Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.We talk with a panel of birth moms about their adoption experience. What is the adoption experience for birth mothers and what do they think of some of the controversies in adoption, such as pre-birth matching, adoptive parents at the hospital, adoptive mother breastfeeding, etc. In this episode, we cover:Tell us what your child’s adoption looks like.What are your ideas on:Options counseling being provided by adoption agencies—is there a conflict of interest.Pre-birth matchingSome have stated that an infant should go into temporary or foster care for a time (usually 1-2 months) between birth and placement as a revocation period. Fundraising for adoptionAdoptive parent breastfeeding.What did you look for in adoptive parents?There is a lot of talk in adoption world about subtle and not so subtle forms of coercion that could influence a mom’s decision to place. Hopeful adoptive parents attend doctor appointments.Adoptive parents being present at the birth and at the hospital?How involved do you think adoptive parents should be at the hospital?Openness:How was openness described to you before the adoption.Does the reality of open adoption match what was promised.Benefit and limitations of post adoption contracts. (Did you understand open adoption wasn’t enforceable (may depend upon the state)?)Ethical adoption practices that expectant parents considering adoption should know about.Tips for birth parents and adoptive parents to look for in adoption agencies to make sure they are choosing an ethical agency as to how they treat expectant and birth parents.Importance of separate legal counsel for birth parents. 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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you considering adopting or fostering a baby who was exposed to opioids prenatally? We talk with Dr. Robin Gurwitch, a faculty member in the Duke University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Child and Family Health. Her research focuses on improving the outcomes and increasing resilience in children who have experienced trauma, including prenatal exposure.In this episode, we cover:What drugs are included in the category of opioids? Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others. Methadone and suboxone?How does prenatal exposure to opioids affect a fetus?How can you tell if the baby is born dependent on opioids?What are the symptoms of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)?How common is testing of the newborn or mother?What impacts the severity of the withdrawal symptoms an infant might experience?timing of the mother’s most recent intake of opioidmaternal metabolismplacental metabolisminfant metabolism and excretionmaternal taking of other substances, including cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine, hypnotics sedatives, and/or barbituratesHow is NAS treated in the hospital?What can parents expect at the hospital when a baby is born dependent or was exposed prenatally?What can parents expect when they first bring the baby home?How can parents help soothe a baby going through withdrawal?How can parents help a baby going through withdrawal with sucking?What can parents do to help their baby exposed to opioids sleep through the night?Any additional tips for dealing with and helping a baby who was exposed to opioids?Long term impacts.Does being born dependent predict the degree the child might be impacted?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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Is your child "more"...more intense, more defiant, more everything and in general, just harder to parent? We talk with Dr. Chuck Geddes, the founder of Complex Trauma Resources where he developed the Complex Care and Intervention (CCI) program to support foster and adoptive children. He is the author of Children and Complex Trauma: A Roadmap for Healing and Recovery.In this episode, we cover:What makes a child harder to parent? The importance of recognizing what we parents bring to the relationship.Difference between trauma and complex trauma.Tantrums, meltdowns, or hissy fits are a common part of child development, but some kids have them more than others and they are more intense. What factors contribute to some children being more susceptible to tantrums? At what age in normal child development are tantrums most common?How does trauma change the dynamic with tantrums?Techniques for preventing tantrums.Techniques for handling tantrums.Need for constant supervisionLying Being disrespectfulwww.complextrauma.ca/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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you experienced a miscarriage? What type of genetic tests should you consider to prevent another miscarriage? We will talk about Genetics, Genetic Testing, and Miscarriage with Kim Skellington, a laboratory genetic counselor with CooperGenomics providing pre-test and post-test counseling to patients regarding genetic testing, and Dr. Rachel Gerber, a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist with RMA NY.In this episode, we cover:What causes a woman to miscarry a pregnancy? How common is miscarriage? What is considered Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL)? How common is recurrent pregnancy loss? Basic introduction to DNA, genes, and chromosomes. Genetic Testing of Products of ConceptionWhat can go wrong with the genes of a fetus that would likely result in a miscarriage? What genetic tests on the products of conception are available after a miscarriage to determine the cause? At what point does a doctor consider genetic testing of the products of conception to determine the cause of the miscarriage? After the first miscarriage? Second? Third? How does a woman’s age impact this decision? How are the products of conception tested? What are patients told to do? Genetic Testing of EmbryoWhat is preimplantation genetic testing? Distinction between PGT-A, PGT-M, PGT-SR?Is PGT effective at preventing miscarriage? What does the research currently show? Are mosaic embryos more likely to miscarry?Genetic Testing of ParentsWhat parental chromosomal abnormalities can cause a miscarriage? What is a chromosomal translocations and can that cause a miscarriage? Is there a gene or genes that has been found that makes it more likely that a woman will miscarry a pregnancy of a chromosomally normal fetus? If a woman’s mother had multiple miscarriages, is she likely to have miscarriages?Can these genetic anomalies by found by Parental karyotyping?What is the prognosis for women trying to get pregnant after having had recurrent miscarriages? 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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.The impact of prenatal exposures to alcohol and drugs is not something that kids outgrow and the transition into adolescence and adulthood can be particularly tricky. We talk about this transition with Kathy Hotelling, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and is the co-founder of NCFASDInformed.org. She is also the mother to a 27 year old with FASD.In this episode, we cover:Tell us a bit about your story as the mother of a child with FASD.Does the impact and symptoms of prenatal exposure to alcohol change as the child ages?Are the impacts different depending on whether the child has been exposed prenatally to alcohol or other drugs, such as opiates, methamphetamines, marijuana, etc?We talk about the primary impacts of FASD and prenatal drug exposure and the secondary impacts? Give us some examples?How can parents help prevent some of the secondary impacts?How does puberty impact children with prenatal exposure?How does your parenting need to change as your prenatally exposed child reaches adolescence and adulthood?How to prepare your child to launch into adulthood?What resources are available to help parents navigate this journey?Often times adoptive, foster, and kinship parents do not know for certainty that their child was exposed prenatally to alcohol and drugs. How should they proceed?Is it important to have your child officially diagnosed with FASD?How do you get your child diagnosed?What is the Registry of Unmet Needs or the Medicaid Waiver list and how do you get your child on this registry or list?FASD Respect Act- how can people advocate?