Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption & Foster Care
585 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 180 ratingsAre 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).
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Episodes
Legal Issues You MUST Consider with Egg/Sperm Donation & Surrogacy
November 20, 2013 17:00 - 1 hour - 29.3 MBEgg donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy can have significant legal concerns. It is important that infertility patients considering egg or sperm donation or surrogacy think through these issues before hand. Host Dawn Davenport will interview two of the leading reproductive law attorneys on topics that should be considered by those using donor eggs, donor sperm, or surrogacy to create their family. Our guests are Stephanie Caballero and Catherine Tucker, both reproductive law attorneys cove...
Maximizing Chances of Pregnancy in Fertility Treatment
November 05, 2013 17:30 - 1 hour - 28.5 MBIt is so hard to know how long to stay at each level of infertility treatment. How many months on Clomid, how many IUIs (artificial inseminations) and how many cycles of IVF is reasonable before moving to donor egg. What is the best way to manage your fertility dollars and still get pregnant? Our guests will be Dr. Alison Zimon, a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF, and Dr. Samantha Pfeifer, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Pennsylvania Medical School...
Inside Transracial Adoption: Talking About Race
November 05, 2013 17:00 - 1 hour - 28.8 MBTransracial Adoptions (Interracial Adoption) are becoming more common. Adoptive parents must talk with their children abour race, but that is often a hard conversation to have. When to start, what to say, and how to prepare them for racism without scaring them. Our guests to talk about talking with transracially adopted children about race are Beth Hall, Founder and Director of PACT, and co-author of Inside Transracial Adoption; and Natasha Sky, a multiracial woman and mother of four multira...
Increasing Success with IVF
October 30, 2013 16:00 - 59 minutes - 27.2 MBTo get pregnant using fertility treatment, such as in vitro fertilization, requires good embryos. Up unitl recently choosing the best embryos was more art than science. New research is changing that equation. Dr. Marcy Maguire, a Reproductive Embryologist at Reproductice Medical Assiociates of New Jersey and Clinical Assistant Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School will talk about the latest groundbreaking discoveries that is increasing the odds of ...
Reluctance to Donor Egg, Sperm, or Embryo in Your Family
October 23, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 27.9 MBOvercoming Reluctance to Donor Egg, Sperm, or Embryo in Your Extended Family. This was a topic suggested by our audience. There are few, if any, resources available to help infertility patients navigate who to tell about using third party reproduction. Our guest is Bette Galen, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in infertiliy who has worked at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey for 8 years and has a private practice in Montclair, NJ. donor egg, egg donation, donor spe...
Toddler Adoption
October 11, 2013 22:00 - 1 hour - 31.2 MBAdopting a toddler is NOT the same as adopting an infant or adopting a school aged child. As the waiting times for international adoption increase more families are adopting older babies and toddlers. Foster care adoptions are also increasing and families are facing the unique issues associated with adopting children between the ages of 1 and 4. Join our guest Mary Hopkins-Best, author of Toddler Adoption: The Weaver’s Craft, to learn about the rewards and challenges of adopting a toddler., a...
Adopting and Raising a Child with HIV
October 09, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 29.6 MBThe stigma against HIV is alive and well in the US and the world, and no where does this play out more poignantly than in the thousands of orphans with HIV. Adoptive parents are often afraid of adopting a child with HIV. How sick will these children be? What is their life expectancy? How much risk do they pose to other family members? Our guest are Dr. Jan Piatt, Medical Director at the Bill Holt Pediatric HIV Clinic at Phoenix Children's Hospital , Kate Foley, Social Worker and Associate Di...
Getting Pregnant After Cancer
October 02, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 28.7 MBWhat are the risks of attempting to get pregnant after cancer? Should you try? How long should you wait. What is the risk to the child and mother. Host Dawn Davenport will interview two of the leading experts in the US on Pregnancy after Cancer: Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, a breast surgeon and the Oncofertility Consortium's Clinical Co-Director of Oncology and an Assistant Professor within the Department of Surgery and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern Un...
Fertility and Your Immune System
September 25, 2013 16:30 - 1 hour - 28.8 MBCan your immune system affect your ability to get pregnant or stay pregnant? What is the immunological conncetion to infertility or miscarriage. Host Dawn Davenport will interview Dr. William Kutteh, board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist, with a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Immunology. He serves as Director of Fertility Associates of Memphis and Laboratory Director for Memphis Fertility Laboratory. fertility, infertility, immunology, immune system, miscarriage, recurrent pregnancy l...
