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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you considering adopting this year? Don't miss this podcast on how to adopt in 2024. Our guests are Teresa Bernu, the Associate Director at the Adoption Center of Illinois, and Steve Valdez, the Chief Operating Officer at Hand in Hand International Adoptions. Teresa Bernu has over 13 years of experience in the child welfare field, dealing with a wide range of cases, including domestic infant adoption, foster care, and guardianship. Steve Valdez holds a B.A. in Public Relations, a Master of Divinity, and an M.A. in Psychology. He’s an adopted dad of 5 kids through foster care adoption.In this episode, we cover:Domestic infant private adoption in the USWhat is the process?What are the reasons that pregnant moms are placing their child?Open adoptionExpectant parent choiceSpecial needs of children availableHow long does it take? What factors influence this time?How much does it cost? What factors influence this cost?Adoption agency and ado

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Adoption:Cost of Adoption: How Much? How Long?Adoption Comparison ChartsWe surveyed our Facebook community, and we discuss how our members paid for their adoptions.How to Save for Adoption the Dave Ramsey WayThis 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 the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-i

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you thought about adopting or fostering as a single parent? Join us to listen to a panel of single adoptive parents share the joys and challenges of this option.In this episode, we cover:What were your biggest worries when you were thinking about fostering or adopting as a single person?Adopting or fostering a child of a different gender—what are some things parents need to consider?Who is a part of your “village” in helping you?How do you handle the work/life balance as a single parent?Change in friend groups.What has been your biggest blessing or joy as a single adoptive or foster parent?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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: I want to foster children, but my husband is against it. Our kids are 5 and 3 years old, and I really want to keep on having kids through fostering. I think I’m a good mom, and I think I’d do great at fostering. My husband thinks we have our hands full with 2 kids. He thinks adding other kids with possible behavioral problems will sink us.Resources:Welcoming a New Child into Your HomeHelping Children Heal From TraumaParenting Kids with Challenging BehaviorsThis 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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How can we raise joyful resilient kids? We talk with Dr. Mona Delahooke, a clinical child psychologist and the author of Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids.In this episode, we cover:“Too often we are focused on the child’s behavior instead of the child. We are concerned about solving problems rather than cultivating the relationship.”A child’s behavior is a clue for us parents to understand what is going on inside the child.No one-size fits all approach to child rearing. What’s most important isn’t the rules, but the child. We must understand how our parenting is landing on our child. Personalize our parenting.Three pathways to the mind-body platform.Body budgeting.The distinction between behaviors that seems to be defensive but are actually protective.How do you approach tantrums in a preschooler?How to co-regulate with our child and why?How to build resiliency in our children?This podc

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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 TraumaPractical Guide to Parenting a Child Exposed to TraumaThe Explosive Child  by Ross GreeneThis 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.c

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Join us to learn about family rituals—how to create and why you should. Our guest will be Elizabeth Barbour is 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 cover:Why are rituals important for families?Define the culture of family-this is who we areThis is what we doWhat’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 nightsgratitude practicesprayer and meditationfamily altarstravelvolunteering togetherWhen families are created through adoption, any specific rituals that can help them? TipsKeep it simpleGet input from all members of the familyConsistencyThis podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kins

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: How do you know when it is time to stop infertility treatments and move on to another option, including adoption?Resources:Parenting After InfertilityAdoption OptionsAdoption Comparison ChartsThis 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 the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informe

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you dread the teen years? Or, if you're in the midst of parenting teens, do you struggle to find ways to connect? This week, we interview Dr. Melody Aguayo, a parenting coach specializing in working with at-risk children and their families and the founder of Real Child Consulting, LLC. She is the mom of two adopted kids.In this episode, we cover:Parents wonder why their easy and natural connection with their kids changed, and they now feel on the outs and have to work harder. What is the developmental stage that is happening between the ages of about 13 and 18 or 19? Teens act like they don’t need us when I believe they need us even more to be present, but in a distinctly different way. I think that our emotions as a parent can sometimes interfere with connecting.Change our expectation of what “connection” means with teens.Parents report feeling powerless in parenting when their kids reach their teen years. What is the essence of our po

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Additional Resources:Virtual Twins Through Adoption: An Adoptee's PerspectiveAdopting More Than One ChildAdopting Out of Birth Order and Artificial TwinningThis 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 the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you ever considered adopting a child from foster care? Check out our interview with Erica Jourdan, the Founder of Adoption Options Consulting, where she provides support to families looking to adopt older children from foster care. She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) at Flourish Counseling and Wellness. And Angelica Jones, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and the Intensive Service Foster Care Recruiter and Trainer at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services in Los Angeles. She is a current foster parent and has experience working with prospective and adoptive parents in the foster care program.In this episode, we cover:What are the different ways to adopt from foster care? (adopting children whose parental rights have already been terminated or adopting a child who you have been fostering when their parental rights are terminated)What types of kids are available for adoption from foster care? Age, gender,

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: My nephew came to live with us last March. He’s a great kid who deserves better than he had, but his pickiness with food is driving me crazy. He eats only white carbs. Even his mac and cheese has to have white cheese on it.Resources:Food Issues with Adopted, Foster, and Kinship KidsPicky Eating and Other Food IssuesPractical Ideas to Help Your Child Overcome Food IssuesThis 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-profi

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Join us for a discussion of how adoption looks and feels from all sides of the adoption triad. Our guests will be the authors Sara Easterly, Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and Lori Holden of their new book, Adoption Unfiltered .In this episode, we cover:Adoptee Perspective:23 adoptees contributed to this section of the book. What are some of the issues adoptees may face?Compliance and people-pleasingFantasy AttachmentsShameInterracial AdopteesThe Danger in the Rescue NarrativeRole of religion in adoption for adoptees, birth mothers/expectant mothers, and adoptive parentsBirth Mother:Before birth mothers get the chance to ask for help, they ask for mercy. Advertisements and search algorithms when searching for adoption informationLack of neutral supportLack of post-placement support—lingering trauma and grief—It’s a different type of grief and trauma.Adoptive ParentInsecurity—who’s the real parentAdoption Unfiltered OnlineThis podcast is produced

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Q: I adopted my son four months ago. It took me almost 3 years, and I am supposed to be living my dream. Instead, I feel frustrated, sad, and sometimes even angry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s not like my hormones are all messed up from giving birth.Resources:Post Adoption DepressionCreating a Family Online Facebook Support Group for Adoptive, Foster, & Kinship ParentsParenting After InfertilityThis 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.o

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Join us as we talk about various holiday-related situations that can arise with foster, adoptive, and kinship families. Our guests will be Janice Goldwater, MSW, the CEO of Paths for Families; Courtney Tierra, a birth mom, educator, and storyteller; and Christa Hefel, MPH with the State of Iowa Four Oaks Foster and Adoptive Family Connections, and foster mom and mom of 10 children through birth and adoption.In this episode, we talk about:Incorporating very different traditions around the holidays. Differences in gift-giving styles. Managing expectations of giftsIncorporating birth family How do we handle grandparents/older relatives who are very vocal about current affairs, race issues, politics, government systems (foster system) in earshot of kids?Child is of a different religion or no religion. If the holiday is religious, how to handle with adoption or fostering?What do you do when grandparents show a clear preference for biological grandch

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.The Ethics Committee of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine has stated that the correct term for donating unused embryos to another couple for family building is embryo donation rather than embryo adoption. But since many people looking for information on this option continue to call it embryo adoption, we sometimes use both terms to aid in finding our materials. Further, there are a few adoption agencies that have an embryo donation program; they follow an adoption model, and they call it embryo adoption.Resources:Embryo DonationDisclosing Donor Conception to Our KidsSuggested Books for Kids Conceived Through Donor 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 pos

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.You're really going to want to tune in to hear the story of triplets separated at birth through adoption. It is particularly interesting to hear how they have processed the experience differently and how they feel about adoption.In this episode, we talk about:Kathleen’s (the birth mom) experience. Why did she decide to place two of the babies for adoption?When did you find out you were triplets?What was the agreement at the time of adoption about the degree of openness?Was this openness agreement followed, and how do you feel about that?The podcast focuses on the loss of the sibling connection. How did the separation affect each of you?How do/did Kendall and Julianne feel the loss of your birth mom and not being parented by her?Primal Wound?The focus in the podcast, understandably, was on the reunion of the three sisters. However, I’m curious about the reunion between Jules and Kenny and Kathleen, their birth mom.Feeling the odd one out? D

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Resources:Foster Care AdoptionBecoming a Foster ParentChoosing a Foster Care AgencyThis 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 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 buildin

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.If you are thinking about adoption, you've likely considered the possibility that you will be adopting a child in another state. In this episode, we talk about everything involved with this process. Our guests are Jim Thompson, an adoption attorney and the author of the book South Carolina Adoption Law and Practice. He has been a Fellow of the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys since 1993 and Joan Smith, the District Supervisor of the Pittsburgh office of Adoptions From the Heart.In this episode, we cover:Infant AdoptionIs it possible to adopt an infant in another state?How does a prospective adoptive parent find an expectant mother in another state?What things must prospective adoptive parents be cautious of when looking for expectant parents in another state, especially if they are not working with an adoption professional?How does the domestic infant adoption process differ when the adoptive parents and the expect

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Resources:Adoption Comparison ChartsCost of AdoptionUS Department of State - Intercountry AdoptionFind an agencyThis 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 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