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PODCAST

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

Creating a Family

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

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

14:02

What If Important Information Was Withheld About a...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/10/03

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! What do you do when you discover that important foster placement information was withheld before you accepted a child into your home—or even before adoption was finalized? In this Weekend Wisdom episode, we respond to an adoptive parent who learned that behaviors they had specifically said they could not manage had been documented in previous foster homes. We explore how to hold the agency accountable without placing that conflict on the child, use newly d...

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55:15

Helping Kids Transition From Foster Care to Adoption

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/09/30

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! The transition from foster care to adoption can bring relief and security, but it can also stir anxiety, grief, uncertainty, and behaviors families may not expect. In this episode, adoptive dad Adrian Potter shares what his family learned while adopting three siblings who had spent years in foster care. We discuss building trust through predictability and routine, helping a parentified child return to the role of sibling, giving children voice in the adoption pr...

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5:30

How to Lessen the Trauma for a 4-Year-Old Moving Into...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/09/26

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: My niece has been living with her paternal grandparents for two years. She is now four and they have decided that it is getting too hard for them. We’ve agreed to take her in. She knows us, but we haven’t spent much time with her. What’s the best way to move her to our home that will cause the least psychological damage to her. She is very attached to her grandparents. Resources: Kinship Parenting ResourcesTransitioning a Child to Your HomeCreating and...

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76:49

What Do I Look For In A Trauma-Informed Parenting Model?

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/09/23

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! With so many trauma-informed parenting approaches available, how do foster, adoptive, and kinship parents know which strategies will actually fit their child and family? In this episode, childhood trauma consultant Beth Tyson helps parents cut through the overwhelm and understand what to look for in a trauma-responsive parenting model. We explore why safety, trust, attachment, and connection should be at the foundation; how trauma can affect a child’s behavior, ...

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11:06

Open Adoption: What If Birth Grandma Wants Contact...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/09/19

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! What should you do when a birth mother doesn’t want contact in open adoption, but other birth family members still want a relationship with your child? In this Weekend Wisdom episode, we answer one adoptive parent’s question about how to support a child who wants to see his birth mother while continuing a meaningful relationship with his birth grandmother. We discuss how to talk honestly with your child without blaming or making promises, prepare for visits with...

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74:00

Where Do I Belong? Young Transracial Adoptee Adults...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/09/16

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! How can parents support transracial adoption identity and belonging as children grow and begin defining who they are for themselves? In this panel conversation, three young adults with lived experience in adoption and foster care share how family, race, culture, community, trauma, and relationships shaped their developing identities and sense of belonging. They discuss the difference between having a placement and truly feeling wanted, what it means to be fully ...

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6:11

When Should You Consider Residential Treatment for an...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/09/12

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! When should a parent consider residential treatment for an adopted teen who has been struggling for years? One listener shared that after trying therapy, different supports, and everything they knew to help their child heal, simply hearing the words “residential treatment” felt like a parental failure. In this Weekend Wisdom episode, we explore how to move beyond the question, “Am I giving up on my child?” and instead ask what level of support your teen ne...

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60:19

How Can We Protect Kids from Sexual Exploitation...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/09/09

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! How can parents protect kids from sexual exploitation without teaching them to fear the world around them? For adoptive, foster, and kinship families, this question can feel especially important when raising children who have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, disrupted attachment, or other challenges that may affect trust, boundaries, and their need for connection. In this episode, child safety advocate and author CJ Scarlet, also known as The Badass Grandma, ...

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11:15

Are You Ready to Foster or Adopt a Sibling Group? -...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/09/05

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Are you considering whether your family is ready to foster or adopt a sibling group? Keeping siblings together can preserve important family relationships, shared history, and connection, but parenting multiple children who have experienced trauma also requires careful preparation. In this Weekend Wisdom episode, we explore the questions prospective foster and adoptive parents should ask before saying yes, including each child’s individual needs, sibling d...

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52:41

How Do You Adopt a Relative from Another Country?

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/09/02

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! If you want to adopt a relative from another country, the process involves much more than simply proving your family connection. International relative adoption—sometimes called international kinship adoption—must meet U.S. immigration requirements as well as the adoption laws of the child’s country. In this episode, we talk with Debbie Price, BSW, Executive Director of Children’s House International, and Kathy Holliday, International Specialist, also of C...

