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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have mealtimes become a battleground in your house, is your child a picky eater, or do you have a child who eats too much? We provide lots of tips in our conversations with Dr. Katja Rowell, a family doctor and author of Love Me, Feed Me, 2nd edition, and Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating. She has a special interest in supporting foster and adoptive parents.In this episode, we cover:What are some of the typical food issues for adopted or foster kids, especially those who have experienced trauma?How does trauma impact feeding?Responsive eating leaves space to recognize what the body needs.What do you mean by felt safety and focusing on connection?What is a responsive and flexible framework for feeding kids with brain-based differences?How to best deal with kids who are significantly underweight.How to best handle extreme pickiness.How to handle children who are eating too much, emotional eaters, or who are overweight.Why do kids from

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you planning on claiming the Adoption Tax Credit when you file your taxes this year? If so, this is the podcast for you! We talk with two of the top experts in the US on the Adoption Tax Credit: 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 the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC).In this episode, we cover:What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2022 federal taxes?How to advocate for refundability?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 types of adoptions are included or excluded? Stepparent adoption? Embryo adoption? Same-sex partner second-parent ad

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you thinking about adopting this year? You don't want to miss this discussion of how to adopt and current trends in private infant adoption, foster care adoption, and international adoption. Our guests are Chris Peszka, MSW, Regional and District Supervisor at Adoptions From The Heart Adoption Agency, and Robin Sizemore, Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions.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 adoption attorneyWhat is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting a baby?Adoptions from foster care in the USWhat is the process?Adopting your foster childAdopting a waiting chil

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How do you know when enough is enough? What do you do when infertility treatment and adoption don't end up with you having a child. Join us to talk with Rebecca and Sallyann Majoya, co-authors of the memoir Uncertain Fruit, and Carole LieberWilkins, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist providing individual and couples counseling, as well as psychoeducational consultations, for those moving into alternative paths to parenthood and living child-free.In this episode, we cover:Deciding to live child-free is becoming increasingly common in the US. Research has found that 30 percent of women of childbearing age identifying wanting to live child-free. However, that is not reflective of the people we are speaking to who have likely tried infertility treatment or adoption and it hasn’t worked for them.What is the right name: childfree or childless? Are you childfree by choice or childfree not by choice?Age is less of a biological cut off point

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are adoptive parents eligible for parental leave? What about foster parents or kinship parents? We talk with Dr. Amy Beacom and Sue Campbell, with the Center for Parental Leave Leadership and co-authors of The Parental Leave Playbook.In this episode, we cover:What are the laws and rules surrounding parental leave in the US?Who is eligible for parental leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?Parental leave on the company levelHow does parental leave differ from maternity leave paternity leave?Policies that require employees to pay back their parental leave if they do not stay employed with the company/organization for a certain period of time. How does this differ from other countries?Are the laws/rules different for mothers and fathers? Are they gender neutral?Do you receive your salary when you are on parental leave?Does parental leave differ for someone adopting a child?Are adoptive families are protected under the Family and Medi

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.We talk with Isaac and Julie Etter, a mom and son, about what they have learned about transracial adoption and what they wish they had known at the beginning. Isaac is the founder of Identity, a startup focused on using technology to help adoptive and foster families thrive. Julie Etter is a mom of five and a humanities teacher.In this episode, we cover:Isaac, tell us your adoption story from your perspective. Why were you placed for adoption? What were the first two years of your life like? Where you were raised?Julie, what was your motivation for adopting? Were there other children in the family?What was the racial demographics of your community?Julie, what were you taught about transracial adoption before you adopted?Isaac, how did you identify racially as a young child? When did you start identifying as black?Did you experience racism growing up?Julie, did you see racism directed towards Isaac as a child?Did you tell your parents?Julie, wha

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How do some kids survive a life of poverty, homelessness, abuse, and foster and eventually thrive? We talk with David Ambroz is a national poverty and child welfare expert and advocate and the author of the memoir, A Place Called Home.  He was recognized by President Obama as an American Champion of Change. Currently serving as the Head of Community Engagement (West) for Amazon, Ambroz previously led Corporate Social Responsibility for Walt Disney Television, and has served as president of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission as well as a California Child Welfare Council member. After growing up homeless and then in foster care, he graduated from Vassar College and later earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law. He is a foster dad and lives in Los Angeles, CA.In this episode, we cover:Poverty and Homelessness:His story.SchoolWhat made a difference?What should adults who encounter or work with homeless children/youth know?Foster Care:His stor

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How much do you really know about your fertility, menstrual cycles, and conception? Join us to learn more with Dr. Joyce Harper, a Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, and the head of the Reproductive Science and Society Group. She is the author of  Your Fertile Years.In this episode, we cover:Understanding the menstrual cycleUnderstanding the basic of conceptionPredicting ovulationBasics of InfertilityWhat percentage of infertility is caused by the female partner, the male partner, or both?What causes a woman to not ovulate?Initial workup for women who meet the definition of infertilityWorkup for Recurrent Pregnancy LossTreatment Options for Infertility How does the infertility workup differ for the LGBTQ+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Non-binary, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Gender Nonconforming Individuals)? This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. W

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you a foster or adoptive parent whose child is taking mood altering medications or medications to help them sleep? You will learn a lot about these medications and what you can do to make them as effective as possible. We talk with Dr. Adam Langenfeld, a Developmental Pediatrician at Children's Minnesota hospital. He also has a Ph.D. in chemistry.In this episode, we cover:What are psychotropic medications?What are the classes of psychotropic medications? What are some commonly prescribed medications in each class?What mental health issues are these medications addressing?Symptoms of anxiety and depression in children.Situational anxiety or depression. SCARED checklist anxiety Childhood Depression InventoryHow do psychotropic medications work? A basic overview of Psych Pharmacology.Simulation of a brain synapsisHow are medications in each of these classes administered?Does timing of the day matter?How effective is melatonin? Does proxim

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you wonder if your child was prenatally exposed to alcohol or drugs? There may be nothing in the files, but something feels not right? We talk about diagnosing and treating these kids with Dr. Larry Burd, a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and the Director of the North Dakota Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center.In this episode, we cover:Most of our audience is foster, adoptive, and kinship parents and professionals. Often they don’t know for sure if a child has been exposed. The US government estimates that about 10% of all children in the US have been prenatally exposed to alcohol or drugs. Do you have a feel for the percentage of children in foster care or who have been involved with the child welfare system? International adoption? Domestic infant adoption?Does prenatal exposure increase the likelihood of a disruption to a foster or adoptive placement? How is prenatal exposure to alcohol detected or d

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you a transracial adoptive or foster parent? Have you wondered how you can help your child form a healthy racial identity. Does racial identity formation change depending on the race of the child? Today we talk about all this and more with Dr. Gina Miranda Samuels, a professor at the University of Chicago and Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture. She is a transracial adoptee and co-author of the book Multiracial Cultural Attunement.In this episode, we cover:How do children in the US come to understand race at different ages and developmental stages?How early do children develop a racial bias? How early do children associate certain characteristics to race and show a preference towards a person of a certain race? How does transracial adoption or fostering or kinship care impact a child’s understanding of race?How does transracial or transcultural adoption or fostering or kinship care impact children? Racial iden

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What are the common health issues foster parents and those adopting from foster care should expect? We talk with Christy Street, Program Director of Fostering Health NC, which is a program of North Carolina Pediatric Society.In this episode, we cover:Term “health” broadly to encompass physical, emotional, mental, behavioral, developmental, educational, and oral health.Impact of trauma on kids physical and mental health.Those areas of the brain most affected by trauma, especially early trauma, are those involved in stress response, emotional regulation, attention, cognition, executive function, and memory. An issue with foster care parenting is limited access to health care before entering foster care and lack of knowledge about previous health care. How does this impact care and what can foster or adoptive parents do?The role of transience and uncertainty for kids in foster care provides challenges for foster parents and doctors in providing he

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you thinking about using donor sperm, egg, or embryo or using a surrogate? We talk about the current trends in third party reproduction with Corey Burke, an embryologist and Tissue Bank Director at Cryos International Sperm & Egg Bank.In this episode, we cover:What do we mean by third-party reproduction?What are some of the current trends in sperm donation? What are some of the current trends in egg donation?What are some of the current trends in surrogacy?What are some of the current trends in embryo donation?  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/cr

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Is your child more challenging than most? Do typical parenting approaches not work? We talk about how to parent harder-to- parent kids with Dr. Ross Greene, the originator of the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions parenting model, a non-punitive, non-adversarial, trauma-informed model of care. Dr. Greene is a clinical psychologist, former Harvard professor, and the author The Explosive Child and Raising Human Beings.In this episode, we cover:Why are some kids “harder to parent”?How does trauma impact a child’s behavior?How does innate temperament or genetics impact behavior?What is the collaborative partnership approach?3 Steps to the Collaborative & Proactive approach are:The Empathy step – involves gathering information so as to achieve the clearest understanding of the kid’s concern or perspective about a given unsolved problem.The Define Adult Concern step involves the adult sharing their perspective.The Invitation step involves ha

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you ever thought about adopting a child from abroad? What does it take and what type of kids are available? To learn more, listen to our interview with Robin Sizemore, Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions, who has worked in the international adoption field for 27 years and Debbie Price, Executive Director of Children’s House International and who has worked in international adoption for 28 years. In this episode, we cover:Outline of the typical international adoption process.What type of kids are available for international adoption?What is the youngest child available?Is it possible to get a young healthy child or baby?International adoption regulations.What governmental entities are involved in international adoption?How to decide on what country to adopt from? Will the country accept you? Does the country place children that you think your family is a good fit for?What are some of the country-specific requirements for adoptive pare

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you getting ready to adopt or have just adopted? Do you wonder what the experience will really be like and what you can do to prepare? Join our conversation with Dr. Jennifer Bliss, LCSW and Director of Adoptions and Foster Care at Vista Del Mar and Family Services in Los Angeles; and Molly Berger, MSW and Adoption Social Worker at Adoption Center of Illinois.In this episode, we cover:Domestic Infant Adoption:ProcessTypical stresses adoptive parents feelLack of sleepNot deserving to complainFeeling like a babysitterNot feeling love at first siteImpact of infertility struggles on transitioning into parenthoodStresses with parenting a child with neonatal abstinence syndromeStresses with open adoptionOlder child adoption through foster care or international adoption:ProcessTypical stresses adoptive parents feelUnrealistic expectations of the child and of yourselfLove at first siteFeeling like a babysitterLanguage issuesCultural issuesParental

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What's IVF like for the male partner? We spend a lot of time talking about the experience of infertility treatment for the person going through treatment, but what about their partner? We talk with Keegan Prue, the author of "The IVF Dad." He and his wife Olivia went through two rounds of IVF and suffered two miscarriages before welcoming their daughter. In this episode, we cover:Tell us your story to parenthood.The imagined role of the male partner: strong, supportive, and not needing support.Media messages about men that impact how they can respond to infertility: men take action to fix problems, showing emotion makes you weak, real men don’t ask for or need help, real men are virile, being a father is part of what makes you a man.What are some things that you learned that the male partner can do to improve the quality or quantity of sperm.What are some common emotions men or those supporting a person trying to get pregnant mig

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you think your child or your family would benefit from counseling? How do you find the right therapist and how can you tell in advance if they will be a good fit for your family? We talk with Debbie Riley, a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and CEO of the Center for Adoption Support and Education.In this episode, we cover:What type of professional can provide therapy to an adopted or foster child or family?What’s the difference between being adoption competent and adoption informed?Why is competency in adoption or foster issues important?What do we mean be an “adoption competent therapist”? What makes a therapist adoption competent?Is adoption/foster competence the same as trauma competence?How can you tell if a therapist is competent to handle adoption or foster issues? Are there specific trainings that provide adoption competency?Creating a Family provides a list of ways to find an adoption competent therapist on our Adoptio

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you ever thought about becoming a foster parent? If so, this is the podcast for you! We talk with Arnie Eby, the Executive Director of the National Foster Parent Association and a foster parent for 22 years; and Angie Jones, a licensed clinical social worker and the Intensive Service Foster Care Recruiter and Trainer at Vista Del Mar, an agency placing foster children.In this episode, we cover:What is the goal of the foster care system?How to become a foster parent?What are the typical requirements for becoming a foster parent? What disqualifies you to become a foster parent?What type of pre-service training is involved?How long does it usually take to become a licensed foster parent?Who licenses foster parents?What types of questions should parents ask when deciding on which agency to work with?What are the different levels of licensing for foster homes? Do foster parents get paid?Can you foster if you rent your home or apartment?Does one

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.We talk today with Sarah Naish, the CEO of the Center of Excellence in Child Trauma and founder of the National Association of Therapeutic Parents. She is the author of "The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting" and "The A-Z of Survival Strategies for Therapeutic Parents." She is the adoptive mom to a sibling group of 5 who are now adults and she has fostered over 40 kids.In this episode, we cover:Why are some kids harder to parent and why especially are kids who have experienced trauma, including prenatal trauma, often harder to parent?Understanding the cause of the behavior is the root of parenting harder to parent kids.Establish the basics to make their lives predictable so they can feel safe and grow and heal. The elements for establishing this base:RoutinesEstablish yourself as a safe base-empathetic and nurturing but in controlRespond to the child, not to the child’s demandBe honest about their story, contact, etc. – be factua