Adoption Disruptions/Dissolutions: Common?, Causes, Prevent
September 18, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 33.1 MBNot all adoptions are forever. Some fail. Recent reports by NBC News, the Today Show, and Reuters focused on the devastating outcomes for some kids and families, but left unanswered how often adoptions fail, what types of adoptions are at the most risk for adoption disruption or adoption dissolution, and what to do to prevent them from failing. Host Dawn Davenport will interview a panel of adoption experts: Dr. Trudy Festinger, professor at the Silver School of Social Work at New York Univ...
Adoption Disruptions/Dissolutions: Common?, Causes, Prevent
September 18, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 33.1 MBNot all adoptions are forever. Some fail. Recent reports by NBC News, the Today Show, and Reuters focused on the devastating outcomes for some kids and families, but left unanswered how often adoptions fail, what types of adoptions are at the most risk for adoption disruption or adoption dissolution, and what to do to prevent them from failing. Host Dawn Davenport will interview a panel of adoption experts: Dr. Trudy Festinger, professor at the Silver School of Social Work at New York Univ...
Long Term Effects of Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure
September 11, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 30.2 MBEvaluating the risk of Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure is one of the hardest decisions adoptive parents must make. Host Dawn Davenport will interview Dr. Ira Chasnoff, one of the nation's leading researchers on long term effects of prenatal alcohol and drug exposure and author of a new book on the subject--The Mystery of Risk. Dr. Chasnoff is President of the Children's Research Triangle and a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. ad...
How to Interpret IVF Success Statistics
September 04, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 28.5 MBWe tell people to check out the Center for Disease Control statistics before selecting an infertility clinic, but how in the world do you make sense of these numbers. Which ones are truly important? Can they be manipulated? Host Dawn Davenport will interview Dr. David Adamson, reproductive endocrinologist and Medical Director of Fertility Physicians of Northern California and Founder and CEO of Advanced Reproductive Care, a national network of fertility clinics. He was past President of the ...
Should You Freeze Your Eggs to Preserve Your Fertility
August 23, 2013 19:00 - 1 hour - 34 MBAdvances in egg freezing in the last couple of years have been huge. Should you use egg freezing to allow you to wait to have children later? Is this technique reliable and safe?How much does it cost, and how expensive is storage? Host Dawn Davenport will interview Dr. Daniel Shapiro, Medical Director of Reproductive Biology Associates in Atlanta and Clinical Manager of My Egg Bank. He is board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility. She will a...
Should I Adopt a Child with Special Needs
August 21, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 30.8 MBMost international adoptions are now special needs adoptions, as are adoptions from US foster care. Are you up to adopting a child with special needs? Host Dawn Davenport interviews Martha Osborne, founder and director of Rainbow Kids, a photolisting website for harder to place children; and Dr. Lisa Nalven, a developmental pediatrician, specializing in caring for children with developmental disabilities. She is the Director of Developmental Pediatrics and the Adoption Screening and Evaluat...
Traveling with Newly Adopted Children
August 14, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 30.2 MBTraveling with kids is hard enough when you know them and they know you. How in the world do you travel with with a newly adopted child. How do you keep a child entertained during the plane, cab, car, bus rides that are inevitable? Join our guests Brooke Randolph, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and founding team member MLJ Adoptions, Inc., where she currently serves as the VP of Social Services. She is a single adoptive mother who has recently traveled with her newly adopted 6 year old s...
Practical Considerations When Going Abroad for Treatment
August 02, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 29 MBIncreasingly US citizens are looking abroad for infertility treatment, while those in other countries are coming to the US to receive fertility treatments not available or legal in their country. What are the practical considerations for infertility tourism? Host Dawn Davenport will interview Kathryn Kaycoff-Manos co-founder of the Agency for Surrogacy Solutions and Global IVF, an informational website to help Intended Parents from all over the world. She is a mom herself through surrogacy ...