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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you suspect (or know) that your child was exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy? We discuss tips for how to best work with these children with Dr. Robin Gurwitch, a professor at Duke University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Child and Family Health.In this episode, we cover:How does prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs affect children at different ages? Oftentimes adoptive, foster, and kinship families may not know specifically if their child was exposed in pregnancy to alcohol or drugs? How can a parent determine if their child was prenatally exposed?What are some of the more common signs, symptoms, and behaviors a parent might see at different ages? Birth to age fiveElementary ageTweens and adolescenceYoung adultsParents, teachers, and other adults working with these children often don’t think about prenatal exposure because of the lag in time between the exposure and when the more disruptive symptoms appear. At what age do you see parents and kids beginning to struggle more?What are some of the common misdiagnoses that these children receive?How do the attention and focus issues common with kids who have been exposed to alcohol and drugs differ from ADHD? Is ADHD medication effective to improve attention in prenatally exposed kids?Is it common for children with prenatal exposure to be uneven in their abilities? For example, average to above average in verbal skills but substantially below average in other areas.What do we mean by “executive function” or “higher level thinking skills” and how does prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs impact this?We hear from parents that one of the most frustrating symptoms is not being able to learn from their mistakes. Doing the same thing even though they have been told not to. Not learning from cause and effect. Is this common with kids who have been exposed to alcohol and drugs during gestation?What are some practical tips for working with kids with prenatal exposure to help them thrive at home and at school?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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What causes miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss? What is the best treatment and what are the controversies in the diagnosing and treating of miscarriage? In this episode, we talked with Dr. Lora Shahine, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Director of the Recurrent Pregnancy Program at Pacific NW Fertility and clinical faculty at the University of Washington in Seattle, and author of the book Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.In this episode, we cover:What is miscarriage? What other names do medical professionals use?Does the name change depending upon when in the pregnancy it occurs? What is a biochemical pregnancy and is it a “miscarriage”?When does miscarriage become “recurrent pregnancy loss”?How common are miscarriages? How common is recurrent pregnancy loss?Who should you see?What is the role of the male in miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss?Common causes and treatment What are the common causes for first trimester miscarriage?What are the common causes for recurrent pregnancy loss?How to diagnosis the cause of recurrent pregnancy loss?How to treat/prevent recurrent pregnancy loss?What should patients do to reduce their chance of a miscarriage?Understanding the controversies in treatment of recurrent pregnancy loss.Inherited ThrombophiliaMethylene Tetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR)-how our body processes folateLuteal Phase Defect and progesterone treatmentInfectionThyroidImmune system & immune treatment for RPLAspirin treatmentIVF as treatment for recurrent pregnancy lossThis 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you or your child faced adoption related struggles? Do you think therapy might be helpful? We discuss how to find and choose an adoption competent therapist with Kelly Raudenbush, a child and family therapist and the director of Sparrow Counseling, providing specialized therapeutic services for foster and adopted children and their families. In this episode, we cover:What type of professional can provide therapy?What’s the difference between being adoption competent and adoption informed?Why is competency in adoption issues important?What do we mean be an “adoption competent therapist”? What makes a therapist adoption informed? Is adoption competence the same as trauma competence?How can you tell if a therapist is competent to handle adoption 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. How to find a therapist with lived experience of being adopted?Is one type of therapeutic model of treatment more effective for adoptive children and families? Theraplay, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), Narrative therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)Should therapy with adopted kids on adoption issues involve just the child, or the child and the parent?How can a parent determine if the therapist is a good fit for the child and family? What questions should they ask?What is home-based therapy and what are the advantages to this type of therapy for adoptive and foster families.How can you find a therapist that will provide therapy within the home? (One source is http://www.familycenteredtreatment.org/)Is therapy via tele-health or via teleconferencing as effective for adoptive families? How to know if it will work for your family? Ways to make it more effective.When to seek a therapist?Resources:Creating a Family’s Adoption Therapy section A Guide to Selecting an Adoption or Foster Therapist10 Reasons for Parents to be in Child’s Therapy Session 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 followiSupport 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How is adoption and fostering changing? We talk with April Dinwoodie, a transracial adoptee and thought leader in the field of adoption. She is host of two podcasts: Navigating Adoption and Born in June, Raised in April: What Adoption Can Teach the World!In this episode, we cover:What are some of the shifting realities that you see in adoption?Decline in international adoptions.What do you see happening with domestic infant adoptions?Increase importance on openness.What can adoption teach the world?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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you thinking about adopting? Today we will talk about Adoption Options in 2022. This is the first of a two-part series on What is Happening in Adoptions. We will talk with Jackie Zerbe, Domestic Adoption Supervisor with Vista Del Mar Adoption Agency, Debora Phillips, founding CEO of Children’s Connections, Inc., and Viviane Martini, Family Coordinator with Hopscotch Adoptions, an international adoption agency.In this episode, we cover:What is happening with domestic infant adoption in the US?What is happening with adoptions from foster care?What is happening with international adoptions?How has the pandemic impacted adopting in the US?What are some of the shifts in adoption in the last 5 or so years?What are some of the changes you anticipate for 2022 and beyond?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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you ever thought about using acupuncture or herbal medicine to improve your fertility or treat your infertility? We talk with Dr. Mike Berkley, a New York State licensed acupuncturist and board-certified acupuncturist and practitioner of herbal medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He is also a member of The American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine.In this episode, we cover:What are the principles of acupuncture? How does it work?How does acupuncture differ from Herbal Medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine?Do they have to be used together?Can acupuncture and/or Chinese Medicine be used in conjunction with Western infertility medicine and IVF?Is there western research that supports the benefits of acupuncture and Herbal Medicine for the treatment of infertility or is western style research not relevant to the discussion of acupuncture and Eastern Medicine?Can acupuncture increase the blood flow to the uterus and ovaries? Can acupuncture and Herbal Medicine be used to treat PCOS? What results are seen?How does acupuncture and Herbal Medicine impact endometriosis?One of the most common reasons for female infertility is advanced maternal age. How can acupuncture and Herbal Medicine impact the diminution of ovarian reserves and egg quality?Can acupuncture reduce stress?Is acupuncture more effective than other stress reduction techniques such as exercise, yoga, meditation or prayer, massage?Many women, men, and couples will not have a firm diagnosis of why they are not getting pregnant. Is acupuncture and Herbal Medicine effective for unexplained infertility?Male infertility is the cause of approximately 1/3 of infertility. How successful is acupuncture or Herbal Medicine in the treatment of male infertility?Get more information at The Berkley Center at www.berkleycenter.com.This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire infertility patients 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-434.pdfhttps://www.kinnectohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Research-Synthesis-with-Crosswalk.pdfhttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/data/status-submitted-title-iv-e-prevention-program-five-year-plansThis 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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 completely away from seeing the children for a year at a time does this lack of contact count as trauma and how does this type of no-touch abuse effect the child's brain? How common is trauma? ACE study.Does trauma at a young age have longer lasting impacts? We have a child who is chronologically 3yrs, who had a non-accidental TBI at 3 months of age. He is a sweet boy but prone to rages and is very loud.  