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

Do you serve kinship families and are wondering how to best to meet their needs? We talk about kinship navigator programs with Stephanie Perkowski is a Social Worker and Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago; Julia Donovan, the Program Director of Ohio’s statewide Kinship and Adoption Navigator program, OhioKAN; and Tia-Maria Smith, the Program Director for Pennsylvania KinConnector which helps informal and formal kinship families find the information, resources, and emotional support they need. In this episode, we cover:What are navigator programs?Who usually sets up either kinship or adoption navigator programs?How are kinship navigator programs funded?How to get these programs evidenced-based and why is that important?How do kinship or adoptive families find out about them?What type of advertising is effective?What works in making the site user-friendly?What type of resources should be included in navigator programs?How to evaluate the effectiveness of navigator programs?Resources: htt

Join us as Dr. Bruce Perry answers your questions about how trauma impacts adoptive, foster, and kinship kids and families. Dr. Bruce Perry, is a child psychiatrist and neuroscientist, the principal of the Neurosequential Network, Senior Fellow of The ChildTrauma Academy, and adjunct Professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago. He is the author the numerous books including co-author along with Oprah Winfrey of What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, and co-author of The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog.In this episode, we cover:The shift in perspective from what’s wrong with you to what happened to you--the ability to understand seemingly senseless behavior by looking at what’s behind it.What do you include as “trauma”? How severe does it have to be to impact us later in life?We hear foster, adoptive, and kinship parents say, “she was only neglected.” Is neglect less harmful than abuse?When siblings are separated in foster care and parents are taken completel

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you planning on claiming the Adoption Tax Credit this year? We talk 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 the North American Council on Adoptable Children.In this episode, we cover:What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2021 federal taxes? $14,440 per childIt is a non-refundable tax credit. 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 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 g

If you have unexplained infertility, what are your chances of ultimately having a baby—either through infertility treatment or natural conception? We talk with Dr. Denis Vaughan, a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist at Boston IVF and a Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School. He was the principal investigator on the study "Long-term reproductive outcomes in patients with unexplained infertility". In this episode, we cover:What year was the original FASTT trial and what were the findings?What is unexplained infertility and how common is it?Did most of the women try to conceive after the original FASTT trial?How did the women who agree to participate in this follow-up study compare to the original FASTT participants? Was there a difference between those who participated in the follow-up and those who did not?What percentage of the women were successful at conception with IUI? IVF? Natural conception?What percentage tried to conceive with donor egg?What percentage adopted?If the woman h

The next step in understanding attachment and Trust-Based Relational Intervention is the new book, The Connected Parent, by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Lisa Qualls, with great assistance from Emmelie Pickett. On this episode, we interview Lisa and Emmelie about connected parenting.In this episode, we cover:Understanding the foundations of attachment.What do parents bring to the situation that influences how their children attach.Using “scripts” to help you implement Trust-Based Relational Intervention.Coping with chronic fear in our kids.Coping with parental fear that things will never improve or that our children will never be able to heal.How to discipline the TBRI® way.How to teach respect.Understanding how sensory issues can be confused with attachment issues.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-in

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Does adoption positively or negatively affect children already in the family and what can parents do to lessen the negative impacts. We discuss this topic with Dr. Jana Hunsley, an experimental psychologist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and TBRI® Practitioner, specializing in understanding and meeting the needs of siblings is foster and adoptive families.In this episode, we cover:Much of the focus of adoption literature and research is on the adopted child and the adoptive parents with little attention on the children already in the family.Tell us your story as the sibling of 7 adopted siblings.Research on adopted siblings.What are some of the challenges that siblings of the adopted child might face?Feeling invisibleCoping with overwhelmed distracted parentsParentificationBecoming another parent to your siblingsBecoming the emotional support for their parentsTrying to keep the peace in the home by acting as a peacemakerFeeling the ne

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.We talk about LGBTQ+ adoption with Dr. Abbie Goldberg, a Professor of Psychology and Director of Women’s & Gender Studies at Clark University. Her research and writing focus on diverse families, including LGBTQ parent and adoptive families, and she has authored and edited 8 books and over 130 peer-reviewed articles in this area.In this episode, we cover:Legality of LGBTQ+ parents adopting in the US. Statistics on LGBTQ+ adoptions. Percentage, transracial, foster care adoptionDo you see any residual prejudice against LGBTQ+ parents when wanting to adopt or foster? Foster care? Domestic infant? International? Embryo?Hesitancy with placing with someone who is transgender?Does open adoption look different in LGBTQ+ adoptive families.Do LGBTQ+ parents parent in ways that are different than cisgender heterosexual parents?How are children in LGBTQ+ faring?Lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parents’ experiences with pediatricians: A mixed-meth

