an adoption?
  • Adoption Subsidies
  • Adoption Grants/Loans
  • Adoption Tax Credit
• What other methods are available to families to afford adoption? And can you explain the pros and cons of each so families can get a well-rounded view of what to consider?
  • Increase savings / Decrease spending
  • Increase income via a second job, selling things (things you own that you don’t want/need/use; things you can create or offer as services)
  • Employee benefits programs
  • Crowd-sourcing and fundraising, asking for money from family and friends (can be particularly controversial in some circles; take care in sharing the child’s story, etc.) 
• If a family chooses to fundraise, can you offer a few tips that might help them protect the child’s story and proceed ethically?
• Also related to fundraising, what types of fundraisers do you see as most effective? (offering a service, event, or experience vs. donations only, etc.)
• How far in advance do hopeful parents start some of these efforts to afford adoption?
• Can you explain the Adoption Subsidy in more detail? How do hopeful parents determine if they qualify?
• Where do they go to learn about financial resources to help them afford adoption?

Resources: 

•  The Adoption Tax Credit
• Foster Care Adoption Subsidies: What is Reasonable and How to Negotiate
• National Council for Adoption 

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

Question: How do you deal with the emotions of not being able to adopt or foster because your husband doesn't share the desire?

Resources:

• A Reluctant Spouse: When Only One Partner Wants to Adopt
• I Want to Adopt. My Partner Does Not.
• Creating a Family Online Support Group

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

Are you considering adoption to create your family this year? We’ve got answers to all (or most) of your questions. Join our discussion with Molly Berger, MSW, who has been with the Adoption Center of Illinois for 12 years as an adoption social worker. She counts it an honor to work with adoptive families and expectant parents.

In this episode, we discuss:

Part 1: Domestic Infant Private Adoption in the US

• What is the process?
• What are the reasons that pregnant moms are placing their children for adoption?
• Explain the matching process. How do expectant parents find and choose adoptive parents?
• What is The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)?
• What is Open adoption? Why do expectant parents need to educate themselves about open adoption?
• What special needs are common in domestic infant adoptions?
• How long does it take? What factors influence this time?
• How much does it cost? What factors influence this cost?
• How do failed matches impact the cost of adoption (that is, when an expectant mom decides to parent rather than go through with an adoption plan)?
• What are the differences in adopting via an adoption agency or an adoption attorney?
• What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting a baby?

Part 2: Adoptions From Foster Care in the US

• What is the process?
• How do you adopt your foster child (one who has already been placed in your home)?
• How do you go about adopting a waiting child, or one who is not currently placed with your family?
• What are the reasons children come into foster care in the US?
• What ages and races of children are most commonly available for adoption from foster care?
• What are the typical special needs prospective parents should expect to consider?
• How long does it take to adopt from foster care?
• How much does adoption from foster care typically cost?
• What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting from foster care?

Part 3: International Adoptions to the US

• What is the process to adopt from another country?
• What is the Hague Treaty, and why is it important for prospective parents to understand?
• What types of special needs do we most commonly see in children available for adoption from abroad?
• How long does international adoption take? What factors influence this time?
• How much does it cost? What factors influence the expenses?
• What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting internationally?
• Understanding Transracial/Transcultural Adoption
• What is transracial adoption?
• What should prospective parents understand about raising a child from a different culture than their own?
• What are racial mirrors, and why are they valuable for a family considering transracial adoption?

Resources:

• CreatingaFamily.org Adoption Comparison Charts

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

Question: Hello, thank you sincerely for your podcast and the work you do. It has helped me feel less alone and allowed me to better navigate foster parenting and adopting from foster care. My husband and I have two amazing boys; they have the same bio mom, and two older siblings each in a different family. Our youngest is 5. We met when he was 3 months. Our oldest is 8. We met when he was 3. He was removed at birth, then placed with his bio mom at 2 months, removed at 8 months, moved to a new foster family at 10 months, and placed with his legal father at 2.5. His bio mom took him illegally after a few months (with the legal father's consent). When he and his baby brother were removed and placed with us, he was sad and scared. We formally adopted our boys three years ago. He has grown into a beautiful, highly intelligent, and athletic boy. However, he has never accepted me as his mother. 

