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
Talking with Your Adopted or Foster Child about the Hard Parts of Their Story
November 20, 2020 10:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBTalking 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 Adopt...
The Holidays with Adopted or Foster Kids Who’ve Been Exposed to Trauma
November 13, 2020 10:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBDoes it feel like your adopted or foster child is sabotaging the holidays? Are there more tantrums, sullenness, and anxiety during the holiday season? In this episode, we explore why holidays are difficult for kids who have been exposed to trauma and what to do about it. We talk with Rebeccca Robotham, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Beehive Counseling & Wellness in Connecticut. She is also an adoptee and former foster child. In this episode, we cover: There are many sources of traum...
Collaborative Parenting
November 06, 2020 12:00 - 56 minutes - 39 MBIs your child more challenging than most? Do typical parenting approaches not work? We talk about how to parent harder to parent kids with Dr. Ross Greene, the originator of the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions parenting model, a non-punitive, non-adversarial, trauma-informed model of care. Dr. Greene is a clinical psychologist, former Harvard professor, and the author The Explosive Child and Raising Human Beings. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/c...
Disrupting Birth Order in Adoption and Foster Care
October 30, 2020 09:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBShould you consider adopting or fostering a child that is older than a child already in your family. Are there things you can do to make it easier for all the children. We talk with Teresa Bernu, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Adoption Center of Illinois, and Mark Lacava, LCSW and Chief Clinical Officer at Spence Chapin Services to Family and Children an Adoption organization in NYC. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Parenting Tweens and Teens
October 23, 2020 09:00 - 54 minutes - 37.4 MBDo you dread the teen years? Do you want to keep your kids little forever or go back to that sweet stage when they were still in footy pajamas? Listen to this fantastic interview with Dr. Ken Ginsburg to help you embrace the wonderful years between 11 and 20. Dr. Ginsburg is the Co-Founder and Director of Programs at the Center for Parent and Teen Communication and Professor of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is the author of 5 award-winning books including: Building Re...
7 Core Issues in Adoption and Foster Care
October 16, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 41.6 MBWe talk about the 7 core issues in adoption and foster care with Allison Davis Maxon, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and co-author of Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency: A Guide to Promoting Understanding and Healing in Adoption, Foster Care, Kinship Families and Third Party Reproduction. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Evaluating Risk Factors in International Adoption
October 09, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 44.1 MBHave you ever thought about international adoption. Are you terrified of having to decide what types of medical or emotional conditions you would accept. This is the show for you. We interview Dr. Judith Eckerle, Medical Director of the Adoption Medicine Clinic at the University of Minnesota to help demystify the common issues she sees in kids adopted from abroad. She is also an adult transracial international adoptee. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com...
Male Infertility 101
October 02, 2020 09:00 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBWhat are the causes and treatment for male infertility? What lifestyle factors impact fertility in men? We talk with Dr. Natan Bar Chama, Director of the Center of Male Reproductive Health at RMA of New York and a board-certified Urologist and Male Infertility Specialist; and Dr. Eleanor Stevenson, a Professor and Chair of Division of Women, Children and Families at the Duke University School of Nursing where she focuses her scholarship on improving the emotional and informational needs of m...
Practical Tips for Disciplining While Maintaining Attachment
September 25, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 50.4 MBIn this episode we talk about practical tips for disciplining while maintaining attachment with Amanda Purvis, a Training Specialist at the Karyn Purvis Center for Child Development, a social worker, and a mom of five. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Adoption Options: What Type of Adoption is Best For You
September 18, 2020 11:00 - 52 minutes - 36.1 MBThe world of adoption can be confusing. How do you adopt, what type of adoption is best, what is the cost, and how long does it take. Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national adoption & foster care education and support nonprofit answers all of these questions and more. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
How to Afford Adoption
September 11, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 46 MBWhat are some tried and true ways to afford adoption? We talk with Julie Gumm, author of “You Can Adopt Without Debt: Creative Ways to Cover the Cost of Adoption”. In this episode 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 adoption. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Infertility Medications 101
September 04, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 61 MBLearn more about popular medications used to treat infertility. We talk with Dr Alex Quaas, an associate physician with Reproductive Partners San Diego and a clinical assistant professor at the University of California San Diego, about the basics of infertility medications. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Understanding Expectant Moms Who are Considering Adoption
August 28, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 42.8 MBWho are the expectant moms who place their baby for adoption? What factors influence their decision? We talk with Stephanie Rider, a birth mom who placed her daughter for adoption in 1997, and Chantilly Wijayasinha MSW, MPH, and the Supervisor of the Domestic Adoption Program at Vista Del Mar Child & Family Services. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Preparing Children Already in the Home for an Adoption
August 21, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 44.3 MBAdding a child to your family changes the dynamics for everyone, but most especially for the children who are already in the home. We talked with Gail Heaton, the biological mother to five children and an adoptive mother to twins. She is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner and Circle of Security Parenting facilitator. She founded Suddenly Siblings™ to help parents prepare their children already in the home when a family adopts or fosters. We also talked with Molly He...
