Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: My husband and I are starting the adoption process, and so I recently reached out to Human Resources at my place of employment and learned that I do not qualify for short-term disability (STD), so I am not eligible for any type of paid time off when baby eventually comes. Are there any advocacy groups working on getting something similar to short-term disab...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Does your teen seem overly concerned about how they look? Do they seem to overeat or restrict their food intake without worrying about the consequences? This interview with Dr. Charlotte Markey will help. Dr. Markey is a professor of psychology and chair of the Health Sciences Department at Rutgers University, and a research scientist who has published over 100 schol...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: I just became a foster parent of a 14-year-old girl. She came with a cell phone paid for by her prior foster family. I told them I wanted to take over payments. I also want to sit down with her periodically and spontaneously and ask her to show me what she’s been doing on her phone while I show her what I do on my phone. I hope she will realize she can tell...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! If you are considering domestic infant adoption, you need to listen to this show to better understand the possibility that the expectant mom may change her mind. Our guest is adoption attorney, Lila Bradley , who has practiced law relating to adoption and child welfare law for the past 20 years. In this episode, we discuss: Distinction between failed match and adopti...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: I’m a foster-to-adopt mom. I have 3 children. Two have already been adopted, and we are in the process of adopting one. My oldest son, who is 5 years old and turning 6 in Aug, had parental visits, but they were terminated when the parental rights were terminated, and he no longer sees them. It's been a year since the last visit. My daughter never had v...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Does your child have a disability or have some label? If so, you need to listen to this interview with Dr. Deborah Winking, an educational psychologist and a special education teacher. She is the author of Capable: A Story of Triumph for Children the World Has Judges as “Different” and Raising Capable Kids . She is the mother of four, including one adopted child and...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: I was just asked to take on a Spanish-speaking teen with a baby. Do you have any resources to address fostering a teenager with a language barrier, as well as supporting her in developing adult skills and independence? She comes with a complicated history involving immigrating here on her own.  Resources: Welcome an Older Child to Your Home (Resource) Forme...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! What do teachers understand about adoption? What are the misperceptions? We talk with two researchers on this topic: Dr. Hal Grotevant, the Rudd Family Foundation Chair in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Dr. Abbie Goldberg, a Professor of Psychology and current Director of Women’s & Gender Studies at Clark University. In this episode, w...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: We have applied to adopt a baby. We’re more or less being told that if we don’t agree to an open adoption, we’ll never get chosen by a birth mom. But, I really don’t want an open adoption. I think kids need just one mom and dad and opening up our family to others will just be confusing for everyone. But, I’m afraid that we’ll never get chosen if I say this....

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Do you have a child who acts out at school? Do you struggle with how to work with the school to help your child? If so, don't miss today's interview with Sarah Naish, the CEO and Founder of the Centre of Excellence in Child Trauma and the author of many books on foster parenting, including The A-Z of Trauma-Informed Teaching . In this episode, we cover: Why...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: We are planning to adopt our third child. We have reason to believe that my husband’s parents will oppose this idea. Do you have any advice on how to approach them? Resources: Transitioning Your Child to Your Home Winning Over Reluctant Extended Family to Your Adoption Plans Sibling Relations (Combing Children by Birth & Adoption) Support the show Pleas...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Join us for this discussion with Dr. Gretchen Sisson, the author of Relinquished, the Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood . In this episode, we cover: Book focuses on private adoptions between 2000-2020. Not on parents where parental rights were terminated by the state and not on international adoptions. Full of first-person stories from bir...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Prior to Russia invading Ukraine, it was possible to adopt from Ukraine. In fact, depending on the year, it was one of the top 10 placing countries to the US. However, the government of Ukraine has said that intercountry adoption will not fully resume while martial law is in place. However, the government of Ukraine confirmed they will process intercountry adoptions...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Join this interview with Dr. JaeRan Kim, an adoption researcher who also blogs at Harlow's Monkey. In this episode, we cover: Research: Intercountry adoptees with adoption disruption and displacement histories – Adoptee perspectives Korean adoptees as parents Adoptees who adopt Transracially adopted Korean American adults raising multiracial children Adoptive pa...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Summer break is just around the corner for families of school-aged children – whether you are ready or not. You may already be planning your annual vacation, buying pool passes, and buying tickets online for local venues to enjoy together as a family. However, you may also dread your child’s hours of unscheduled time. It’s understandable – transitioning from your pre...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Join this inspiring discussion with two former foster youths who talk about their time in foster care and how that experience shaped them. Lanitta was a pregnant and parenting teen growing up in the North Carolina foster care system. In May of 2022, she joined the 2% population of former foster youth that graduate from post-secondary education with a bachelor’s degre...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! A Lifebook is the story of how your child came to be yours and the story of his life before he came to you. Adoption is only one aspect of your child, and at some point, his life merges into your life. However, he had a life before he came to your family, and his Lifebook tells this part of his story. Resources Adoption Lifebooks (Suggested Books) Welcoming an Older...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Are you considering adopting internationally. If so, you really should listen to this interview with the great Dr. Dana Johnson, MD, PhD. He is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Johnson founded the International Adoption Clinic at the University of Minnesota. In this episode, we discuss: Prenat...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: We’re 5 years in trying to conceive and I’m TIRED. I have an opportunity to adopt an unborn baby girl. My question is, does it get any easier dealing with the infertility, the failure, the empty feeling? Does your heart stop breaking every month when you know you’re not pregnant? I’m so afraid that I’m gonna get this little baby but still need more…. hope I...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Join us to talk with Cam Lee Small about his new book, The Adoptee's Journey: From Loss and Trauma to Healing and Empowerment . In this episode, we talk about: You wrote this book for Christian adoptees. Why that specific audience? Adoptees have been objectified, scrutinized, and infantized. Can you give examples of where you see this? The narrative surrounding...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: Hello! I’ve been listening to the podcast for a little while now as I consider my desire to adopt. I’ve had many models around me who adopted their children, and although the process is difficult, I have a desire to provide a home to children in need. It seems like now adoptions are declining for various reasons, and I’m trying to consider my motivations an...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Do you want to help your adopted or foster child work through the big issues they may face in life? Join our discussion of the seven core issues with Allison Davis Maxon, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is the co-author of Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency , The Seven Core Issues Workbook for Parents of Traumatized Children and Teens , and Th...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Are you in infertility treatment but possibly considering adoption? Dawn outlines what couples may be considering, which indicates they are ready to consider adoption. Resources: Parenting After Infertility Types of Adoption Affording Adoption This podcast is produced by www. CreatingaFamily.org . We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspir...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Join us to talk with Dr. Kimberly McKee about her book, Adoption Fantasies: The Fetishization of Asian Adoptees from Girlhood to Womanhood. In this episode, we cover: This book explores how Asian women and girls, specifically Asian adoptees in the US, negotiate the sensationalism and fictional portrayal of adoption in US popular culture. “Modern Family” and “Sex and...

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! As a mom of four children through birth and adoption, I’ve been there and done that in terms of parenting. I’ve made more than my share of mistakes and have had my share of successes as well. I’ve also had the privilege of interviewing the top parenting experts over the last almost 17 years we’ve been doing the Creating a Family podcast. It can be hard in the heat of...