Episoder
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Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: Is it important to keep a young child or babyâs birth-given name? How often, if ever, do expectant mothers let adopting parents name the baby in private adoptions?
Resources:
Understanding the Birth Parent's ExperienceOpen AdoptionCreating a Family Online Facebook Support GroupSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Do you want to raise kids who you will like and want to hang out with as adults? Listen to this interview with Dr. Ginsburg, a pediatrician at Childrenâs Hospital of Philadelphia and professor of pediatrics at U Pennâs Perelman School of Medicine. He is the author of Lighthouse Parenting: Raising Your Child With Loving Guidance for a Lifelong Bond, and the founder of the Center for Parent and Teen Communication.
In this episode, we discuss:
Definition of Lighthouse Parenting (7 key elements):StabilityModeling & KnowingCommunicatingProtectingResilience & ThrivingPreparationReliabilityBenefits of Lighthouse/Balanced ParentingMisunderstanding of attachment/trauma-sensitive parenting as permissive parenting.Self-care as the foundation of Lighthouse Parenting, âStability: Finding Your Footing.â Why start there? Why is self-care critical to being a balanced parent?6 key elements of self-care and examples of how each might look for parents and caregivers who feel they cannot prioritize self-care:Love and friendshipsSleepExercise/MovementRelaxation strategiesExpress emotionsRecognize and reach for supportOffer 1 or 2 practical tips for parenting with this lifelong bond in mind for parents with: Elementary-aged kidsTweens and teensYoung adults (college or early career age)Support the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Mangler du episoder?
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Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: My husband and I started the adoption process a few months ago and we just matched with an expectant mom. We are obviously excited, but we also know that a lot can happen or change between now and her due date. My question is two fold. (1) Although a lot of people in our life know we are going through the adoption process, who should we tell beyond our immediate families? (2) I am a small business owner. Since we are adopting a baby from another state, I am expecting to be out for at least a couple of weeks and then back at work on a limited schedule as my husband and I share caretaking duties. Internally, my team is already aware and on board with when this will happen, and they will handle client requests on my behalf while I am out. But at what point is it appropriate to share with my clients that this change is taking place?
Resources:
Failed Adoption Matches: How Common? How Costly? How to SurviveSigns that an Expectant Woman May Change Her Mind about Placing Her Child for AdoptionTips for Coping When Your Domestic Infant Adoption is On HoldSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Do you suspect (or know) that your child was exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy? We discuss tips for how to best work with these children with Dr. Robin Gurwitch, a professor at Duke Universityâs Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Child and Family Health.
In this episode, we discuss:
How does prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs affect children at different ages?Oftentimes adoptive, foster and kinship families may not know specifically if their child was exposed in pregnancy to alcohol or drugs? How can a parent determine if their child was prenatally exposed?What are some of the more common signs, symptoms, and behaviors a parent might see at different ages?Birth to age fiveElementary ageTweens and adolescenceYoung adultsParents, teachers, and other adults working with these children often donât think about prenatal exposure because of the lag in time between the exposure and when the more disruptive symptoms appear. At what age do you see parents and kids beginning to struggle more?What are some of the common misdiagnoses that these children receive?How do the attention and focus issues common with kids who have been exposed to alcohol and drugs differ from ADHD? Is ADHD medication effective to improve attention in prenatally exposed kids?Is it common for children with prenatal exposure to be uneven in their abilities? For example, average to above average in verbal skills but substantially below average in other areas.What do we mean by âexecutive functionâ or âhigher level thinking skillsâ and how does prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs impact this?We hear from parents that one of the most frustrating symptoms is not being able to learn from their mistakes. Doing the same thing even though they have been told not to. Not learning from cause and effect. Is this common with kids who have been exposed to alcohol and drugs during gestation?What are some practical tips for working with kids with prenatal exposure to help them thrive at home and at school?Support the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: Hello, I am a single parent by choice and a hopeful adoptive parent. I've been working with an agency and waiting to be matched for a domestic infant adoption since this summer, and I haven't had much luck. I'm starting to wonder if expectant parents think single parents are not a good choice for their baby. In my profile book, I emphasize my financial stability and support of a network of family and friends, but is that enough? In your experience, do single parents have a harder time being matched? What are the things I should consider as a single parent when trying to match with an expectant parent?
