Creating A Family: Talk About Infertility, Adoption & Foster Care

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you think your child was exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy? If so, a diagnosis can help your child access services and support. Check out this show with Dr. Yasmin Senturias, a developmental-behavioral pediatric specialist with 28 years of experience in developmental pediatrics and prenatal substance exposure. She worked with the American Academy of Pediatrics on developing their FASD Toolkit.In this episode, we cover:Prenatal Drug ExposureDo the impacts differ depending on what drug the child was exposed to? What’s the difference between Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) or Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). Short-term impacts? Is the impact less severe for legal drugs, such as nicotine and marijuana?Is the impact less severe for legal medications used to treat substance abuse disorders in pregnant women? What are the medical disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) or International Classification of Dis

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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you struggling to feel connected to your child? Do you sometimes wish you could turn the clock back and not be parenting this child? If so, you need to listen to this interview with Melissa Corkum, adoptee, adoptive mom, and co-author of Reclaim Compassion: The Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Overcoming Blocked Care with Neuroscience and Faith.In this episode, we cover:What is blocked care, and how does it differ from blocked trust?What is the attachment cycle?What is the blocked care cycle?Does it only happen when parenting children with more extreme behavior issues?What causes a well-meaning parent not to be able to attach and bond with their adopted child?Is it more common with kinship caregivers—especially non-grandparents?What are the common emotions for parents who are experiencing blocked care?Ten signs of blocked care. To take the free assessment.   What can we do about this feeling of not liking or loving our child? We’ll give some spec

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: We are close to adopting two kids from foster care. Is there somewhere that shows the possible options for things we should ask for in adoption assistance?  I don’t want to rely just on the child welfare office to hopefully tell us all the possible options. Resources:Josh Kroll, Adoption Subsidy Resource Center, Families Rising (Formerly NACAC)joshk@nacac.org651-644-3036, extension 115Foster Care Subsidies: What is Reasonable and How to Negotiate (On-Demand course on CreatingaFamilyEd.org)This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport th

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you thinking about domestic infant adoption? This is an interview you must listen to! We talk with adoption medicine pediatrician, Dr. Todd Ochs, about common risk factors you should know about before adopting an infant.In this episode, we cover:Common Risk Factors in Domestic Infant AdoptionLack of prenatal care.Why do expectant moms who are considering making an adoption plan often have limited prenatal care?What is covered in prenatal care and how might a lack of prenatal care impact a baby?PrematurityWhat causes a premature birth?Poor prenatal care?Are expectant moms who are considering making an adoption plan more likely to have a premature birth?What are the risks with a premature birth based on the degree of prematurity?Prenatal exposureAlcoholWhat are some red flags that a mom might have abused alcohol during her pregnancy?Does the degree of impact differ depending on when alcohol was consumed in the pregnancy?What are the long- and

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Listener Response: An aspect of adopting that we didn’t hear about was how your mental health is challenged throughout the process. It’s a roller coaster of emotions, and this isn’t discussed as often as organic issues such as drug or alcohol use. Resources:Creating a Family Online Support GroupAdoption Process & Important ConsiderationsSelf-Care for Parents and CaregiversThis podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen 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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit w

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you want to raise a child that can bounce back from all the hard stuff life throws at them? Join us to talk about this with Dr. Caroline Leaf, a communication pathologist and clinical and cognitive neuroscientist. She is the author of several books, including Switch on Your Brain, Think Learn Succeed, and How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess.In this episode, we cover:The mind/brain/body connection.The neurocycle.5-step process to build resilience in your child.How to apply this process to children who have experienced trauma?How can social media affect a youth’s resilience?This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of fam

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: We’ve been waiting for a little over a year, and so far, no birth mom has asked to meet with us. I think we need to revamp our profile book.Resources:What is an Adoptive Parent Profile? (Resource page)Understanding the Birth Parent's Experience (Resource page)Adoption Process & Important Considerations (Resources)This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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 ado

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know, has done it again with another wonderful memoir about growing up as a transracial adoptee and then losing both her adoptive parents. A Living Remedy is a story about family love and loss, regardless of how the family is formed.In this episode, we discuss:Family love. You were well, if not always perfectly, loved.You were temperamentally different from your parents, especially your dad. This may be more common in adoption. How did these differences impact you growing up?Things my mom sent me, I sent my mom, my mom gave me. Growing out of the socioeconomic level you were raised in.Your mother thought you were ashamed of them. What is middle class?There is a big difference between being working class and middle class.“Our “broke” bore no resemblance to my parent's “broke.” …We always had options.The impact of lack of money on health.Impact of Covid on families trying to care for loved ones.Your s

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: We are adopting an 8-year-old little girl from the country of Georgia. I would love some concrete tips on how our family (four bio kids) can best communicate with her and foster attachment despite the language barrier. Are there any tools you can recommend or strategies to help non-English speaking adoptees feel more comfortable in their new environment?Resources:Creating and Cultivating Attachment (Resource Guide)Sibling Relationships (Resource Guide)Traveling With Newly Adopted Children (Podcast)Preparing Children for the Adoption of a Sibling (Suggested Books)This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPleas

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.We talk to our kids all day, but how can we use these conversations to help them reach their full potential? Our guest is Rebecca Roland, a speech pathologist, Harvard lecturer, and author of the book The Art of Talking with Children.In this episode, we discuss:What is rich talk, and why is it important?You talk about different types of conversations. What are some of the different conversations we should have with our children?Conversations for learning.Conversations for empathy.Conversations for social skills.Conversations for confidence and independence.Conversations for building relationships.Conversations for openness.Conversations to promote joy and creativity.This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based conten

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: Last week my husband and I flew across the country to meet our potential adoptive baby. We had been matched 5 weeks earlier and were full of happiness. We’ve always known the risks of having a fall through but based on the case, we didn’t think it would be the case. It was.  Despite being in contact with birthmom via email and text, getting her updates and baby pictures, she ghosted us and the agency. We met her and birthfather, she let us take pictures holding the baby and gave the agency’s social worker some missing paperwork. She had a change of heart last minute which is fine, but what made things more painful was that she never informed us.Resources:Failed Adoption Matches: How Common? How Costly? How to Survive?Twelve Signs that an Adoption May FailA Panel of Birth Moms Talk About AdoptionThis podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What are the microaggressions or stigmas in the world of adoption and how do they impact adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents?  We talk with Dr. Amanda Baden, a Professor and the Doctoral Program Director at Montclair State University in the graduate counseling program and a licensed psychologist in private practice in Manhattan. She is an adult adoptee from Hong Kong and an adoptive parent of a daughter from China.In this episode, we cover:What are microaggessions in general and how do they apply to adoption? These microaggressions apply to all members of the adoption kinship network (adoptees; adoptive parents, grandparents, siblings; first/birth parents/grandparents).Where do some of the unconscious attitudes and stigmas toward adoption come from? Common microaggression themes for adoptees:biology is best/normative is based upon the belief that biological ties are superior, more permanent, and more authentic than ties formed through

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question:  Is it possible to adopt a child from another state, provided that all parental rights were terminated on both mother and father’s sides?  What extra complications or legalities do families adopting out of state face?Resources:Adopting a Child Out of State (Parent Training Education Course)Foster Care AdoptionDomestic Infant AdoptionWorking with an Adoption AttorneyThis podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen 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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit wi

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How can you create an adoptive parent profile to help you stand out and show what makes you unique? To find out, join our guests Erin Quick, the Founder and CEO of PairTree and an adoptive mom, and Jess Nelson, the profile creation provider at Pairtree and a two-time birth mom.In this episode, we cover:What are Adoptive Parent Profiles?What other names might they go by?Each agency or attorney has their own preference, but the goal is to be yourself and to represent your family honestly. What are the different ways that agencies use profiles?Do agencies share your home study with the expectant mom or couple?How many profiles is an expectant mother or couple usually given to look at?Does each adoption agency or adoption attorney have different info they want you to share?What are the elements of a “good” profile?What should be on your cover?What sections/topics should you include?Should you discuss your thoughts on openness in adoption?Is a “clos

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question:  How are pre-adoptive matches made in foster care? I’ve heard that families may even need to network with social workers to be noticed when possible matches come up, but I’m not sure how matches are made. Resources:Working as Part of a Foster Care TeamFoster Care AdoptionPractical Tips for Fostering a Sibling GroupThis podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen 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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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, f

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Join us for a wonderful discussion with author and performer Susan Kiyo Ito about her new memoir, I Would Meet You Anywhere. This is a book adoptive parents should read!In this episode, we cover:It felt like much of the tension between you and your birth mother was due to her desire to keep you a secret and your desire to be seen. And also her desire to be in control of this relationship.The harsh reality that adoption reunions between adoptees and birth families can be fraught with lots of conflicting emotions. In the book I Would Meet You Anywhere, you describe this tension. “Once again, I was the secret held by our mother. I was wilting under the weight of all the not telling. Still, I couldn't resist Yumi’s siren call. I would crash on the rocks of her.” It’s not about us—the adoptive parents. It was your quest to be whole. Talk with us about your relationship with your parents—your adoptive parents –and yet still feeling a longing to

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: We are in the process of deciding whether to adopt, we have decided to give up on fertility treatment. As I listened to your podcast, I thought it would be good to ask you what you wish you had known before you had adopted?Resources:Creating and Cultivating AttachmentHelping a Child Heal from TraumaPost-Adoption DepressionThis podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen 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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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 ado

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Could you qualify for the Adoption Tax Credit? Find out by listening to this podcast with Becky Wilmoth, an Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist with Bill’s Tax Service, and Josh Kroll, the Adoption Subsidy Resource Center coordinator at Families Rising (formerly the NACAC).In this episode, we cover:What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2023 federal taxes?What is a “credit” and how does it differ from a deduction or some other form of tax savings?If you get a tax refund every year, how would you use the Adoption Tax Credit?If you don’t have any federal tax liability, should you still apply the credit to your federal income taxes?What type of adoptions are included or excluded? Stepparent adoption? Embryo adoption? Same-sex partner second parent adoption? Unmarried heterosexual second parent adoption? Surrogacy?Can you get credit for each adoption you complete even if completed in the same year? What about ad

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question:   What questions should a pre-adoptive family ask about a possible match when adopting from foster care to determine whether the match would be a good fit for the family? Resources:Adopting from Foster CareFoster Care Resource Guide for ParentsCreating a Family Facebook Support GroupThis podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen 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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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