Typical Behaviors of Children Adopted Internationally
August 14, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 41.5 MBWhat are some behaviors that are typical of children adopted internationally? How can parents help their children overcome these behaviors. We talked with Leah Strom, a social worker who has worked in the Child Welfare community for nearly 20 years. She is the Director of Social Work for International and Domestic adoption at Children’s Home Society & LSS of Minnesota. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Female Fertility 101
August 07, 2020 09:00 - 48 minutes - 33.5 MBEverything you ever needed to know (but where afraid to ask) about female fertility. We talk with Dr. Julie Lamb, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at Pacific NW Fertility in Seattle who also serves as a clinical faculty at the University of Washington. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Genetic Testing 101
July 31, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 53.3 MBWhat must you know about pre-implantation genetic testing when going through IVF and should you consider it? We talk with Rachael Cabey, a Licensed Certified Genetic Counselor and a lead laboratory genetic counselor for Cooper Genomics and Jenna Miller, a Licensed Certified Genetic Counselor and a clinical science liaison for Cooper Genomics. Jenna travels around the US educating clinicians about genomics and genomic testing. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodc...
Evaluating Risk Factors in Domestic Infant Adoption
July 24, 2020 09:00 - 51 minutes - 35.3 MBWhat are the common risk factors when adopting a baby in the US and how can adoptive parents evaluate these risks when considering an adoption match. We talk with Dr. Dana Johnson, a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota where he co-founded the Adoption Medicine Program in 1986. Over the course of his career, he has reviewed the medical records of over 20,000 children and counseled potential adoptive parents on the likely medical needs of these adoptees. He is a dad by both ...
How to Prepare Transracial Adoptees for Transitioning to College
July 10, 2020 04:00 - 1 hour - 46.6 MBHow can parents help their transracially adopted child transition to college and why can this transition be hard for both teen and parents. We talk with Dr. Amanda Baden, a Professor in the Counselor Education Program at Montclair State University. She is an active researcher and currently leads their Adoption Research Team. She is also a transracial adoptee. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
The Connected Parent
July 03, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 41.9 MBThe next step in understanding Trust-Based Relational Intervention is the new book, The Connected Parent, by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Lisa Qualls, with great assistance from Emmelie Pickett. We interview Lisa and Emmelie for this episode. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Adopting Siblings
June 26, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 42.8 MBAdopting or fostering siblings presents advantages to both the children and parents, but also presents unique challenges that parents should be prepared for. We talk with Erin Q. Nasmyth, LCSW specializing in adoption, and Executive Director of Adoption Support Alliance. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Adopting a Child with Down Syndrome
June 19, 2020 09:00 - 54 minutes - 37.7 MBShould you consider adopting a child with Down syndrome? What medical, behavioral, and emotional issues may accompany this genetic disorder. We talk with Dr. Emily Jean Davidson, Down Syndrome Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
How to Raise an Anti-Racist Child
June 12, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 46.5 MBHow can white parents raise anti-racist children in this time of violence against people of color and protests. We talk with Dr. Ann Hazzard, a clinical child psychologist who was on the faculty at Emory University in Atlanta and co-author of Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice; and Dr. Joy Harris, a Full-time Lecturer at Princeton Theological Seminary and co-author of The ABCs of Diversity: Helping Kids (and Ourselves!) Embrace Our Differences. Support t...
Home Insemination with Donor Sperm
June 05, 2020 09:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MBHow does home insemination with donor sperm differ from intrauterine insemination? Who should consider this option and how do you do home insemination? We spoke with Corey Burke, the Executive Vice President of Cryos International Sperm & Egg Bank. He answered common questions and walked us through an overview of the process, including discussions about the benefits of home insemination, costs, and other factors to consider. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPod...
Kinship Adoption
May 29, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 48 MBKinship parenting provides both joy and challenges. Grandparents and other relatives raising their grandkids, nieces, nephews and cousins face unique issues which we discuss with Robin Sizemore, the Director of Hopscotch Adoptions, which specializes in international kinship adoptions; and Jeanette Willis, the Executive Director of Advantage Adoptions - One Church One Child in Fort Worth, TX, which specializes in domestic kinship adoptions. She was also raised by her grandparents and is curre...