Resources:
Adopting as a Single ParentUnderstanding the Birth Parent's ExperienceSelf-Care for Parents & CaregiversSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Are you considering adopting or fostering a child who was exposed prenatally to opioids or opioid-use treatment medication, such as Buprenorphine, methadone, and Suboxone? Are you a grandparent or aunt raising a child who was exposed? Join our discussion with Dr. Jennifer McAllister, the Medical Director of the NOWS Follow-Up Clinic at Cincinnati Childrenâs Hospital Medical Center and the Medical Director of the University of Cincinnati Newborn Nursery.
In this episode, we discuss:
Terminology: What is the difference between opiates and opioids?What are the most common opioids being abused?What are the common treatment medications/drugs given to those with opioid use disorder? What are the brand names for these medications?How do these medications work?Are substance-use medications safe to use during pregnancy?What are the short- and long-term impacts on infants exposed to opioids?What are the short- and long-term impacts of infants exposed to opioid-use medications in pregnancy? Do the impacts differ?Does the dosage of opioid-use medications change the impact they have on the baby?What are the short- and long-term impacts of infants exposed to fentanyl in pregnancy?Is there a safer time for a fetus to be exposed to opioids or opioid-use medications in utero?Is it true that if the child is not born experiencing signs of withdrawal or with drugs in their system, the prognosis is better? Or conversely, if the child is born dependent and has to go through withdrawals, they will suffer more impact from in-utero drug exposure?How dangerous is drug dependency and withdrawal for the infant?How are Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) treated in babies?If a mom is taking opioid-use medications during her pregnancy, is it recommended that she breastfeed the infant to help with withdrawal? How long does withdrawal in an infant born dependent last?How do you foster attachment while the baby is experiencing withdrawal?You often hear that âearly intervention is keyâ and that a babyâs brain can be rewired during the first couple of years with the right treatments or therapy. What exactly does that therapy entail? What strategies should you be using at home with your child with a diagnosis of prenatal drug exposure?When a child has drug exposure and trauma, is it possible to tell the difference in what is causing specific problems, and is the treatment different depending on the cause?Are children who are exposed prenatally to any drug, but specifically to opioids, at a greater risk for substance abuse disorder as teens and adults if they were adopted and not raised in an environment that exposed them to drug use?What are the most common blood-borne diseases that women who have IV drug use?What is the risk to a baby whose mother has HIV or Hepatitis C?Support the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: Can you talk about how being transracially adopted effects how adopteeâs children were raised? Both of my parents were transracially adopted and I donât feel like thereâs anyone else who can share this unique experience and I just want to understand better.
Resources:
Generational Impacts of AdoptionRaising a Child Through Transracial Adoption (Resource page)Suggested Books for Adults on Transracial AdoptionSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Do your kids fight? Does it drive you crazy. Join us to learn some helpful tips for handling sibling rivalry and fighting. Our guest is Dr. Laura Markham, a clinical psychologist and author of several books, including Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids and Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings: How To Stop the Fighting and Raise Friends for Life.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why do siblings squabble?How is sibling rivalry and sibling fighting a good thing for our kids?How to teach sharing?What are the warning signs that a sibling fight has gone beyond a useful tool for developing those skills? When do we step in to stop sibling squabbles?Whatâs an effective way for parents to step into these sibling fights? How to handle rivalry based on one child thinking you favor the other?What about verbal aggression, name-calling, etc? A struggle common to kids impacted by trauma is a delay in emotional and social skill development. Identifying and managing internal discomfort can be challenging for our kids. Or all feelings are disproportionate to their situation (both bigger and smaller or shut down). Can you speak to what helps kids develop these skills outside the moments of conflict?What practical strategies can you offer to help parents cultivate satisfying, loving relationships between siblings? Would you offer a word about self-care for parents raising kids who fight all the time?Support the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: I wish I had known what to expect when a child with trauma hit the teen years. Maybe a book suggestion of what to expect or resources on what may show up and how to handle it. Puberty and the teen years have hit our family HARD. I also notice other families with adopted children going through the same or similar things. ~Rebecca from Kansas
Resources:
Therapy Resources for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship FamiliesCenter for Parent and Teen CommunicationParenting in the Eye of the Storm: The Adoptive Parentâs Guide to Navigating the Teen YearsSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Why is kinship care important, and what are some of the challenges? Our guests are Gregory Jones, a granddad raising five grandkids from birth to now ranging in age from 9 to 12; Ana Beltran, an attorney, and director of the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center; and Erica Burgess, a social worker with over 25 years of experience in child welfare, specializing in kinship care.