When Should You Move Up the Fertility Treatment Ladder
July 31, 2013 16:00 - 59 minutes - 27.4 MBIt's hard to know when to move up the infertility treatment ladder from Clomid, to IUI (artificial insemination), to IVF, to IVF/ICSI, to donor egg, to surrogacy. When should you move to more advanced forms of fertility treatment/assisted reproduction? Host Dawn Davenport will interview Dr. Jaime Knopman, Reproductive Endocrinologist with RMA of New York and Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. fertility treatments, infe...
What Subsidies/ Benefits are Available for Foster Care Adopt
July 24, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 30 MBMost children adopted from US foster care are eligible for an monthly adoption subisdy and other benefits from the state. What benefits are available? College tuition, medical insurance, monthy stipend? What is reasonable? Our guests are Josh Kroll, Project Coordinator with the Adoption Subsidy Resource Center at the North American Council on Adoptable Children and Julie Mondroski and Judith Ungar-Neuenkirch, case workers with Clark County Nevada—otherwise known as Las Vegas. adopting from ...
Coping with Infertility Grief After Adopting
July 17, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 29.3 MBWe tell people to work through their grief at not having a biological child or being pregnant or breastfeeding BEFORE they adopt. The reality is that sometimes after adopting a baby adoptive parents still crave the experience of pregnancy and still feel sad at not having a genetic connection to their child. Host, Dawn Davenport , will interview Carole Lieber Wilkins, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in the field of reproductive medicine, adoption and family building opti...
Using Integrative Medicine in Fertility Treatment
July 10, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 28.9 MBHow can integrative medicine be used in fertility treatment? What alternative treatments work to increase your chance of success with infertility? What complimentary medicine techniques can help when trying to conceive? Our guest today to talk about integrative medicine in infertility treatment and IVF is Dr. Carmelo Sgarlata, a Reproductive Endocrinologist and the director of Integrative Medicine at the Reproductive Science Center of the Bay Area.acupuncture and infertility, acupressure and...
The Child Catchers: Criticism of the Orphan Care Movement
July 03, 2013 13:00 - 1 hour - 32.1 MBInterview with Kathryn Joyce, author of The Child Catchers: Rescue, Trafficking, and the New Gospel of Adoption, a new book that is highly critical of the evangelical orphan care and adoption movement. Joyce criticized the religious involvement in international adoption, and those who seek to adopt a US baby. Blog summary of the show and highlights can be found here: Blog summary of the show Highlights More Creating a Family resources on international and domestic adoption can be found ...
Disrupting Birth Order in Adoption
June 26, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 30.5 MBShould you adopt out of birth order? What risks should parents be aware of. How can adoptive parents make it easier for their children if they adopt a child older than one of their existing children. Our guest will be David Brodzinsky, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Clinical & Developmental Psychology at Rutgers University and currently, Research Director of the Donaldson Adoption Institute in NYC. He is internationally known for his research, training, and clinical work in the area of adopti...
Latest Developments in Genetic Testing
June 13, 2013 15:00 - 1 hour - 28.7 MBWhat advancements have been made in pre-implantatin genetic testing of embryos or genetic testing during pregnancy? Our guest to talk about the Latest Developments in Genetic Testing if Dr. Mark Evans, medical director at Comprehensive Genetics and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Evans is President of the Fetal Medicine Foundation of America, President of the International Fetal Medicine and Surgery Society Foundation, and Past President of the Centr...
Post Adoption Depression--Causes & Prevention
June 12, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 29 MBPost adoption depression and parent attachment disorder are surprisingly common and seldom talked about. After all, you've tried so hard to become a parent , many adoptive parents are ashamed to admit that they are struggling. We will interview Dr. Jane Aronson,board certified general pediatrician and pediatric infectious diseases specialist, and adoption medicine specialist for the past 12 years. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Weill Medical College of Cornell Univ...
Donor Insemination: Who's Donating & Who's Receiving
June 05, 2013 16:30 - 1 hour - 28.5 MBThe use of donor sperm and sperm banks has changed over the years. The men donating has also changed. Host Dawn Davenport will talk about the changes in sperm donation with Dr. Michelle Ottey, Laboratory Director and Director of Operations for Fairfax Cryobank and Cryogenic Laboratories. Male infertility, LGBT parenting, lesbians, same sex couples, single mothers, male factor infertility, infertility treatment, sperm bankBlog summary of the show and highlights can be found here: Blog summar...