Could this be from the trauma or is it his age and frustration? How can parents help their child manage trauma if they don’t know what the trauma was?The times of healing are often very short but very powerful.  And that the more times our kids experience healing, even in short bursts, the more their brain "re-develops" in healthier ways.Is there is an association between trauma and sensory processing and if so, do we know why?How do you become “unstuck” on being a victim?  My daughter is 18 and is struggling to become an adult, but constantly feels and acts as though she is still a victim from her past. Can you discuss how trauma is related to the sabotage of relationships, family events, life events, and opportunities?Prenatal trauma—in utero exposure to alcohol or drugsmaternal stressCan generational trauma be passed down genetically through the various forms of DNA? Resilience and Healing: My question is coming from the perspective as an adoptive and foster mom of some kids who have some pretty big behaviors. Can we really grow these kids and help them live happy, well-adjusted lives?  Not problem free, but a life where after many years of love, they will come to find peace within themselves?   I have two children who are currently in foster care because their father was abusive and I stayed with him and allowed my children to witness the abuse. Is there any way to reverse the trauma?This podcast iSupport 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 building

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 get credit for each adoption you complete even if completed in the same year? What about adopting siblings at the same time?What is a Qualified Adoption Expense for purposes of the Adoption Tax Credit 2021?When can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit?Domestic private adoptionInternational AdoptionRe-adoption in the US for international adoptionFoster Care AdoptionHow does the Adoption Tax Credit work with kinship adoptions? What if the child never was involved with the foster care?Special Needs Adoption: How does the Adoption Tax Credit differ for adoptions from foster care? What does the IRS accept as proof of “special needs”?Special needs child for international adoption?Can you reclaim your expenses for a failed adoption? How?What income level is excluded from claiming the Adoption Tax Credit in 2021?How long can the credit be carried over?Will the Adoption Tax Credit offset self-employment tax? Secure Act and Qualified birth or adoption distributions.How does the Adoption Tax Credit work in conjunction with employee adoption benefits? For special needs adoption?If you adopt, can you still get the Child Tax Credit? How does the timing work?What do you need in order to get the Child Tax Credit for your adopted child? Social Security # for the child.How does Advanced Tax Payments work with adoption?What type of documentation for the Adoption Tax Credit should you submit with your taxes? What type of documentation should you keep in your records?What should you do if you do not have your child’s social security number when you get ready to file your taxes? When should you consider using an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN #) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN #)?What are the most common questions received about the Adoption Tax Credit?How to find a Support 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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 had conceived via fertility treatment in the original FASTT trial is she more likely to conceive successfully in the future?Some speculate that a significant proportion of unexplained infertility is due to un-diagnosed endometriosis. Did this follow-up study shed light on that question?Did many of the women after the original FASTT study receive a more definitive diagnosis of why they were not able to conceive?What did the study show about patient satisfaction with their family building process and ultimate family size?What did we learn about conception with unexplained infertility as a result of the follow-up to the FASTT study?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire infertility patients 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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-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 building

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 need to be extra good or accomplished to add less stress to their parents. Or suppressing their own needs so as to not add to their parent’s burden. Try to not have any needs.Feeling embarrassed by your sibling’s behaviorBlaming parent who isn’t able to “control” the new child or make them behave better or meet their needs.Mourning the loss of your calm “normal” familySecondary traumaUnwanted public attention on your family because of size, behavior, transracial adoptionJealous of the adopted child because they perceive them as getting all the attentionResentful of the adopted child because of the added burden they brought to the familyWhat factors influence the degree of these challenges to siblings in an adoptive family? (age of the children in the family and the children being adopted, degree of trauma, type of behavioral issues, etc.)  Disrupting birth order.What can adoptive parents and professionals do to mitigate some of these challenges of siblings of adopted children? How can parents prepare kids already in the family for the adoption of a sibling? Tips for parents in reducing the negative impact of adoption on the children already in the family.What are some of the benefits of adoption to siblings in the family?Have you talked with your parents?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 pagesSupport 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 building

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-methods study. Parental naming practices in same-sex adoptive families. How are LGBTQ+ youth in foster care doing? Additional resources:www.abbiegoldberg.comwww.teachallfamilies.comThis 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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: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 building

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 be adopted? (Be on your best behavior if you want to get adopted?) Do hosting programs put too much burden on kids and set them up for feeling like a failure?What type of trauma have the children experienced in the past? Influence of trauma. Typical behaviors you might see in the short term.Language issues?How much information are you given on the child before you decide whether to accept?What type of home study is usually required?How to prepare children already in the home? How much do you share with the children in the home about your interest in hosting? Should you share that you might adopt the child?Disciplining a host child?What type of support should you expect from your hosting agency?Advocating for your host child or for other children in the orphanage. What do you mean by advocating and how do you do it?If you decide to adopt this child, what is the typical process and how long does it take?What are the benefits to being a host family?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 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 building

