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...
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Talking to Your Child About the Hard Parts of Their Adoption Story - Weekend Wisdom
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p><b>Question:</b> I recently listened to a podcast featuring an adoptee, a birth mother, and an adoptive parent, which was great. The adoptee talked about when it hit her that she was adopted and feeling like her birth mother threw her away. My sons are adopted through the foster care system. One is technically still a foster child. My oldest was removed from his birth mother immediately after being born and placed with us. My second son spent about a year with his...
What is Pathological Demand Avoidance and How Do I Parent This Child?
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p>Are you familiar with pathological demand avoidance? Do you need helpful strategies to raise a child with the challenging behaviors that characterize PDA? Listen in to this conversation with Dr. Cynthia Martin, a clinical psychologist, the former Senior Director of the Autism Center at the Child Mind Institute, and founder of CM Psychology in Manhattan, NY.</p><p><b>In this episode, we discuss:</b></p>What is Pathological Demand Avoidance?What makes PDA different from typical defiance or resistance?Is PDA considered an...
When and How to Tell My Child About Their Conception Story - Weekend Wisdom
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p><b>Question: </b>How to talk to your child about their conception story when embryo donation/embryo adoption is involved in forming your family?</p><p><b>Resources:</b></p>Embryo Adoption (Resource Page)Suggested Books for Children Conceived Through Embryo DonationDisclosing Donor Conception to Our Kids (podcast)<p>Support the show</p><p>Please 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 p...
How to Talk with Our Kids About the Difficult Parts of Their Stories
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p>Talking about the difficult parts of our child's story, like abuse or prenatal substance exposure, can be overwhelming. Kelly Weidner, the co-founder and Executive Director of Haven Adoptions & Family Services in Ambler, PA. She has 28 years of experience in foster care, residential care, and adoption, which will help us navigate these challenging conversations with our kids.</p><p><b>In this episode, we discuss:</b></p>What kinds of issues do we mean when we say “difficult parts” of a child’s story? What are so...
What Documents Do I Need to File for the Adoption Tax Credit? - Weekend Wisdom
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p>Having the right documentation, signed, dated, and completed, is crucial to maximizing the claim and avoiding delays or audits. But before we jump into the actual documents, let's start with the big changes to this year's adoption tax credit, because these are important details for families to know this year.</p><p><b>Resources:</b></p>Adoption Tax Credit Resource PageFinding a Tax Specialist to File Your Adoption Tax Credit ClaimAdoption Tax Credit (IRS)5 Things to Know About the Adoption Credit (IRS)<p>Support...
The 2025 Adoption Tax Credit
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p><b>Let us know about your adoption journey</b></p><p>Did you finalize an adoption in 2025 or within the last several years? Are you eligible to claim the Adoption Tax Credit? Listen to this conversation about the 2025 Adoption Tax Credit. Our guests are 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 Families Rising.</p><p><b>In this episode, we discuss:</b></p>What is the Ad...
Dealing with the Emotional Roller Coaster of Trying to Adopt - Weekend Wisdom
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p><b>Question: </b>An aspect of adopting that we didn’t hear about was how your mental health is challenged throughout the process. It’s a roller coaster of emotions, and this isn’t discussed as often as organic issues such as drug or alcohol use.</p><p><b>Resources:</b></p>Creating a Family Online Support GroupAdoption Process & Important ConsiderationsSelf-Care for Parents and Caregivers<p>Support the show</p><p>Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.Creatin...
How to Afford Adoption
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p>Are you considering adoption this year but concerned about how to swing the cost? Join us for a practical conversation about managing the expenses of adoption with Ryan Hanlon, PhD, former president of the National Council for Adoption, an adoption advocacy organization dedicated to research, education, and policy in the service of all members of the adoption community.</p><p><b>In this episode, we discuss:</b></p>How much can hopeful adoptive parents expect to pay for adoption? Domestic infant adoption? Adopting from fo...
What If My Partner Doesn't Want to Adopt? - Weekend Wisdom
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p><b>Question: </b>How do you deal with the emotions of not being able to adopt or foster because your husband doesn't share the desire?</p><p><b>Resources:</b></p>A Reluctant Spouse: When Only One Partner Wants to AdoptI Want to Adopt. My Partner Does Not.Creating a Family Online Support Group<p>Support the show</p><p>Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to s...
How to Adopt in 2026
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p>Are you considering adoption to create your family this year? We’ve got answers to all (or most) of your questions. Join our discussion with Molly Berger, MSW, who has been with the Adoption Center of Illinois for 12 years as an adoption social worker. She counts it an honor to work with adoptive families and expectant parents.</p><p><b>In this episode, we discuss:</b></p><p><b>Part 1: Domestic Infant Private Adoption in the US</b></p>What is the process?What ar...