Adopting Tweens and Teens
May 22, 2020 09:00 - 59 minutes - 41.1 MBAdopting tweens and teens brings special joys and challenges. We talk with Bryan Post, a Child Behavior and Adoption expert and founder of the Post Institute. He is an adopted and former foster child. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Impact of Covid-19 on Fertility Treatment and pregnancy
May 15, 2020 09:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MBWhat do we know about how Covid-19 affects infertility treatment and pregnancy. Are pregnant woman more at risk? What happens if the mom has Covid-19 while pregnant? We interview Dr. David Adamson, a reproductive endocrinologist and surgeon, Clinical Professor at Stanford University, and Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF. He is Past President of the ASRM, SART, AAGL, the Committee on Reproductive Medicine for FIGO and is Founder, of Advanced Reproductive Care (ARC Fertility). Support the...
How to Do Connected Parenting While Quarantined
May 08, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 44.2 MBHow do we apply TBRI during this time of high stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic. We talk with Amanda Purvis, a training specialist with the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development about connected parenting during the shutdown. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Using This Time of Shutdown to Develop Resiliency in Our Kids and Family
May 01, 2020 09:00 - 51 minutes - 35.3 MBHow can we use this time of isolation to develop resiliency in our children, ourselves, and our family. We talk with Roxanne Thompson, a Licensed Professional Counselor with The Institute for Attachment and Child Development in Colorado. Her expertise is in trauma, abuse, attachment disorders and family systems. She currently serves on the boards of the Colorado State Foster Parent Association and the Colorado Coalition for Adoptive Families. Support the show Please leave us a rating or re...
How to Juggle Kids, Schooling & Work During Coronavirus Shutdown
April 24, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 41.8 MBMost of us are trying to juggle so much during this coronavirus shutdown: homeschooling, work, cooking, and so much more. How can we do it all? We talk with Julie Beem, Executive Director of Attachment and Trauma Network, an author on trauma and attachment and frequent workshop presenter. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Things To Think About Before You Begin Treatment
April 17, 2020 09:00 - 59 minutes - 41 MBIf you are having trouble getting pregnant, what are some things you should consider before starting infertility treatment. We talk with Nancy Harrington, an infertility nurse for over 20 years and a senior specialist of clinical education at AllianceRx Walgreens Prime. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Homeschooling Kids (on top of everything else) During Coronavirus
April 10, 2020 09:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBAre going a little crazy trying to be your child's teacher, as well as parent during the Coronavirus shutdown. Check out this interview with Heather Forbes, a licensed clinical social worker, the author of the bestselling book Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control: A Love-Based Approach to Helping Attachment-Challenged Children With Severe Behaviors, the founder of the Beyond Consequences Institute, and author of numerous other books, including her newest release, Classroom180: Trauma-Info...
Surviving Being Cooped Up with Your Kids During Coronavirus Isolation
April 03, 2020 09:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBAre you stressed trying to figure out how you are supposed to do it all now that we are in self-isolation due to the Coronavirus? How do we deal with challenging behaviors and try to work, cook, teach, and generally survive. We talk with Carol Lozier, a licensed clinical social worker with over twenty-five years’ experience counseling children and families. She specializes in adoption and foster care issues, and is the author of the book The Adoptive & Foster Parent Guide. Support the show ...
Attachment 101
March 20, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 44.1 MBWhat do we mean by attachment and what can parents do to help their child attach. What can parents do if they are struggling with attaching to their child. We talk with Dr. Casey Call, the Assistant Director of Education at the Institute of Child Development at TCU. She is a researcher and trainer for Trust-Based Relational Intervention. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
What is Happening with International Adoptees and the Citizenship Crisis?
March 13, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 44 MBWhat is happening with international adoptees not having US Citizenship. What is being done to help them. We talk with Joy Alessi, Director of the Adoptee Rights Campaign and three adult adoptees that found out once they were adults that they were not citizens. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
The Chinese Medicine Approach to Infertility and Intimacy
March 06, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 44 MBHow to use Chinese medicine to treat infertility? How to use it to support a Western medical approach to treating infertility (such as IVF and IUI). And how does infertility impact intimate relationships and what can Chinese medicine do to help maintain a healthy sex life during treatment. We talk with with Denise Wiesner, a Traditional Chinese Medicine specialist, and founder of the Natural Healing and Acupuncture Clinic and a professor in the doctoral program in Chinese Medicine, fertility...
Helping Children Heal From Sexual Abuse
February 28, 2020 10:00 - 50 minutes - 35 MBParents are often afraid to foster or adopt a child who has experienced sexual abuse, but children can and do heal from this type of abuse. We talk about what parents can do to help the child heal with Dr. Jennifer Shaw a Clinical Psychologist with the Gill Institute for Trauma Recovery who specializes in the assessment and treatment of trauma in children, especially those who present with sexual behavior problems. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/cre...