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? Parents? Siblings? Others?Are their confidentiality concerns with this type of therapy?What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to home-based therapy?How does the cost of this therapy compare to office-based therapy?Does Medicaid cover home-based therapy? How do you find an in-home therapist that is knowledgeable about adoption and fostering and the trauma these kids may have experienced?What are some tips for knowing if you have found a good fit between the therapist and your family?Family Centered Treatment FoundationThis 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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 even agree with them.How can we identify the things in our past that make us likely to be triggered?Examples of things parents have told us drives them to distraction (aka triggers them).WhiningDisrespectTwo universal parenting tips for improving a child’s behavior.National Child Traumatic Stress Network 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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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.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 building

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 embryos?Why are eggs more difficult to vitrify than embryos?Does the quality of the eggs retrieved factor into the decision?What are the advantages to the patient of freezing eggs rather than embryos? What are the advantages to the patient of freezing embryos rather than eggs?How many eggs is usually recommended for a woman to freeze to have a good chance of being able to create a viable embryo?Can genetic testing be done on eggs?How long can human eggs remain viable if frozen vs. the viability of frozen embryos?If embryos are created, one of the choices a patient and doctor have to make is whether to transfer fresh or frozen embryos. How does genetic testing impact fresh vs frozen?What are the advantages to the patient of transferring fresh embryos?What are the advantages to the patient of transferring frozen embryos?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire infertility patients and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following 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 building

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 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?Does there have to be a legal relationship between the parent and the child? Does parental leave differ for someone fostering a child? Are you eligible for parental leave with every new foster placement?Can kinship caregivers receive parental leave?The Parental Leave Playbook lays out a process for approaching parental leave in three phases: preparing for your leave, during leave, and returning from leave.What steps should you take to be successful in each phase?To support the Paid Leave for All Act 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 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 building

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 with a preschooler, and how would you fill in the gaps for a 6 year old, 10, 13 year old, etc.Child abuse AddictionParent in jailCan you use a lifebook to talk about rape, imprisonment, drug and alcohol addiction?What is a lifebook and what should be included in a lifebook?How to use a lifebook when there is jail, rape, abuse, etc in the child’s story?Specifically, how should parents tell their child that they were conceived during a rape?Oversharing can happen with both parents and with children.It’s tempting when your child is an infant to tell people private information. Why should foster and adoptive parents avoid this?When might it be important to share some details of the child’s background?How do you help your child understand how much of his story he should share with others outside the family?How can adoptive parents help their children understand that they are more than the hard parts of their history and that they are not doomed to repeat their birth parents’ mistakes?Additional Resources:Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past, by Betsy Keefer  and Jayne E. SchoolerTalking with Children about Difficult History,  by Holly van Gulden Lifebooks: Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child (2nd Edition September 21, 2011), by Beth O'Malley M.EdThis podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, Support 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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 autoimmune diseases more susceptible to POI?Can IVF lead to Primary Ovarian Insufficiency? Is there any evidence that aggressive stimulation of the ovaries during a typical IVF cycle can contribute to POI?How effective is IVF with woman with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency? What are the odds of a spontaneous pregnancy for a woman with POI?What is the role of the infertility nurse in helping women with POI?Is there a medical way to slow down the diminution of ovarian egg reserves?Are their lifestyle choices that contribute to POI or contribute to increasing a woman’s ovarian reserves?Are there supplements or vitamins that help improve fertility for women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?Has alternative medical approaches or Eastern Medicine been effective with increasing fertility for women with POI?What are the other health implications for women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire infertility patients and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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. Controversial in some adoption circlesDifference between offering a service or event vs. asking for moneyThings to be aware of when deciding on how to fundraise for adoption.  Dangers of oversharing your child’s story in order to raise moneyThis 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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 transfer takes place outside of the system, how long does it last? How can children go home? Who decides?How does this differ from informal kinship care?How does The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 contribute to the “hidden foster care system”?Do you see kinship placements increasing?What are child welfare agencies doing to support kinship families? Follow the money: Is it less expensive for agencies to place with kin rather than unrelated foster parents?How is foster care funded?What is the status of kinship navigator programs? How can we best support kinship families?What do you see as the biggest challenges to kinship families? 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 posts Resource 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.The trauma of racism impacts our children's physical and emotional health. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Roger Harrison, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and a pediatric psychologist in the Division of Behavioral Health at Nemours/Alfred I DuPont Hospital for Children; Dr. Lonna Gordon, the Division Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Florida. She is board certified in pediatrics, adolescent medicine and obesity medicine; and Cindy Bo, Senior Vice President, Delaware Valley Strategy and Business Development and Interim DRIVE Enterprise Leader.In this episode, we cover:We talk a lot about the impact of trauma on children and often we do so in the context of neglect, loss, abuse, removal from biological family, and prenatal exposure. Today we are going to expand the concept of trauma to include the impacts of racism.What is racism and what are the different forms it can take? Examples of the different types of racism.Does racism impact the physical health of minorities? Racism hurting the emotional health of minorities.In other forms of trauma we can see that the impact on the child varies depending on many factors, such as who was responsible for inflicting the trauma and that persons relationship to the child, the child’s age, and the child’s basic temperament. Is the same true for the traumatic impacts of racism?Internalized racismCumulative impact of different types of trauma.Are children of color being raised by white parents more vulnerable to the traumatic impacts of racism? Does the trauma of racism differ depending on the race or ethnicity of the child or person? Model minority?Are non-minority children also impacted negatively by racism?How can we help children of color cope with racism and not be unduly impacted by the trauma?Suggested books and activities.