Diagnosis & Treatment of Recurrent Miscarriages
May 29, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 30.5 MBRecurrent pregnancy loss (miscarriage) is a heart break. What causes miscarriage? How can they be prevented. Our guests are Dr. Richard Scott, Founding Partner, Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey and Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and Dr. Mark Perloe, Medical Director at Georgia Reproductive Specialists with extensive experience with recurrent pregnancy loss. Infertility, fertility, infertility treatment, infertility clinic, fer...
Mental/Physical Health Issues in Prospective Adoptive Parent
May 17, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 28.8 MBHow are mental health issues and physical disabilities or diseases in prospective adoption parents treated by adoption agencies, adoption lawyers, expectant parents, and foreign countries? Can you adopt if you are on anti-depressants? Can you adopt if you have a history of past addictions? In a wheelchair? Our guests are Ann Wrixon, Executive Director of Independent Adoption Center; Rhonda Jarema , advocate and educator. She has been the Director of Family Support Services at Nightlight C...
Talking about Adoption at Different Ages & Developmental Sta
May 15, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 29.6 MBAdopted children process adoption differently at different ages and developmental stages. How can parents help their children understand the concept of being adopted. Our guest is Debbie Riley, Chief Executive Officer at the Center for Adoption Support and Education and marriage and family therapist with more than 30 years’ experience working with adopted kids and adoptive families. adoption, adoptive families, adopting a child in the US, adopting a US child, adopting in the US, internationa...
Breastfeeding Without Birthing
May 08, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 30 MBCan you breast feed a child you did not give birth to? Should you? How do you breastfeed as an adoptive mother or mother through surrogacy? Listen to Dawn’s interview with Alyssa Schnell, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and author of Breastfeeding Without Birthing: A Breastfeeding Guide for Mothers through Adoption, Surrogacy, and Other Special CircumstancesBlog summary of the show and highlights can be found here: Blog summary of the show Highlights More Creating a ...
Getting Pregnant with Male Infertility
May 01, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 29.7 MBWhat are your options for getting pregnant if your diagnosis is male infertility? What can you do to increase your odds before going to fertility treatment? What type of infertility treatments are most successful? Is there a fertility diet that will increase male fertility? Our guests are Dr. Grace Centola, internationally recognized specialist in andrology and male infertility, and current President of the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology; and Dr. Jessica Mann, Reproductive Endocri...
Finding Work/Life Balance
April 24, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 29.5 MBWork-Life Balance is the bane of most every mother I know. It’s not that we want it all, but we don’t want or need some. What are the tips and tricks for working from home, setting up flex-time, finding affordable practical child care. Our guest is Anne Bogel, author of Work Shift, and blogger at Modern Mrs. Darcy about ideas for modern moms to create balance and blending between their work selves and family selves.Blog summary of the show and highlights can be found here: Blog summary of t...
Open Adoption: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
April 17, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 29.3 MBHost Dawn Davenport will interview Lori Holden, author of the new book The Open-Hearted Way to open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole. open adoption, domestic adoption, adopting a child, adopting in the US, adopting a baby, birth mother, birthmother Blog summary of the show and highlights can be found here: Blog summary of the show Highlights More Creating a Family resources on open adoption can be found here. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast...
Interview with actress Nia Vardalos
April 10, 2013 16:30 - 1 hour - 28.8 MBHost Dawn Davenport interviews Nia Vardalos, actress (of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame), author of a new book Instant Mom, and foster care adoptive mom. We’ll talk about her years of struggling with infertility and how she ended up adopting from foster care. adopting a child in the US, adopting from foster care, fost-adopt, fos-adopt, domestic adoptionBlog summary of the show and highlights can be found here:Blog summary of the showHighlights More Creating a Family resources on infertility ...
How Does Fertility Treatment Affect the Babies
March 27, 2013 16:00 - 1 hour - 28.4 MBResearch is beginning to come in on how infertility treatment affects the health of the children conceived. Does in vitro fertilization (IVF) or ICSI or artificial insemination cause birth defects, autism, nuero-developmental issues? Is freezing harmful to the children born from frozen embryos? Does Clomid cause harm to the babies? Our guest to help us sort out the often confusing results of this research is Dr.Thomas Molinaro, a reproductive endocrinologist with Reproductive Medicine Associ...