What's it like for a gay couple to create their family through egg donation and surrogacy. We talk with Armando Correa, People Magazine En Español's Editor In Chief and author of In Search of Emma: How We Created Our Family.In this episode, we cover:Did you always want to be a parent?Did you think that you would get to realize that dream?What options for becoming a parent did you consider?Why did you decide on surrogacy?Did you also use a separate egg donor?What was your process to finding an egg donor and surrogate?Was cost a consideration?How much did it cost you in total to become Emma’s dad?What has happened to your family since Emma arrived?What would you recommend to other gay guys who want to become a father? 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:We

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you ever thought of hosting a child for the summer or over the winter holidays? Check out this show where we interview Kathy Holiday who worked in adoption for 25 years and she supervised the child hosting program for Children’s House International.In this episode, we cover:What are child hosting programs?What is the purpose of a child hosting program?What are some of the ways different agencies design their hosting programs?Whether they are open to families that do not want to adopt, but are willing to advocate for the child. When they have host sessions. What times of year?Length of time the children are here. How much does it usually cost for a host family?Are there many differences in cost to the host family?What type of training?What is the age range of children commonly available for hosting?What type of special needs do you commonly see?What are the children told before they come? Are they aware that they are "on trial" to

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you ever thought that it would be a lot more effective if the therapist could really see your child in action? That's the gist of home-based therapy. We talk with Stephanie Glickman, a licensed clinical social worker at the Clinical Director of the Family Centered Treatment Foundation and an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina Charlotte's School of Social Work.In this episode, we cover:What is home-based therapy?Is it family therapy or child therapy?Why is it so effective for families struggling with behavioral issues?What type of issues respond well to in-home therapy?What does the research show about the effectiveness of home-based therapy vs. residential placement?How does in-home therapy work? How often does the therapist come? How long do they stay? How long does it need to continue?What if the child does not act out while the therapist is in the home?Who in the home participates in home-based therapy? Pare

Do your child's reactions seem bigger than they should be to everyday events? Are your reactions sometimes a bit too big? What causes us to get triggered by our kids or to trigger them? We talk with Dr. Tripp Ake, a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience in the field of child trauma treatment. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center and the program director for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. In this episode, we cover:What do we mean by “triggering” and how does it differ from getting our buttons pushed?What’s the difference between being triggered and being annoyed or irritated?How to become a trauma detective?What types of things can trigger a child?How much of having our “buttons pushed” stems from the belief that our child’s behavior is a reflection on us as parents? How do the belief systems that we grow up with impact us as adults? We may not even be aware that hold these values and may not e

Trauma can impact almost every single aspect of a child's development. But there are things parents can do to buffer that impact. We talk with Brett Loftis, CEO of Crossnore Communities for Children and Dr. Dawn O'Malley, Crossnore's Senior Director of Clinical Services.In this episode, we cover:How can trauma impact a child’s attachment and relationships?How does this impact them in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood?How can trauma affect a child’s physical development or brain development?How can trauma impact a child’s emotional development?Self-regulationDisassociationHow does trauma impact the way the child sees and values herself?How can trauma affect a child’s behavior? How can trauma impact a child’s ability to learn?What are some of the long-term physical health consequences of having been exposed to trauma as a child?What can parents and other adults do to build resilience in our kids to help withstand some of the impacts of trauma?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.o

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.We talk with Corey Burke, an embryologist and Tissue Bank Director at Cryos International-USA and Dr. Mark Trolice, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Director of The IVF Center in Orlando and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, and author of The Fertility Doctor's Guide to Overcoming Infertility about decisions doctors and patient have to make concerning eggs or embryos after retrieval.In this episode, we cover:Overview of the IVF Process.What determines how many eggs will be produced?What number of eggs is ideal for an egg retrieval as part of IVF? Are more eggs always better?Once eggs are retrieved, one of the choices a patient and doctor have to make is whether to freeze eggs vs. embryos.Compare the challenges between freezing eggs vs freezing embryos.How does vitrification differ from other methods of freezing?What is the thaw rate success for frozen eggs compared to frozen

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 level.How does parental leave differ from maternity leave or 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 protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?Are birth mothers eligible for parental leave

