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

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

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 parents?Can adoption agencies have different or more stringent require

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

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 Adoption Therapy section.Is one type of therapeutic model of treatment mo

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

Are you considering donor egg or sperm? When should you consider these options? What choices do you have and what are some of the psychological hurdles you need to consider? We talk with Dr. Angela Leung, a reproductive endocrinologist at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey; and Dr. Poonam Sharma, a Licensed Psychologist specializing in reproductive issues.In this episode, we cover:Sperm Donation:What are the possibilities of getting pregnant when the male partner has an abnormal semen analysis? Does it depend on whether sperm count, motility, or morphology are abnormal?When should patients consider sperm donation from a medical standpoint?How and when should medical providers bring up the possibility of using donated sperm? Does it matter that the “patient” is usually the female partner?What are some of the psychological issues that may arise for the female partner using a sperm donor? What are some feelings the male partner commonly experiences? What type of impact does “asymmetry of parenthood”

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Transracial adoption affects all parts of the adoption triad. We will talk today with a transracial adoptee and his birth mom and adopted mom. We will include tips for adoptive parents raising transracially adopted or fostered child.In this episode, we cover:Adoptee’s experience with transracial adoption PreschoolElementary yearsMiddle and high school yearsCode switchingFeelingsIdentity formationCollegeAdulthoodReunion with birth familyBirth Father?Birth Mother’s experience with reunion and transracial adoptionHer role in identity formationHer feelings on reunionAdoptive Mother’s experience with transracial adoptionTips for adoptive and foster parentsAdditional Information:Kyle Bullock’s Instagram: kb_2090Short documentary based on story of Kyle and his birth family and adoptive family. “Finding identity: Growing up a transracial adoptee” This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to stre

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.We talk today with Dr. Gina Samuels about Trauma and Transracial Adoption. Dr. Samuels is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration and In-Coming Director at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture. She is an adult transracial adoptee. She has a newly published article in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect tilted “Epistemic trauma and transracial adoption.”In this episode, we cover:How do you define trauma? What is complex trauma?What is epistemic trauma and how does it differ from the trauma caused by abuse or neglect or witnessing violence? The article, “Epistemic trauma and transracial adoption”, asks how might the theory of epistemic injustice highlight conditions endemic to the experience of adoption, and specifically transracial adoption, that mark a distinct type of trauma? How does this apply to all adoption and how specifically to transracial adoption?The articl

We talk with Ryan Hanlon, with National Council for Adoption, about the largest survey of adoptive parents ever conducted. We talk about who adoptive parents are, the needs of the kids adopted, and so much more. In the episode, we cover:Who is adopting in the US? How are they similar and how do they differ from the general population of parents in relation to income and education level?What are the primary motivations for parents to adopt? Does it differ based on domestic infant adoption, international adoption, and foster care adoption?What type of special needs or diagnoses do adopted children have?How well are adoptive parents meeting these needs?How are adopted kids doing in school?What degree of openness or contact with birth families is common for infant adoption, intercountry adoption, and adoptions from foster care?How do adoptive parents view their relationship with birth families?How common are attachment issues in adoption and what factors contribute to attachment problems?How are parents meeting t

How can epigenetic changes affect your fertility or the health of your child conceived by fertility treatment? We talk with Dr. Jason Franasiak, a board certified Obstetrician Gynecologist, board certified Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist, board certified High Complexity Laboratory Director in Embryology and Andrology, and lead physician of RMA’s Marlton Clinic and Lab in South Jersey. He has authored and contributed to over 100 peer reviewed publications, published chapters and abstracts. He serves on the Editorial Board for Fertility and Sterility and the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.In this episode, we cover:What is epigenetics?What factors can influence or affect the epigenome?Can we “see” epigenetic changes?How do epigenetic factors impact our health?What are the genetic and epigenetic factors associated with female infertility?What are the genetic and epigenetic factors associated with female PCOS?What are the genetic and epigenetic factors associated with endometrio

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.We know our kids have experienced trauma, but how can we help them overcome this trauma to become healthy happy adults. We talk about resilience and overcoming an adverse beginning with Dr. Julian Ford and Dr. Amanda Zelechoski. Dr. Ford is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry and Law at the University of Connecticut where he directs two Treatment and Services Adaptation Centers in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Dr. Ford is past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and has published more than 250 articles and book chapters and is the author or editor of 10 books. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in trauma. She is a professor of psychology and Director of Clinical Training at Purdue University Northwest.In this episode, we cover:What are some of the different types of events/situations that can be traumatic to a child?Do different types