He refuses affection, pulls away, and looks at me with what I perceive as disgust. We are close with his bio family (siblings and mom), and he is regularly upset that he can't live with his bio mom. Sometimes he blames me. I try to explain, but he shuts me out. His siblings are not with their bio mom either. I keep trying to build a connection, but after 5 years, I am losing hope. It is very easy and natural with my youngest. When we are affectionate, I am afraid my older son will feel left out, but he pushes me away and often won't even let me be near him. When we have special time (just the 2 of us), I plan activities with him that he likes and is excited for, but he often complains and is unhappy during his time with me. He does not remember his life before we met very well, but will recollect things we did and say it was his bio mom. 

His professional evaluations report that he is well adjusted, but my husband and I have concerns. I know this may be normal, but I desperately want to connect with him. The constant rejection is painful. Any tips or advice are greatly appreciated.

Resources:

• Why Foster Kids Create Fantasy Families
• Attachment-Informed Tools for Working with Kids
• 6 Tips for Creating Attachment
• 8 Ways to Strengthen Attachment with Your Child
• Navigating Challenging Behaviors: Practical Strategies for Parents (Free E-Guide)

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

Join us to learn about family rituals—how to create and why they can help build strong families. Our guest will be Elizabeth Barbour, 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 discuss:

• 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

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

Question: We have been matched with an expectant mom due in a couple of months. She is having twins. As we are preparing for the next steps, sleep training has come up frequently in newborn care books. What research is there on the cry-it-out method or other popular sleep training methods in relation to adopted children? We want to make sure they know their needs will be met and build a strong adoption bond, but we also want to eventually work towards them being able to sleep through the night.

Resources:

• Did Denmark Actually Ban "Cry it Out?"
• Video: The Attachment Cycle - Empowered to Connect
• Sleep Issues with Adopted, Foster, or Relative Children
• Balancing Attachment with Getting Sleep

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

Are you looking for practical ways to build your child's resilience and sense of safety, and to strengthen your family's connectedness? Listen to this conversation with Ginger Healy, MSW, LCSW, director of programs for the Attachment & Trauma Network and host of the podcast “Regulated and Relational.” Ginger speaks across the nation on trauma-informed schools, therapeutic parenting, and community engagement.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What made you decide to write a book for educators?
• What were you observing about children’s needs around emotional language, self-regulation, and connection?
• Knowing that at home we often deal with a different rhythm, different dynamics (for example, one caregiver rather than teacher + many students), what initial advice do you have for parents and caregivers to translate this book’s classroom tools into a home context? 
• Why is it essential that children learn social/emotional language — not just “feelings words” but the capacity to talk about self, other, relationships, safety?
• How does having more social/emotional language help a child feel “seen, safe, valued” in a family environment?
• What are the risks when children don’t have that language or opportunity to practice it?
• We often hear culture around us say, “Kids are resilient.” Why is that a misconception, especially in our community of adopted, foster, or relative children?
• Why does a child who has experienced trauma need specific, intentional scaffolding to develop their social/emotional language and build their capacity for emotional strength?
• What are the themes of the workbook that parents or caregivers can bring into their everyday conversations at home?
  • Understanding my story within my family structure
  • Reframing my narrative: navigating family challenges and conflict
  • Building confidence, hope, and a positive future
• Can you suggest a few strategies to get families started with the conversations?
• What if we are struggling with or lacking these skills ourselves? How do we learn them so we can teach and model them?
• What practical strategies can we use to integrate these skills into our daily rhythms?
• How do we know our kids are ready for adjustments in how we practice these skills, or to “level up”?
• How will they know if these strategies are effective? 
• Do you have practical tips for families that want to strengthen their family dynamics but already feel overwhelmed by the long list of To-Dos? 

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

Question: I would love to hear about family profiles for adopting older teens. 

Resources:

• Adopting a Child of a Different Race or Culture
• Adopting Older Kids
• Evaluating Risk Factors in Foster Care Adoption

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

What is it like to be the only biological child in a large transracial adoptive family? Our guest, Elaine Duncan, shares her story of how transcultural adoption impacted her identity and resilience. She is a writer, speaker, and strategist whose work bridges storytelling, healing, and social change. She has a passion for improving outcomes for underserved young people and is currently working on a memoir of her life journey.

In this episode, we discuss: 

• What did your home look like growing up, and what was it like for you to be the only biological child in a transracial/transcultural adoptive family?
• Families who adopt across race or culture often wonder how to bring all of those differences together under one roof. 
• How did your family handle conversations about race, culture, and identity?  Were these things openly acknowledged, celebrated, or avoided?
• How did your parents support (or struggle to support) you in building your own sense of identity — not just as their child, but as an individual?
• Did you ever feel overlooked or lost in the mix? How could parents avoid that happening for their kids?
• What were some of the biggest challenges you carried from growing up in this transracial/transcultural adoptive family?
  • How have those challenges shaped your adult life, relationships, or even your current work?
• What are the gifts or strengths you gained from growing up in such a diverse family?
• Are there ways your unique upbringing has given you perspective, resilience, or empathy that you now value?

Additional Resources:

• Intergenerational Trauma (podcast)
• The Impact of Fostering & Adoption on Kids Already in the Family (free on-demand course)
• Raising a Transracial or Multicultural Child (resource page)

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

Question: I have a friend whose 12-year-old adopted son (adopted at age 6) has been sexually abusing his younger siblings. She self-reported to CPS and law enforcement,  but they have not done a formal removal yet, and their solutions involved bringing the child back home or kinship (not an option). 

The offending child is currently in a temporary behavioral hospital, and a Refusal to Assume Parental Responsibility was opened on my friend because she will not pick him up, especially not until he receives specialized treatment for sexual aggression. The other children deserve a safe home to heal. Has anyone been through this before? If, after treatment, she still does not feel like it's in the children's best interest for him to return home, what are her options? 

Resources:

• Resources for Finding an Adoption-Competent Therapist
• Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery & Education
• Helping a Child Heal from Sexual Abuse

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

We're thrilled to introduce you to our new Executive Director, Linda Fiore. Listen to today's conversation about her journey to Creating a Family and where we're heading in this next chapter under her leadership.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What first brought you into the world of adoption, foster care, and kinship care?
• When you started out, what was your “why”?
• What values or goals drove your work in those earliest years?
• What was your first introduction to Creating a Family?
• When presented with the opportunity to pursue the position of Executive Director, what was it about our mission or the organization’s evolution that drew your interest?
• How did you know this was the right next step for you?
• What are the pivotal lessons or challenges that shaped your leadership approach?
• When you look at where Creating a Family stands today, what are our greatest strengths?
• Kinship care has become a growing focus area for us. Why do you think kinship support is so critical right now?
• What are some of the plans Creating a Family has to deepen our impact in this space?
• Our online education programs reach families and professionals across the country. From your experiences in the field, why is education so crucial in these spaces?
• As we continue to raise awareness of who we are and how we serve this community, what message do you want people to associate with Creating a Family?
• What stories or values do you hope will come through most clearly?
• Where do you think Creating a Family is heading in the next few years?
• Your “why” has probably evolved — what keeps you going now?
• What’s one thing you’ve learned that you hope every family advocate carries with them from today’s conversation?
• Finally, for those listening or reading who are inspired — individuals, professionals, or organizations — what can they do to join the mission of Creating a Family? 

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

Question: Help for a youth dealing with being bullied because they are in foster care?

Resources:

• 5 Steps to Effectively Advocate for a Child Who is Being Bullied
• Are Transracial Adoptees More Likely to Be Bullied?
• Helping Our Kids Cope with Bullies at School
• StopBullying.gov

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

Do you feel like raising a child with a history of trauma has stirred up your own traumatic past? If you wonder how to parent from a position of healing, listen to this conversation with Dr. Robyn Koslowitz. She is a psychologist, trauma expert, and author of the new book, Post-Traumatic Parenting: Break the Cycle, Become the Parent You Always Wanted to Be.

In this episode, we discuss:

• You open your book by saying, ‘It’s not you, it’s your trauma.’ That feels like both a relief and a challenge. Can you unpack that for parents and caregivers who blame themselves for every misstep in their parenting?
• When you use the term post-traumatic parent, what do you mean? How does that differ from saying ‘parent with trauma’ or ‘healed parent’?
• Many caregivers feel haunted by an internal guilt that says, “How can I give what I never received?” How can parents or caregivers move from guilt to agency—without glossing over the pain?
• What are the 5 post-traumatic parenting defaults you identify in your book? What do they look like in real-life moments of parenting? 
• How does a parent choose not to opt into those old trauma-driven defaults (e.g., yelling, withdrawal, overcontrol) in the moment? 
• The metaphor of trauma as an app
• What is the concept of cycle-breaking versus cycle-making, and how is it valuable for breaking those unhealthy parenting patterns?
• What are some practical applications of this post-traumatic parenting reframe? 
• How can a parent create and maintain trauma-responsive routines or rituals that will increase a child’s sense of felt safety, without being rigid or feeling like a bunch of rules they must follow?

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