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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
727 episodes
Reunification of Foster Child Logistics - Weekend Wisdom
Question: My 15-year-old foster daughter, “Anna”, is scheduled to move back in with her mom at the end of the school year. She is currently on my phone plan. I also pay for her access to Spotify, Netflix, and Hulu. Should I ask her mothe...
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Season 19
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Episode 49
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10:27
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Common Special Needs in International Adoption
Are you considering international adoption? If so, this interview will help you decide which special needs are a good fit for your family. We'll talk with Dr. Dana Johnson, MD, PhD. He is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology...
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Season 19
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Episode 48
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1:01:51
Tips to Manage Bedwetting and Stooling Accidents - Weekend Wisdom
Question: A listener wrote in asking about encopresis and enuresis. These tips are for handling bedwetting or soiling accidents once your child is successfully potty trained.Resources:
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Season 19
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Episode 47
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11:53
Building Rhythms of Self-Care Into Our Parenting with Nicole Barlow
How do you define self-care? Are you establishing a routine of self-care that supports you to meet your kid's needs? Nicole Barlow joins the podcast to discuss how we think about self-care, why it's crucial, and how to create rhythms of self-ca...
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Season 19
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Episode 47
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53:21
Black Parents Adopting a White Child - Weekend Wisdom
Question: Today's question is about black parents adopting a white child. This was a question we received from a survey we sent out to issues that our audience wished that we would address.Resources:
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Season 19
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Episode 46
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6:13
How People of Faith Can Support Vulnerable Kids and Families
How can we get people of faith more involved in helping vulnerable kids and families and supporting foster and kinship families? Join our discussion with Jason Johnson and Shmuly Yanklowitz. Pastor Johnson is with The Christian Alliance for Orp...
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Season 19
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Episode 46
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56:57
How Do I Handle Shocking Information My Child Shares With Me? - Weekend Wisdom
Question: I want to know how I can help my child/foster, or adoptee with issues that arise out of the blue. There are things that happen that you’re not aware of, and it just shocks you and throws you off. As an adult, it’s hard to know ...
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Season 19
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Episode 45
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8:01
Understanding Adoption: Voices From All Sides
Join us to discuss how adoption looks and feels from all sides of the adoption triad. Our guests will be the authors Sara Easterly, Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and Lori Holden of their book, Adoption Unfil...
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Season 19
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Episode 44
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47:17
How to Talk with Young Kids about Adoption - Weekend Wisdom
Question: My wife and I adopted a newborn baby almost 3 years ago and we could not be happier. Now that he is getting a little older, he is talking and starting to understand things. My question is how can we best normalize his adoption ...
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Season 19
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Episode 43
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10:22
The Adoption Home Study: Should You Be Nervous?
Many prospective adoptive families feel anxious about the home study. Our guest, Sheila Kowit, is an adoption social worker with Adoptions From the Heart. She prepares home studies for both domestic infant and international adoptions. She expla...
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Season 19
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Episode 42
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54:56
Birthparents and Agency Lied About Drug Use - Weekend Wisdom
Question: My husband and I had a swift match and placement in December. When we were presented with the case, all that was reported for drug use was smoking 12 cigarettes a day. After about a month of trying to get medical records from t...
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Season 19
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Episode 41
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9:52
Raising a Biracial Child
Are you raising a mixed-race child? Join our conversation with Nicole Doyley, a biracial woman raising biracial kids, and the author of What About the Children: 5 Values for Multiracial Families.
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Season 19
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Episode 41
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53:29
Attachment Dance - Weekend Wisdom
Question: For three months now, we’ve been fostering our 17-year-old son, with the intention of adopting. My question is regarding attachment. How can you tell if the child is setting up boundaries or testing you to see how hard you’ll p...
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Season 19
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Episode 40
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10:11
How to Engage Kinship Caregivers
Are you a professional working with kinship caregivers? You need to listen to this interview with Dr. Tyreasa Washington, is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar specializing in kinship care families (e.g., grandparents raising g...
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Season 19
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Episode 39
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46:16
Dealing with a Long Wait When Adopting - Weekend Wisdom
Question: How can prospective parents manage their thoughts and emotions while waiting to be matched with a child (especially in cases where the waiting period is a long one)?Resources:
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Season 19
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Episode 38
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9:43
Evaluating Risk Factors in Foster Care Adoption
Are you considering adopting from foster care or becoming a foster parent? Join us to discuss this topic with Dr. Lindsay Terrell, a pediatrician and Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center, as well...
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Season 19
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Episode 37
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51:50
What the Heck is Happening with the Adoption Tax Credit? - Weekend Wisdom
Question: On the 2025 Adoption Tax Credit Episode, it was mentioned that they thought this would possibly be the year it becomes refundable. Does that only apply to finalizations in 2025, or will it make previous adoptions (if within the...
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Season 19
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Episode 36
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4:13
What's It Like When Your Parents Decide to Foster
Are you considering fostering but are concerned about how it impacts the kids already living in your home? Join us for a conversation with Michelle Snyder, a foster, adoptive, and bio mom, and her son, Ben, to hear their stories of fostering an...
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Season 19
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Episode 35
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54:00
De-escalation in the Heat of the Moment - Weekend Wisdom
Question: How do I respond in the moment when my child is melting down, including physical or verbal aggression? Resources:
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Season 19
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Episode 34
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12:15
Embryo Donation / Embryo Adoption
Have you thought about adopting a baby, but long for the experience of being pregnant, or want to control the intrauterine environment? Join us for this fascinating discussion about embryo donation/adoption with Dr. Craig Sweet with Embryo Dona...
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Season 19
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Episode 33
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58:27
Will I Get to Choose the Name of My Adopted Baby? - Weekend Wisdom
Question: Is it important to keep a young child or baby’s birth-given name? How often, if ever, do expectant mothers let adopting parents name the baby in private adoptions? Resources:
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Season 19
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Episode 32
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5:14
Raising Kids for a Lifelong Parent/Child Bond
Do you want to raise kids who you will like and want to hang out with as adults? Listen to this interview with Dr. Ginsburg, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and professor of pediatrics at U Penn’s Perelman School of Medici...
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Season 19
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Episode 31
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57:36
Who Should We Tell About a Match With an Expectant Mom? - Weekend Wisdom
Question: My husband and I started the adoption process a few months ago and we just matched with an expectant mom. We are obviously excited, but we also know that a lot can happen or change between now and her due date. My question is t...
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Season 19
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Episode 30
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7:25
Parenting Kids with Prenatal Exposure
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 Behaviora...
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Season 19
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Episode 29
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57:10
Is It Harder for Singles to Adopt? - Weekend Wisdom
Question: Hello, I am a single parent by choice and a hopeful adoptive parent. I've been working with an agency and waiting to be matched for a domestic infant adoption since this summer, and I haven't had much luck. I'm starting to wond...
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Season 19
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Episode 28
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4:32