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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What do you need to know about uterine fibroids if you want to get pregnant? We talk with Dr. Desiree McCarthy-Keith, is the Medical Director of Shady Grove Fertility Atlanta and a Board Certified OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist. She also has a Master of Public Health in maternal and child health. She has been listed in Atlanta Magazine’s Top Doctors for Infertility from 2017-2021 and as one of Black Health Magazine’s Most Influential African American Doctors.In this episode, we cover:What are uterine fibroids?What are the main symptoms of fibroids?Who is most at risk for having fibroids?Is there a genetic connection to uterine fibroids? Do fibroids pass through families?Why do some fibroids grow very slowly and others rapidly? Is the speed the fibroid is growing something to worry about? How should women track this?Are fibroids always a problem requiring treatment?How to diagnoses fibroids.Symptom distinction between endometriosis and fibroid?What is the best way to medically treat uterine fibroids?Are their alternative medicinal treatments that have been seen to be effective at treating uterine fibroids?When is a hysterectomy the preferred treatment?Skill of surgeon is important when using a surgical treatment. How can a patient determine the surgeon’s skill?Can fibroids cause infertility?Impact of fibroids on pregnancy?What happens to fibroids during pregnancy? If a woman knows she has fibroids, what should she be aware of when she is pregnant?Are their lifestyle factors that contribute to having fibroids or worsening fibroids once you have them?Does diet affect fibroids?Are women with fibroids at a higher risk for uterine cancer or reproductive tract cancers?What other routine medical treatment should women with fibroids make sure they receive?What can infertility nurses do to help patients with fibroid.Other health issues associated with fibroids.Are tampons safe to use? Do they cause or contribute to fibroids? Are the sponge and cup safe to use or better to use?What happens to fibroids after menopause?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org.  Creating a Family brings you the following 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you ever thought about becoming a foster parent but didn't know where to begin? This is the show for you! We talk with Vicki Ochoa, State Director for South Carolina MENTOR, an organization that provides an array of child and family services, on the ins and outs of becoming a foster parent.In this episode, we cover:Why should you become a foster parent?What is the role of a foster parent?What are the expectations of what a foster parent will do?How to become a foster parent.How do you get licensed to be a foster parent?How much training is required?What type of ongoing training is required?Do you have to own your home? How big does your house need to be?How many kids can you have already in your home?What agency can you work with to become licensed?Who places the child with you?What are the needs of kids in foster care?How is the decision made as to which child or children should be placed in your home?Can you specify the age, gender, # of kids, and degree of special need of the child you want to foster?What type of help should the agency provide for you after the child is in your home?If you have a choice, how do you choose a foster agency to work with? How much voice do foster parents have on what happens to the child?Do foster parents get paid?Can you adopt your foster child?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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How can we raise children who are resilient and able to bounce back from the ups and downs of life and move forward with optimism and confidence? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ken Ginsburg, the Co-Founder and Director of Programs at the Center for Parent and Teen Communications, a Professor of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and The University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, and author or “Building Resilience in Children and Teens” and “Raising Kids to Thrive”.In this episode, we cover:What is resilience and why is it important. Resilience is the ability to bounce back and the capacity to rise above difficult circumstances, allowing our children to exist in this less-than-perfect world, while moving forward with optimism and confidence.What are the biggest challenges in creating resilience in children?Raising resilient kidsWe want our kids to be successful. What is Success- how does it relate to happiness?The importance of imagining the person we want our child to be at 35. How to take the long view of parenting?How to Foster Resilience in Children / What are the two fundamental principles of building resilience in our children? Young people will be resilient when the important adults in their lives believe in them unconditionally and hold them to high expectations.Unconditional love is key to resilience. It gives children the deep-seated security that allows them to take chances when they need to adapt to new circumstances and the knowledge that in the long run all will be okay.What do we mean by hold them to high expectations?What are the 7 crucial ingredients to building resilience in our kids/raising resilient kids: strategies to build the seven crucial “Cs” — competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control.How does trauma impact resilience?Resources mentioned in this episode: https://parentandteen.com/category/for-teens/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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Can problems in our immune system cause infertility, miscarriage, or premature birth? Today we talk with Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Daniel Stein, Director of RMA of New York’s Westside office and Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology at Mount Sinai West Hospital, about the impact our immune system has on our fertility.In this episode, we cover:In what ways are our immune system and reproductive system linked?Why does the woman’s immune system not react to the presence of a fetus?Autoimmune diseases-how do they impact fertility and miscarriage or premature birthWhat are the most common auto-immune diseases? (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s Disease, Hashimoto's disease, celiac disease, endometriosis, premature ovarian insufficiency)Are autoimmune mechanisms involved in infertility disorders such as premature ovarian failure or diminished ovarian reserves, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), unexplained infertility, and repeatedly unsuccessful IVF attempts and may be responsible for the pathophysiology of preeclampsia or spontaneous abortions?EndometriosisPremature ovarian insufficiencyImpact of auto-immune diseases on pregnancy complications, miscarriage, and still births.What is antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and do they impact fertility or miscarriageMucosal immunity of the female genital tract? Female immune system reacting to sperm.What are anti-seminal/sperm antibodies in men and women?Can a woman be allergic to sperm?What role does our microbiome play in our immunity?What role does our microbiome play in fertility? What are natural killer cells?Does infertility treatment, such as IVF, affect a woman’s immune system?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. Creating a Family brings you the following expert-based content:·         Weekly podcasts·         Weekly articles/blog posts·        Resource 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What are the long-term impacts of prenatal alcohol and drug exposure and how can we parent these kids to help them thrive. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Mona Delahooke, a clinical child psychologist and the author of Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children’s Behavioral Challenges.In this episode, we cover:Long term impact of prenatal alcohol and drug exposure: Research has found that most drugs that are commonly abused easily cross the placenta and can affect fetal brain development. In utero exposures to drugs and alcohol thus can have long-lasting implications for brain development resulting in behavioral challenges and mental and physical health implication. Some things to consider:The amount of drugs and alcohol used by the mom and the timing in the pregnancy matter, although this is information that is seldom available to adoptive or foster parents.Very often children are exposed to more than one substance in utero. For example, it is not uncommon for a pregnant woman who is drinking alcohol to also use drugs. Untreated drug abuse/addiction often coincides with poor nutrition and prenatal care, which increases the risk further for pre-natal and post-natal trauma with potentially lifelong impacts. It helps to begin with understanding how alcohol and drugs exposure in pregnancy can affect the child not just in infancy but throughout their life.Alcohol Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) is characterized with a broad range of deficits. Children with FASD may not have the facial