What is it Like Being Raised in an Open Adoption?
February 21, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 45.6 MBWe speak with a panel of adult adoptees about the experience of being raised in an open adoption. What were the advantages? What were the challenges? All of our panel guests were adopted at birth. They grew up knowing they were adopted and all are in their 20s and 30s now. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Common Special Needs in International Adoption
February 14, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 56 MBWhat are the special needs common to international adoption. What special needs do we see from specific countries. We speak with Dr. Kimara Gustafson, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and a pediatrician at their Adoption Medicine Clinic. She also has her Masters in Public Health. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Living with Infertility
February 07, 2020 12:00 - 53 minutes - 36.7 MBLiving with infertility is hard physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially. We talk about this experience with Andrea Syrtash. She struggled with infertility for over 10 years and recently became a mom through surrogacy. She is a relationship expert and coach and TV personality and the founder of Pregnantish, an online lifestyle magazine dedicated to helping singles, couples and LGBT navigate infertility. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/cre...
Parenting Children Who Have Experienced Trauma
January 31, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 44 MBHow can we parent our children who have experienced trauma. How can we discipline them in a way that will help them learn and grow. We talk with Karen Doyle Buckwalter, a clinical social worker specializing in attachment and trauma, and author of Raising the Challenging Child: How to Minimize Meltdowns, Reduce Conflict, and Increase Cooperation. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Raising Resilient Kids
January 24, 2020 10:00 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBHow 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? 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"....
Adoption Tax Credit 2019
January 17, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 43.8 MBIf you have adopted within the last several years or even if you are in the process of adopting, you need to understand the Adoption Tax Credit for 2019. We talk with Becky Wilmoth, an Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist with Bills Tax Service in Illinois and Josh Kroll, Adoption Tax Credit specialist at the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC). Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
What to Eat to Increase Your Odds of Success with IVF
January 10, 2020 12:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBWhat foods and supplements help improve fertility for those trying to conceive naturally and for those undergoing fertility treatment. We talked with Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chavarro’s research is focused on understanding how nutrition and lifestyle impact human reproduction. He is the Principal Investigator of the Nurses’ Health Study 3 – an ongoing prospective...
Raising a Child with ADHD to a Successful & Healthy Adulthood
January 03, 2020 14:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBHow can we raise our kids with ADHD to become mentally healthy and successful adults. We talk with Dr. Edward (Ned) Hallowell, is a board-certified child and adult psychiatrist, a NY Times bestselling author, and a leading authority in the field of ADHD. He authored the groundbreaking book on ADHD, Driven to Distraction, and has written several other books on ADHD, including a newly released e-book co-authored with Lisa Schuman titled: ADHD and Adoption. He was a Harvard Medical School facul...
The Importance of Egg & Sperm Quality in Getting Pregnant & What You Can Do About It
December 27, 2019 12:00 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MBWhat diet and supplements are best for supporting good quality eggs and sperm? What environmental toxins should we avoid? We talk with Rebecca Fett who has a degree in molecular biology and biochemistry and is the author of the bestselling fertility book, "It Starts with the Egg". Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Helping Internationally Adopted Children Develop a Healthy Cultural & Racial Identity
December 20, 2019 12:00 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MBHow can adoptive parents help their internationally adopted children develop a healthy cultural, racial, and ethnic identity? We talked with Dr. Hollee McGinnis, an assistant professor in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work who focuses on mental health and identity for international adopted people. She is also an intercountry adoptee from South Korea. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Should You Use Fresh or Frozen Donor Eggs
December 12, 2019 22:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBShould you use fresh or frozen eggs when doing a donor egg cycle for IVF? Which provides you with the most choices and the greatest chance of success. We talk with Corey Burke, an andrologist and embryologist, with over 20 years experience. He is the Tissue Bank Director for Cryos USA – International Sperm and Egg Bank. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Basic Baby Care for Newly Adopted Babies
December 06, 2019 11:00 - 52 minutes - 35.8 MBWhat new adoptive parents need to know about eating, sleeping, and pooping with a newborn. We talk with Dr. Scott Cohen, pediatrician with Beverly Hill Pediatrics and author of Eat, Sleep, Poop: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily
Health, Emotional, and Developmental Issues Common to Children Adopted Internationally
November 29, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 43.3 MBWhat are the health, emotional, and developmental issues common to children adopted from abroad. What should parents and professionals consider before adopting internationally. Our guest expert is Dr. Dana Johnson, Professor of Pediatrics and one of the founders of the Adoption Medicine Clinic at the University of Minnesota. He is the parent of two birth daughters and an adopted son from India. Support the show Please leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamily