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

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

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 power as parents?Our goals for our teens are to become responsible a

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

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, race, sibling group?Is adopting a very young child or baby from f

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 RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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

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 RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

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

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? Donor conception? Who was the driving force behind finding the sper

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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you worry that you've gotten in over your head by adopting this child. Are you about ready to give up. Or do you want to do everything possible to make sure that your adoption doesn't fall apart? Join us to talk with Dr. Eshele Williams, Director of the Creating Stability During Change Model of Practice for Resource Family Disruption Prevention and Retention. She was also a birth child in foster adoptive kinship family. Dr. Eileen Pasztor is a Prof. Emerita, California State University at Long Beach School of Social Work, and foster and adoptive parent.In this episode, we cover:What terms do we use for an adoption that falls apart? What is the distinction between adoption dissolution and adoption disruption?What does the research show about how common adoption dissolutions are? What are the stages a family goes through before they decide to end an adoption?Why do families struggle post-adoption to the point of considering dissolvin

Q: We’ve applied to adopt an infant but haven’t received a match. What can we do?Resources:What Is An Adoptive Parent Profile (or Dear Expectant Parent Letter) and How To Make OneWhy is it Taking So Long to Get an Adoption Match?Understanding Expectant Moms Who Are Considering AdoptionThis 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 RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Does it feel like your child is sabotaging the holidays? Are there more tantrums, sullenness, and anxiety during the holiday season? We explore why and what to do about it with Rebecca Robotham, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Beehive Counseling & Wellness in Connecticut. She is also an adoptee and former foster child.In this episode, we cover:There are many sources of trauma for children, and many adopted and foster children have experienced trauma before they come to our homes. We’re talking neglect, prenatal exposure, abuse, domestic violence, and the actual act of being removed from your parents.How can trauma impact children? Both physically and emotionally?What is it about the holidays that makes it hard for kids with trauma? (change in routine, lots of people, bringing up memories, over-stimulation, change in diet, distracted parents, build-up of anticipation, let down after the fact…)What type of behaviors might you see? (more

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Q: Now that our youngest is in high school, we want to become foster parents but don’t know where to begin.Resources:How to Choose an Adoption Agency (Guide)Becoming a Foster Parent (Resource page)Working as Part of a Foster Care Team (Resource page)Suggested Books for Foster Care ParentsThis 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 p

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you worry about being scammed in a domestic infant adoption? How can you prevent scams and recognize red flags for a failed adoption match? Join us to talk with Colleen Quinn, an adoption attorney at the Adoption & Surrogacy Law Center in Richmond, VA, with 34 years of experience in adoption law. She is the co-author of the last five editions of the VA CLE Adoption Procedures and Forms.In this episode, we discuss:Adoption scams can fall into four general categories:those against adoptive parents by expectant or supposedly pregnant women, those by brokers or facilitators who are not licensed or may not be legal, those by adoption agencies and attorneys agains adoptive parents.those done by adoptive against expectant/birth parents.What are the typical adoption scams perpetrated by expectant women against prospective adoptive parents or adoption agencies or attorneys? How much can adoptive parents pay an expectant mother for living expenses

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Q. We took in my cousin’s 4-year-old last month. We thought it might be temporary, but it’s looking like it will be for a long time and maybe forever. The problem is that this little boy has gone through a lot because his mom is a drug user and never really was a parent. He is very withdrawn and doesn’t seem to want to attach or let us get close in any way. Any help would be appreciated.Resources:Attachment Help (Resource)6 Tips for Creating Attachment (Article)Parenting the Challenging Child While Maintaining Attachment (Free Course)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 RateThisP