dysmorphology and other physical abnormalities associated with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FASDs currently represent the leading cause of mental retardation in North America. Of all the substances of abuse (including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines), alcohol produces by far the most serious neurobehavioral effects in the child and into adulthood. Alcohol exposure can cause a host of cognitive and behavioral impairments, including:Low to average IQs (IQ can range from mental retardation to normal) Poor executive functioning skills Poor information processing skills Lack of social and communication skills Lack of appropriate initiative Discrepancy between their behavioral age and their chronological age (i.e., acting younger than they are) Difficulty with abstract concepts, such as time and money Poor judgment Failure to consider consequences of actions. Doesn’t learn from mistakes. Poor concentration and attention Social withdrawal Other drugs: Methamphetamines, Amphetamines (speed and also some of the medications used to treat ADHD), 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)- street name Ecstasy, Opioids-(including heroin, fentanyl), Methadone or Suboxone, cocaine (including crack), and marijuana. While there are distinctions, after reSupport 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.In this episode we talk with a panel of four former foster youth to find out what it is like to be raised in foster care and what they wish foster parents knew about the experience.In this episode, we cover:What was the experience of being removed from your home and taken from your parents? Was there something that your foster parents could have done when you were first placed in the home to help alleviate some of the trauma?Did you feel fully included in your foster family? What can foster parents do to help the child feel included?This wasn’t relevant when you were in foster care, but what are your thoughts on blurring out the foster child or putting stickers over their face when posting pics on social media?Relationships with the children of the foster family.Who did you feel like was on your side? Who could you go to if you needed help?Do you think enough was done to help your biological parents before you were removed?Do you think enough was done to help your biological parents with reunification? Or do you think they were given too many chances?Do you have pictures or keepsakes from the time you were in foster care? Would these have been or are they important to you now? What can the system do to make sure these are preserved?While I’m sure you carry the scars of your early life trauma, you have all become successful and--at least from the outside looking in—emotionally healthy adults. What factors contributed to this?Tips for foster parents.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/creatingafamily Support 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What issues do you need to think about when using social media as an adoptive or foster parent? What issues do you need to consider for your teens and tweens as they engage in social media? We talk with Katie Biron, Director Fostering Connections for Families and Program Manager of the Family Connections Program; Laura Jean Beauvais, licensed professional counselor with New Wind Counseling; and Dawn Friedman, a licensed professional clinical counselor with supervisory designation at Building Family Counseling about handling social media with adopted, foster, and kinship children.In this episode,  we include:Some of the most popular social media platforms include: FacebookInstagramYouTubeTikTokSnapchatTwitterPinterestRedditSocial Media pre-adoptionKeep in mind that states have varying laws on matching online and advertising for an expectant parent. You need to know what is allowed.How much information can you or should you post after you have been matched with an expectant mom during her pregnancy?How much info can you share post birth and after the baby comes home, but before the adoption is finalized?Is it OK to “snoop” on expectant family and birth family online pre-adoption? You should know that the expectant family will also be checking you out online.Should you friend the expectant mom and family pre-adoption?How, when, and if to announce a child coming into your family through adoption.Social Media as an Adoptive Parent How much of your child’s adoption story should you share online?How much should you share of your child’s birth parent’s online presence with a school aged child or younger?Sharing photos online. How to handle differing opinions between adoptive and bio family on sharing pics. Common scenario is adoptive parent doesn’t share online pics and bio family does.Friending biological or first family or accepting friend requests from biological family.How to seek help online without divulging your child’s personal information or oversharing.Post anonymously either on your own or ask group admin.Ask general questions without personal details.How to juggle the ups and downs of adoption groups on social media. Social Media as a Foster ParentDiffering rules and expectations on social media use between foster child and foster parent will be discussed later in the interview.Can a foster parent post a foster child’s picture online?Ask you caseworkerConfidentiality is essentialUse the Reasonable Prudent Parent StandardDiscussion in online forums. How open can you be?Social Media with Adopted/Fostered Teens What age do adolescents start having access to social media without adult supervision?How to handle andSupport 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How can we prepare kids already in our home for the adoption of a sibling whether that new sibling is an infant or an older child. We will talk with Michelle Hoevker, a board-certified Clinical Social Work Supervisor and Program Director of Adoption and Foster Care at Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services with more than 20 years experience in child welfare; and Adam Crawford, a Licensed Master Social Worker and the Program Director of Adoption and Foster Care at Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services with more than 15 years of experience in child welfare.In this episode, we cover:Adopting an InfantHow to prepare children for the adoption of an infant?How to answer question from others.How to explain open adoption to kids already in the home?What if the child already in the home is adopted but with a different degree of openness with their birth family?Transracial AdoptionHow to prepare children for the adoption of an infant when it is a transracial adoption where the child being adopted is not the same race or ethnicity as the children already in the family?Adopting an Older Child Who is Not Your Foster Child (adopting from foster care or adopting internationally)How much of your new child’s history should you share with the kids already in the family?How to prepare kids in the family for potential behavioral challenges.Prepare your kids in advance for changes to the family routine to accommodate the new child’s needs?Creating a support network in advance.Handling the transition period.Different expectations and rules.How much voice should children in the family have on whether to adopt?Advice on parenting if you are disrupting birth order.Advice on parenting if kids are in the same grade at school. Adopting an Older Child Who is Your Foster ChildRole change from foster sibling to adoptive sibling (and foster parent to adoptive parent).Expectations of transition period.Resources:Creating a Family has a great list of books for Preparing Kids for the Adoption of a SiblingSuddenly Siblings website answers the question on every parent's mind: how will fostering or adoption affect my kids already in the home?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/bSupport 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Is human fertility declining? What is the cause and what can we do about it. Our guest is Dr. Shanna Swan, an award-winning scientist based at Mount Sinai Medical Center and one of the world’s leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologists. She is the author of Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race.In this episode, we cover: Is sperm count in human males declining?  Is this decline seen worldwide or just in developed countries?Is sperm count the only measure of sperm health that is declining? Are we seeing a change in sperm motility or morphology also?Do we see a change in the average testosterone level in men worldwide?Do we know what is causing the decline in sperm count? Do we see a similar impact on women’s reproductive health?  