We talk with a panel of former foster youth about their stories and what helped them survive their trauma and succeed in life.In this episode, we cover:What were the two most important things in helping you heal and ultimately thrive after your years in foster care and early life trauma?Was their one or two people in your life who helped you overcome? What did they do to help?Why do you think you became a survivor when others in similar positions did not?If you are parents, how has your trauma from your early years impacted your parenting?While you are successful and are “survivors” do you still carry some of the baggage from your childhood?What advice would you give foster, adoptive, and kinship parents to be most helpful to the children in their care?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-inform

What do teachers know about adoption? What are the misperceptions? We talk with two researchers on this topic: Dr. Hal Grotevant, the Rudd Family Foundation Chair in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Dr. Abbie Goldberg, a Professor of Psychology and current Director of Women’s & Gender Studies at Clark University.In this episode, we cover:How knowledgeable were teachers in understanding the impact of trauma?How knowledgeable were teachers in understanding the impact of attachment?How knowledgeable were teachers in understanding the impact of adoption?How knowledgeable were teacher sin understanding the impact of prenatal exposure?Was there a perception that adopted kids were “troubled”?What did they know about open adoption?How accepting were teachers to the idea of modifying assignments to reflect diverse families, including those formed by adoption?Do teachers know whether kids are adopted? Do they need to know? Do they feel comfortable asking this information?Did teachers prese

How can you help you child succeed at school?  We talk with Heather Forbes, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the owner of the Beyond Consequences Institute. She specializes on the impact of trauma and is the author of Help for Billy and Classroom 180.In this episode, we cover:What are some of the specific issues that parents of foster and adopted kids need to consider when their children go back to school?Tips for helping kids transition into the new year.Is it better to address potentially sensitive issues up front before they happen, when they might not even happen, or wait to see if it comes up? For example, family tree assignments.What are some other potentially triggering school assignments for foster or adopted kids?How much of your child’s story should you share with your child’s teacher? How to balance the desire to keep your child’s history for them to decide who knows and sharing sensitive information with the teacher to help them work with your child.How to address the issue of your child’s pa

We talk with Dr. Julie Lamb about Endometriosis and Adenomyosis. Dr. Lamb is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist practicing at Pacific Northwest Fertility in Seattle and Bellevue and serves as clinical faculty at the University of Washington.In this episode, we cover:EndometriosisWhat is endometriosis?What are the symptoms of endometriosis?What is the cause of endometriosis?Is there a genetic link to endometriosis?What factors increase your risk of developing endometriosis?Does having endometriosis make you at greater risk for cancer?How is endometriosis diagnosed?Is a definitive diagnosis necessary before treatment?How is endometriosis treated?When should laparoscopic surgery to remove the endometriosis lesions be considered for the treatment of endometriosis?When should hysterectomy be considered for treatment of endometriosis?What are endometriomas?What method is best for removing endometrial lesions: laser, electrical pulse, or other?Is it possible to cure endometriosis?What options are availab

How can white parents raise anti-racist children in this time of violence against people of color and protests. We talk with Dr. Ann Hazzard, a clinical child psychologist who was on the faculty at Emory University in Atlanta and co-author of Something Happened in Our Town:  A Child's Story about Racial Injustice; and Dr. Joy Harris, a Full-time Lecturer at Princeton Theological Seminary and co-author of The ABCs of Diversity: Helping Kids (and Ourselves!) Embrace Our Differences.In this episode, we cover:Embrace Race.org. Founded by black and mixed race parents to provide resources for raising black children.One Talk at a Time https://www.caminoslab.org/onetalk Providing support for Latinx American, Asian American, African American, and Black youth and their families to have conversations about race and ethnicity. They have a separate section for Black, Asian, and Latinx parents.What is the difference between not being a racist and being anti-racist?What is wrong with saying and believing any of the fol

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.One of the hardest parts of being a kinship caregiver is navigating the relationship with the child's birth parent. We talk with Dr. Joseph Crumbley, a social worker, family therapist and author of “An Overview of Kinship Care”.In this episode, we cover:Creating a Family listening sessions with kinship caregivers in rural counties.What are some of the complicating factors in the relationship between kinship caregivers and the child’s parents?Grandparents and other caregivers sometimes feel that the child’s parents will threaten them with taking the child away if they do something that the parent disapproves of.How to not enable the child’s parent but still have a relationship.How to set healthy boundaries for the caregiver’s and child’s best interest when you have years of experience not setting healthy boundaries?How to handle others in the family who interfere with the boundaries you’ve established?I don't know if this is a question