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6:50

Can Autistic Adults Be Foster Parents? – Weekend Wisdom

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/08/29

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: I recently received an autism diagnosis in my mid-30s. I have relatively low support needs and am working with my therapist to identify the best ways to manage my energy. I think I could still be a good foster parent, but will it be an issue for an agency? Resources: Adult Autism Diagnosis Tool Kit – from Autism SpeaksAutistic Self Advocacy NetworkSo You Want to Be a Foster ParentSupport the show Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast i...

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39:54

Open Adoption: Practical Strategies for Staying...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/08/26

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! What does healthy openness in adoption really look like—and how can adoptive parents maintain meaningful birth family connections over time? In this episode, we talk with adoptive mom Annie Iverson about practical strategies for open adoption, including staying consistent when life gets busy, setting healthy boundaries, keeping your child’s needs at the center, and adjusting openness as children grow. We also explore how connection with birth family can support ...

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6:28

Kids Do Well When They Can - Weekend Wisdom

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/08/22

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Parenting kids exposed to trauma is hard. Sometimes, it is very hard, but these families can thrive. In an interview with Creating a Family, Dr. Ross Greene, a Harvard Psychology professor, stressed that it was crucial for parents of children exposed to trauma to realize that kids want to do well, and if they are struggling, it is likely because they are lacking a specific skill needed to succeed. Resources: Helping Children Heal from TraumaPractical Guide to Pa...

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51:09

Too Many Goodbyes: How Foster Care Instability...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/08/19

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Children in foster care can experience far more than a change in placement. They may lose caregivers, siblings, schools, routines, communities, caseworkers, therapists, and other trusted relationships—sometimes again and again. What does that repeated instability mean for a child’s behavior, sense of safety, and ability to trust? In this episode, we talk with Rita Soronen, President and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, about the impact of foster c...

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18:26

5 Ways to Handle Bedtime Battles Without Dividing...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/08/15

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Bedtime can be especially challenging for children who have experienced trauma, loss, or disrupted attachment—and even harder when parents disagree about how to respond. In this episode of Weekend Wisdom from Creating a Family, we share practical ways to approach bedtime as a team, divide the parenting load more fairly, support your child’s need for connection and regulation, and protect your relationship from exhaustion and resentment. Resources: When Parenting...

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58:29

Big Feelings, Better Connection: Using Play to Help...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/08/12

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! How can play help children heal, regulate big emotions, and strengthen attachment? We talk with Georgie Wisen-Vincent about ways that adoptive, foster, and kinship caregivers can use playfulness to build connection, support emotional growth, and help children impacted by trauma thrive. She is a nationally recognized play therapy expert, co-author of the new book , The Way of Play, and the Founder/Director of The PlayStrong Institute. In this episode, we explore ...

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9:32

How Do I Find Non-Religious Resources for Fostering?...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/08/08

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: I've been looking into a lot of resources and communities for foster parents, and it seems like many of them, especially in my area, approach fostering from a Christian perspective. I was raised Christian but am no longer comfortable in Christian spaces. How do I find community? Resources: Laura the Foster Parent Partner Annie E. Casey FoundationAdoptUSKidsDave Thomas Foundation for AdoptionSupport the show Please leave us a rating or review...

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53:37

Trauma-Responsive Practices To Set Your Kids Up for...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/08/05

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! What are trauma-responsive practices, and how can they impact your child’s behavior, emotional well-being, and success in school? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs, founder of STL234 Outreaches and a frequent speaker on reviving resilience in children, drawing from her professional research and her personal journey as an adoptive parent. Learn practical trauma-responsive practices for building connection during calm moments, responding to mel...

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17:37

Our Baby Was Exposed Prenatally to Substances. Should...

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/08/01

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: Our adopted son is almost 4 months old and perfectly healthy. He eats well, sleeps well, and seems to be hitting his milestones just fine. We know that he was exposed to cocaine during pregnancy, but he was born only three weeks early, which is still full-term. He had a healthy birth weight, he was not suffering from withdrawal in the hospital, and he has checked out as perfectly healthy at all of his pediatrician visits so far. My question is, does th...

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52:28

The Emotional Lives of Teenagers

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster &... ·

2026/07/29

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Are you parenting teens, or will you be in a few years? Don’t miss this conversation with psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour, author of the book, “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents.“ In this episode, we discuss: Our society has become afraid of being unhappy. What are the reasons for this?Studies seem to suggest that teens are unhappier now than in the past. Why?Three myths about adolescence.The adultification ...

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