And if so, how do we know?Could the decline in the fertility rate be, at least in part, the result of a general trend toward delayed childbearing, access to birth control, move from an agrarian society where large numbers of children were valued, etc.? Certainly, so in the western world but also so in developing countries where girls have the opportunity for education and employment.Has there been a reduction in the age of puberty in girls in the US. Worldwide?If we are comparing current sperm count of men on a country wide basis to past sperm count how do we know we are comparing apples to apples? Couldn’t differences in studies techniques and who they studied account for the difference?Has there been an increase in gender fluidity?Has there been an increase in disorders of sexual development?Can exposures to environmental toxins impact human sexuality and gender identity?Can exposures in utero or childhood or adulthood that can impact sexuality and gender identity?What lifestyle factors negatively influence fertility?What environmental exposures affect fertility for both men and women and how do we avoid exposure? 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 infertility patients 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 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What issues should parents think about when adopting a relative (niece, cousin, sibling) from abroad. We talk with Mary Beth King, who has a Master of Science in Social Administration and is Frank Adoption Center’s Executive Director, and with Katie Schultz, an International Adoption Specialist with Madison Adoption Associates.In this episode, we cover,What level of genetic relationship is required to call it a kinship adoption as well as what circumstances make a child eligible for an international kinship adoption, especially in the eyes of USCIS.At what age is a child no longer eligible for international kinship adoption?Changing relationship for both adopter and child – to go from the “cool, exotic US visitor” to everyday caregiver.Relationship with bio family in home country.Helping children navigate (and choose) the language of family – will they continue to refer to you as “aunt” or will you be “mom,” etc.Blending children by birth and this newly adopted child.Understanding that trauma and loss are still a part of the child’s story even though they are remaining in their biological extended family.It can take a long time for relative adoptions to come to fruition, the child can be much older than when the family started the process and so helping families adjust to the fact that they may be bringing home an older child can be challenging.Helping families embrace pre-adoption education as necessary even though they have experience in parenting or they know this child and therefore don't need education on how to parent.Recognizing that the child’s immigrant experience will be different than your own and how to separate the two.One parent not related and maybe not been an immigrant.Navigating two identities, for example - Preparing your child to embrace their identity not just as a Cameroonian, but also as a Black American.Managing expectations of cultural changes – Understanding that these children are very likely to take on cultural norms of America kids and teens which may be different than the parent-child relationship expectations of your country of originUnderstanding the importance of hobbies, sports, extracurricular activities, play time, etc. in addition (and sometimes even as backseat to) academics, especially as kids adjust to these big changes, make new friends, and heal from trauma and lossNavigating the American school system and understanding that grade levels don’t always translate internationally. Accessing services to help the child transition.Adjusting to parenting as an older parent. Things may have changed since they parented last.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 trSupport 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What are the 7 essential character traits that parents can teach their children to increase resiliency? In this episode we talk with Dr. Michelle Borba, an internationally renowned educational psychologist and author of Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine.In this episode, we cover:You paint a picture in your book of tweens, teens and young adults who are stressed, anxious, depressed, and lonesome. Why are our kids experiencing this?Importance of play.Importance of sleep.7 essential character traits of a child who will thrive both in childhood and adolescence but also into adulthood.Self-ConfidenceWhat is the difference between self confidence and self-esteem?How does parental praise factor into teaching self-confidence?How do you teach self-confidence? EmpathyWhy is empathy so important to resilience?How do you teach empathy or at the very least encourage it?How does our modern technology impact empathy?Self-ControlWhat is self-control in children?How do we teach self-control?IntegrityHow do you define integrity?How can we help our kids develop integrity?CuriosityWhy is curiosity important for thriving?What can we do or not do to encourage curiosity?PerseveranceWhat causes kids to give up?What can parents do to help?OptimismIs optimism an inborn temperament or one that can be taught?If you could leave parents with 5 actionable tips for raising a “thriver”, what would they be.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 building Please 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Call it co-parenting, shared parenting, or partnership parenting, the gist is the same: foster parents are expected to share the nurturing of a foster child with the birth parents to facilitate reunification whenever possible. Join us today to talk about shared parenting with Carrie Sgarlata, an educator, mom, foster mom, and foster parent trainer and recruiter; and Andrea Leaman, a social worker with the Foster Care Licensing and Placement Program with Children’s Wisconsin Community Services and trainer in partnership parenting. In this episode, we covered:1.     Why is shared parenting best for the child? (less divided loyalty, foster parents can be a role model, less time in foster care, better behavior, majority of kids will return home and co-parenting makes that easier)2.     Building a relationship that begins when someone’s child is removed is not easy. What are some of the emotions the birth parents are likely feeling when they first meet the foster parent? (fear, confusion, denial, anger, embarrassment, feeling that the authorities over-reacted, shame, grief, betrayal, sadness, uncertainty, taking their child away, loss of control)3.     How to build a relationship of co-parenting?a.     Start with compassion b.     Lower expectationsc.     Reassure them that you are only here to help not adopt their childd.     Show a picture of where the child is stayinge.     Don’t take things personally? (be the more emotionally stable person) Realize that you are seeing these people at likely the worst moment of their life.f.      Go the extra mileg.     Language matters: refer to the child as their child.h.     Treat them with dignity and respect.i.      Go the extra mile to make it easier or less awkward for them.j.      Ask birth parents questions about the child, her likes, dislikes, fears, etc.k.     Send pictures, share artwork, share cute stories4.     Communication between birth and adoptive parents is key to success. Ideas for setting up good communication. How to communicate between visits?5.     How to handle visits to facilitate co-parenting?6.     How to overcome our own anger and judgement towards birth parents?7.     How to establish healthy boundaries?8.     Is it possible to do partnership parenting with incarcerated parents?9.     How to handle Social media10.  Becoming a parenting mentor to birth parents. What are some skills that birth parents may need help developing and how can foster parents help? (importance of routine, working with the school, discipline, normal child developmental stages, how to find community support)11.  How can we help birth parents shift their attitude towards the foster care system from existing to keep them from their children towards existing to help stabilize the family?12.  What if:a.     What if the birth parent abused the child?b.     What if the bSupport 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How does the endocrine system impacts fertility, what can go wrong, and what can be done about it. We talk today with Dr. Mark Trolice, the Director of Fertility CARE: The IVF Center in Orlando and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. He is double Board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility and OB/GYN.In this episode, we include:·      What is the function of the endocrine system in human health?