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Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care
Are you thinking about adopting or fostering a child? Confused about all the options and wondering where to begin? Or are you an adoptive or foster parent or kinship caregiver trying to be the best parent possible to this precious child? This is the podcast for you! Every week, we interview leading experts for an hour, discussing the topics you care about in deciding whether to adopt/foster or how to be a better parent. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are the 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, and resource pages on all aspects of family building at our website, CreatingaFamily.org. We also have an active presence on many social media platforms. Please like or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Episodes
761 episodes
Supporting a Child Who is a People Pleaser - Weekend Wisdom
Question: How should I deal with an adoptive child with a people-pleasing personality? I want to prevent the anxiety that comes with that, but I'm not sure how. Resources:
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Season 19
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Episode 88
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15:45
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Practical Financial Strategies for Foster & Kinship Families
How do you manage daily expenses and budgeting when you are a foster or kinship caregiving family? We speak with Nicole Valenzuela, a foster parent and founder of Fostering Finances, to learn abou...
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Season 19
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Episode 87
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51:22
Should We Expand Our Special Needs Checklist to Include HIV? - Weekend Wisdom
Question: My husband and I are considering whether we will open our special needs consideration to include children who are HIV+. We have already been approved to adopt from India, and as our home study update approaches, we are taking a...
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Season 19
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Episode 86
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12:32
Preventing Sexual Abuse
What strategies can parents and caregivers implement in their homes to help reduce the risk that their children may be sexually abused? Learn practical parenting tools from this conversation with Dr. Eliana Gil, the founder of the Gil Institute...
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Season 19
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Episode 85
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1:01:52
Navigating Time Off from Work to Bond with a Newly Adopted Child
Question: My husband and I are in the process of adopting a waiting child internationally. This is our first adoption and we will soon be waiting to be matched with a child. I teach in higher education and my schedule is coordinated abou...
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Season 19
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Episode 84
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16:16
Understanding Resilience and How to Build It
Resilience is more than just bouncing back from a challenge. Join us for a conversation about building resilience in ourselves and our kids, understanding coping tools, and caring well for ourselves while raising kids who may have significant g...
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Season 19
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Episode 83
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1:02:54
Is It Too Soon to Look Through Foster Photo Listings? - Weekend Wisdom
Question: We are currently going through our home study to adopt from foster care, and I'm wondering if it is too early to look at photo listings? I have been looking at photo listings for a long time, but now, when I read the bios,...
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Season 19
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Episode 82
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18:08
Is My Child At Risk for Human Trafficking?
What is human trafficking? Is your child at increased risk of being trafficked? Listen to this conversation with guests Dr. Yolanda Montgomery, a nurse, advocate, and the founder of Zoë Ministries, a nonprofit established in 2012 to combat huma...
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Season 19
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Episode 81
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1:07:27
When You Don't Know Your Child's Racial or Cultural Heritage - Weekend Wisdom
Question: We very recently brought home our second child through domestic infant adoption. We feel very fortunate, and our son is developing well; we are also settling into the new routine. We matched with our Son's birth moth...
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Season 19
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Episode 80
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15:10
Tweens and Teens: Managing Tech & Mental Health
Do you worry about the impacts that screen time, social media, or gaming have on your tween and teens' mental health? We spoke to Brittany Anderson, an author, certified play and narrative intelligence practitioner, and the founder of Renala, w...
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Season 19
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Episode 79
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1:01:22
My Child's Disrespect and Disobedience is Creating Resentment - Weekend Wisdom
Question: I have resentment against my (soon-to-be adopted) child’s mom, who is an addict. I get frustrated with his disrespect & disobedience, and bitterness & resentment rise up. He also respects my husband way more than me. I ...
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Season 19
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Episode 78
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18:47
Connecting with Teens
Do you dread the teen years? Or, if you're in the midst of parenting teens, do you struggle to find ways to connect? This week, we interview Dr. Melody Aguayo, a parenting coach specializing in working with at-risk children and their families a...
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Season 19
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Episode 77
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54:56
9 Things I Wish I Knew Before Adopting - Weekend Wisdom
I spent some time this week thinking about what I’ve learned from my experiences as an adoptive parent and the wisdom of others in our community. In reflection, I've created a list of the things I wish I knew before adopting.Resources...
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Season 19
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Episode 76
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13:44
How Can Kinship Caregivers Find the Resources They Need to Succeed?
Kinship-led families have unique needs, and finding resources to meet those needs can be a challenge. Today, we're talking with Mike Heath, a Resource Specialist with the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families in Wisconsin. The Coalition ...
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Season 19
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Episode 75
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1:12:15
Tips for Managing Your Picky Eater - Weekend Wisdom
Today, we are tackling a question that comes up a lot for parents and caregivers in our community – what do you do with a picky eater? Resources:
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Season 19
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Episode 74
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13:31
The Only Way Forward is Back with Jackson TerKeurst
Jackson TerKeurst was born in Liberia and by the age of 7 was a war orphan living in dire circumstances. So how did he end up as an entrepreneur, leader, and now author? Join us for an inspirational conversation about identity, overcoming, and ...
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Season 19
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Episode 73
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43:41
Travel Restrictions When Fostering - Weekend Wisdom
Question: Are there travel restrictions when you are fostering? For example, my family lives out of state, but can I bring the child with me when I travel to visit family?Resources:
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Season 19
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Episode 72
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8:34
Adopting Older Kids
Are you considering adopting a child over the age of 5? Listen to this interview with Sarah Hansen and Simi Riesner. Sarah is the Director of International Advocacy at the Gladney Center for Adoption, with over 20 years of experience supporting...
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Season 19
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Episode 71
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1:08:51
Fostering or Adopting as a Single Man - Weekend Wisdom
Questions: I am a 58 single man and I am considering fostering. My first question is how much of a bias is there against men? What are the unique challenges that single foster dads face that discoura...
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Season 19
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Episode 70
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13:51
How Do We Handle Weed and Vaping While Raising Adopted, Foster, and Relative Kids?
Are you educated and informed on the issues around weed and vaping, including THC, nicotine, and the signs of addiction? Listen to this interview with Dr. Krishna White. She is an attending physician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, ...
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Season 19
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Episode 69
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53:58
How to Connect with an Expectant Parent During Pregnancy - Weekend Wisdom
Question: I have listened to hundreds of adoption-related podcast episodes, but very few of them have talked about talking directly with a potential birth mother. We were matched with an expectant mother who wanted to be able to communic...
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Season 19
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Episode 68
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6:26
Understanding the Hague Treaty on Intercountry Adoption
Are you considering adopting internationally? You need to listen to this interview about the laws and processes that you will be required to follow. We'll be talking with Kelly Dempsey, a partner with Fox Rothschild, who specializes in adoption...
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Season 19
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Episode 67
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53:02
When Your Extended Family Isn't Into Your Adoption Education Journey - Weekend Wisdom
Question: Hi, my husband, biological daughter and I are in the process of infant adoption. We have passed our home study and have made our profile book. We are at the point where we are viewing expectant moms' profiles. My husband‘s fami...
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Season 19
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Episode 66
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8:10
Helping Our Kids Cope with Bullies at School
Most children will experience bullying at some point. What can parents do to help protect their children and to help their children cope if they are bullied? Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility...
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Season 19
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Episode 65
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51:26
Tips for Welcoming Home Your Newborn - Weekend Wisdom
We frequently hear from waiting parents that they are unsure when to prepare the nursery, what formula is best, or how often they should expect to feed their new baby. It's a huge life transition, and we thought today we could talk about some b...
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Season 19
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Episode 64
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10:57