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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Answering My Child's Questions When I Have No Information to Share - Weekend Wisdom
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p>This is a second question from a listener named Tabitha who adopted a baby boy last year. Tho the adoption looked like it might be at least semi-open, it's effectively closed for now because the baby's birth mom is no longer communicating even with the agency. </p><p><b>Question: </b>All our training spoke to the benefits of open adoption. We also know (our baby) has two older siblings living with grandparents. There is also a toddler-aged sibling who was adopted. Like us, f...
Understanding Attachment Between Parent and Child
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p>Is the idea of attachment parenting new to you and your family? Or could you use a refresher on what secure attachment is and why it matters? Listen to this conversation with Samantha Farris, LMSW, from the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development. She's helping us understand the basics of building secure attachment between parent and child to strengthen our families.</p><p><b>In this episode, we talk about:</b></p>How would you describe attachment in the simplest, most hopeful way for...
How Do I Find an Adoption Tax Credit Specialist? - Weekend Wisdom
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p><b>Question: </b>When you are preparing your taxes and working out how to maximize this credit and get that $5,000 back, you might find that you want a tax professional to guide you through the filing process. How do you find a qualified, reputable tax specialist who can handle your claim?</p><p><b>Resources:</b></p>Finding a Tax Specialist to File Your Adoption Tax Credit ClaimThe 2025 Adoption Tax Credit (podcast)What Documents Do I Need to File for the Adoption Tax Credit...
What You Should Know About Disrupting Birth Order in Adoption & Foster Care
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p>Should you consider adopting or fostering a child who 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 to Elizabeth Bohlken, Director of Education and Support at Children's Home Society and Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, to talk about the preparation, joys, and challenges of disrupting birth order.</p><p><b>In this episode:</b></p>What is disrupting birth order?Why is this a topic that prospective...
How to Handle Open Adoption Even When the Birth Parent Chooses to Close It - Weekend Wisdom
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p><b>Question: </b>How do we handle an adoption that has been closed from the first mom’s end? We don’t even have a photo of her despite our request.</p>Our #1 Secret Tip for Navigating Open Adoption5 Tips for Navigating Sticky Situations with Birth ParentsWho Holds the Power in Adoption: Birth Parents or Adoptive Parents?Where is Mommy? Helping Kids Cope with Absent Parents<p>Support the show</p><p>Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.C...
Talking with Miss Kentucky: Ariana Rodriguez
<p>Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.</p><p>Did you know that the current reigning Miss Kentucky is a foster alum? We spoke with Ariana Rodriguez about her life leading up to the pageant circuit, what motivates her, and how her foundation, The Lucky Ones, is changing foster care experiences for foster kids in Kentucky.</p><p><b>In this episode, we talk about:</b></p>You made history as the first Miss Kentucky to have been in foster care. Can you start from the beginning and give us the story that...
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...