·      How does the thyroid gland function within the endocrine system?·      How is female fertility impacted by the endocrine system?·      How is male fertility impacted by the endocrine system?·      What is hypothyroidism?·      What is hyperthyroidism?·      How are dysfunctions in the endocrine system diagnosed?·      How are dysfunctions in the endocrine system treated?·      What dietary and lifestyle choices impact the health of the endocrine system and thyroid gland?·      What are some common endocrine disrupting chemicals in our environment?·      How are environmental endocrine disruptors impacting fertility?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org.  Creating a Family brings you the following expert-based content:·         Weekly podcasts·         Weekly articles/blog posts·        Resource pages on all aspects of family building Support 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.In this episode we interview Sarah Sentilles, author of a newly released book by Random House titled Stranger Care. "Stranger Care" is a beautifully written book that captures the promise and often the failure of foster care. And it is a beautiful portrait of love with no promise of a future.In this episode, we cover:Beautifully written book that captures the promise and often the failure of foster care. And a beautiful portrait of love with no promise of a future.·      How did you come to the decision to become foster parents? And did you come to that decision or were you really trying to become an adoptive parent?·     Discussion of “ethically cleaner”.·      I appreciated how you showed Evelyn, the birth mom, to be human and to love her child. You did a good job of showing the nuances, which are hard to do, especially when you are the one losing the child. I very much enjoyed seeing how that relationship grew. What helped change it?·      Rooting for and against birth mom·      Love and yet not belonging to you·     The power of the state to remove kids should not be used without great care.·      What qualifies as good parenting and is “good enough” enough. Ex. of the car seat.·      Keeping siblings together.·      It is discouraging that organizations, such as Creating a Family exist to support people like you when you were first considering your options. And if we didn’t reach someone like you who is educated and I would assume someone who researches and gathers info then how in the world do we reach people. Education research focused woman are our demographic!·      How long has it been and do you know what has happened to Coco?·      How have you and your husband been changed by this experience?·      Is this book in part an attempt to reach out to Coco. Did you write it with an ear to her reading it later in life and you talking to her. Do you hope she will hear about it and read it?·      Did you decide to give up on fostering? What about adopting?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 building Support 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you ever considered adopting after you had children by birth? Or thought about trying to get pregnant after you adopted? Is it a good idea to combine kids by birth and adoption. In this episode, we talk with Rebecca Ricardo, an LCSW who has worked in the field of adoption since 1991. She currently serves as the Executive Director for a licensed, child-placing agency that provides both placement and support services. She is an adoptee and a birth mom. The son she placed for adoption was raised as the only adopted child between two children born to his adoptive parents.In this episode, we cover:•       What are the typical reasons why families have both adopted and non-adopted kids?•       What does the research show on how children and families adjust when there are children by both adoption and infertility?•       Do parents have a tendency to favor their biological children? Kin Selection Theory based on evolutionary psychology.•       Does it matter if the adopted child is adopted after the family has had bio kids, or if the adopted child comes first (most often because the parents were infertile) and they went back into treatment after they adopted to try for a biological child? What different factors come into play?•       Favoritism by grandparents or extended family. How to handle?•       The tendency of parents of families that combine biological and adopted kids to downplay genetics, birth stories, etc.•       How to handle conflicts with children or extended family members when children require a different type of parenting because one child has experienced trauma?•       How to handle conflicts when one child requires more of the parent’s time than another child?•       Tips for parents who are combining kids by birth and adoption. How can social workers help families that are considering this?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 building Support 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you sometimes feel that self-care is an impossible goal when you are parenting kids who have experienced trauma. There isn't enough time in the day to do it all, much less take care of yourself. Or is there? Join us to talk about how to find time to take care of yourself. We will talk with Angelica Jones, MSW, Program Director of Intercountry Services and the Intensive Service Foster Care Recruiter and Trainer at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services.In this episode, we cover:·      “Selfcare” or “take care of yourself” are overused but still vitally important terms for  foster, adoptive, and kinship parents.·      Why do all parents but especially parents of kids who’ve experienced trauma need to practice self-care?·      What is secondary trauma?·      Why are kids who’ve experience neglect, abuse and other childhood traumas harder to  parent?·      The busyness of foster and adoptive parenting.·      What are some of the barriers to taking care of ourselves as adoptive, foster or kinship parents?·      The importance of respite care and the barriers to parents using it.·      Practical ideas for providing self-care.·      Think small when thinking self-care.·      Ask for help and accept it when offered. If someone offers to help, say “yes” and suggest something specific. Ex. A meal on Wednesday night. Babysitting or taking a child to the movies once a month.·      Parent Support groupsThis 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 building Support 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 building

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you worry that the over the counter medications you take for a headache or allergies could impact your fertility? What about CBD or melatonin? We talk with Dr. Kathleen Tucker, a scientific director for various IVF labs; and with K.E. Tucker Consulting, and Dr. Angie Beltos, CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Vios Fertility Institute.In this episode, we include:Research has found three reasons why the impact of OTC medication on fertility has become an increasing issue.We are taking more medications now that people in the past. People are waiting longer to start a family and age is associated with greater medication use.People are experiencing more chronic disease at earlier ages.Taken together, these factors have increased the number of prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs being taken by women and men attempting to get pregnant with or without fertility treatment.As always, talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding both prescription and non-prescription medications.Impact of OTC drugs on fertility - female and male fertility.Impact on natural conception.Impact when taken during fertility treatment.Impact on pregnancy.Impact of NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) on fertility.Aspirin (brand names include Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin, St. Joseph)Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)Excedrin (acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine)Naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox DS, Naprosyn)Celecoxib (Celebrex)-prescription onlyAcetaminophen (Tylenol)Antacids-histamine blockers and proton pump inhibitorsAntihistamines B-both types? 1st generation, 2nd generationSleep aidsCBDOther common over-the-counter (OTC) medicationsSkin and hair care productsHerbal supplements?As always, talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding both prescription and non-prescription.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 building Support 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 building