We talk about raising your grandkids with Christine Adamec, coauthor with Dr. Andrew Adesman, of The Grandfamily Guidebook. She and her husband have been raising their teenage grandson since his infancy.In this episode, we cover:Why are grandparent led families increasing?What are some common emotions that grandparents and other kin experience when they realize that they need to step in and raise their grandchildren or other kin?What type of decisions should you make about legal custody or permanency? How to protect your grandchild? How to enroll them in school? How to be able to get medical and mental health care for them? How to prevent the child’s parents from removing the child from your home? Becoming a foster parent? A will?What are some of the strains that grandparents can experience with their children (the parents of their grandchildren)?How to navigate the relationship with your adult child? Explaining the situation to the child? (“Why am I living with you and not my parents?”)Raising kids that like

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Talking with your adopted or foster child about the hard parts of their story can feel like a daunting task. Should you tell your child that her birth father is in jail or that her birth mother is addicted to drugs, or that she was conceived by rape? If so, how in the world do you share this news. We talk with Lesli Johnson, an EMDR therapist who specializes in adoption and foster care and an adult adoptee; and Susan Myers, a licensed Master Social Worker with Adoptions from the Heart Adoption Agency with offices throughout the northeast.In this episode, we cover:Should you tell your child these difficult parts of their history? Talking about the hard parts of adoptionHow should you tell your child these hard parts of their background?How do you lay the groundwork with young children in order to fill in the details later?By what age should you have shared all of your child’s story with him?Give specific examples of how a conversation might go w

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency is a difficult and little understood diagnosis for infertility with ramifications for your general health as well as for your fertility. We talk with Dr. Alex Quaas, a Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist with Reproductive Partners of San Diego and an Associate Professor at UCSD.In this episode, we cover:What is Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)?Is there a difference between the labels/diagnoses - Primary Ovarian Insufficiency, Premature Ovarian Failure, Premature Menopause? What are the symptoms (other than an inability to get pregnant)?Is there a decrease in egg quality and increase chromosomal abnormalities?How is POI diagnosed?How does the diagnosis differ from PCOS?What causes primary ovarian insufficiency?Is there any correlation between POI and taking Accutane (a treatment for acne) as a teen?Is there a link between premature ovarian failure and the HPV vaccine (Gardasil or Cervarix)?Can losing one ovary lead to Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?Are those with autoim

What are some tried and true ways to afford adoption? In this episode, we talk with Julie Gumm, author of  You Can Adopt Without Debt: Creative Ways to Cover the Cost of Adoption. We cover ways to find “extra” money that you can put towards your adoption, ideas for increasing your savings, and reasons to be cautious about asking for donations to pay for an adoption.In this episode, we cover:How much do adoptions cost for families adopting in the US?Julie’s story of how they afforded to adoptWhat are the different options for paying for an adoption? Savings, second job, sell things, grants, fundraise, ask for money from family and friendsHow to effectively save money? - “Start with the money you already have”How long in advance do you need to start?Federal Adoption Tax Credit State Adoption Tax Credit, Adoption Employee BenefitsSecond job and freelance ideasDownside of adding additional work to your scheduleSelling items you have but don’t use much or don’t needFundraising to help pay for an adoption. Controve

We talk about the challenges of adopting, fostering, IVF, or third-party reproduction while being in the military. We talk with the co-founders of the Military Family Building Coalition, Katy Bell Hendrickson and Ellen Gustafson.In this episode, we cover:What are the challenges of being in the military and trying to adopt?What are the challenges of being in the military when seeking fertility treatmentMilitary health insurance: Tri CareMilitary Family Building Coalition https://www.militaryfamilybuilding.org/What does Military Family Building Coalition do?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 show

Kinship caregivers (primarily grandparents raising their grandchildren) are often functioning as a shadow foster care system. We talk with Josh Gupta-Kagan, a Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina School of Law and author of America’s Hidden Foster Care System in the Stanford Law Review, and Karissa Phelps, a Stoneleigh Emerging Leader Fellow at Temple Legal Aid, where she provides legal representation and services to kinship caregivers.In this episode, we cover:In many cases, child protection agencies induce parents to transfer physical custody of their children to kinship caregivers by threatening to place the children in foster care.How often does this happen?Why do you call this the “hidden” foster care system?Generally speaking, don’t we consider it best practice for kids to remain with extended family? So why is this a problem? Is it inherently coercive?What are the advantages to encouraging placement with kin before they enter the formal foster care system?What are the risks?If this tran