In this episode, we discuss:
How common is kinship care throughout the USâboth formal (child welfare involved) and informal?Grandparents raising grandkids or aunts and uncles raising nephews and nieces is often complicated and comes with a mix of challenges and blessings.What are some of the blessings?What are some of the challenges? Managing the relationship between the caregiver and the parents.What are some common challenges in this relationship?What are some common boundaries that need to be set in kinship care?Lack of preparation and training for raising kids who have experienced trauma, neglect, prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs, etc.Lack of financial support.How can social workers and child welfare professionals make sure that kinship caregivers get the full extent of financial support?Access to resources. What are some typical resources that kinship caregivers should ask about and that child welfare agencies should consider providing?We see a significant variance between jurisdictions in social workers and child welfare professionals in the embrace of placing children with relatives.Why are some social workers hesitant to place kids with relatives?From an ethical perspective, why must social workers open their minds to looking for kin first when removing a child from their parents?Placing children with kin rather than the state taking custody. (Hidden foster care/kinship diversion)Legal considerationsEthical considerations with the hidden foster.Great resources:
Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center Grandfacts: State Fact Sheets for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising ChildrenNCKinshipFamilies.org - Legal Permanency Options for NC Kinship Families websiteFree Kinship Legal Clinic Kinship Caregivers and the Child Welfare Systemhttps://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-kinshi/Online Kinship Support Group - email [email protected]Support the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: My husband and I are in the process of growing our family through adoption. It would be a domestic infant adoption, and we are hoping to cultivate a long-term relationship with the future babyâs birth family. I noticed that whenever I feel hesitation when thinking about openness, I can bring myself back down to earth by recognizing that any hesitation results from making things about ME, not the baby or birth family.
The one question I canât seem to navigate on my own is this...what do adopted children call their birth mothers? How do I, as a future adoptive mom, refer to the babyâs birth mom? I want to respect the baby and birth mom; any insight on how families handle this would be so helpful!
Resources:
What Does Your Child Call Her Birth Mother?5 Tips for Navigating Sticky Situations with Birth ParentsPositive Adoption Language & Why It MattersSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Are your child's birth parents struggling with addiction, mental illness, or intellectual disability? If so, join us for this discussion with Teresa Bradley, a psychotherapist with over 17 years of experience in addiction counseling and mental health. She is a Master Addiction Counselor, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, and clinical trainer at Amerigroup.
In this episode, we discuss:
Substance Abuse Disorders
What are some of the challenges that adoptive or foster parents might expect to see when a birth parent is struggling with a substance abuse disorder (SAD) and not able to raise this child?How are those issues different for relative caregivers, like grandparents raising grandchildren? At what age should we start talking to the kids in our care about their parentsâ challenges with substance abuse? How do we bring it up? How do we decide what to share and when?How can parents address that emotional fallout and deal with their own expectations, triggers, or negative feelings about the birth parentsâ SAD?For relative caregivers, especially grandparents raising grandchildren, adding layers of guilt, shame, and disappointment.How might an open adoption relationship change across a birth parentsâ journey through SAD? How should adoptive parents approach openness in their adoption when SAD is a known issue?What do you suggest parents or relatives do to process their feelings?Mental Health Challenges or Intellectual Disabilities
What are some of the specific challenges that adoptive or foster parents might expect when they are trying to support a child of parents with mental illness or intellectual difficulties?How can parents explain a birth parentâs challenges to children? When? How?What are some of the questions kids might have but cannot voice? How do we address a childâs concern that they will âgetâ this mental illness without scaring the child?Is this a good reason to limit contact with birth parents?How might an adoptive or foster parent talk to children and youth about the birth parentsâ ability to connect or maintain a relationship? When a kinship caregiver has a pre-existing relationship with this birth parent, how do they talk about the challenges and how their relationship changes in light of their struggles? What other issues do we need to consider to maintain a relationship with the birth parents while keeping the child safe and feeling cherished and supported?Resources:
How Do You Manage Relationships with Birth Parents with Substance Use Disorders? Open AdoptionSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
I have been listening to your podcast and supporting your mission for several years. We adopted our daughter at birth through an open adoption. We began caring for her on day two; she is now 9 years old. She knows she is adopted and has seen photos of her biological parents. Her parents had problems with addiction and the law. We only tell her, âThey were not able to care for you.â She has not yet asked questions about her biological parents, but she does opine about being an only child. We have not yet told her about her full biological brother, the full brother who died from neglect as an infant, her five half-sisters, her biological grandmother, or that her biological father died a few years ago, having âfallenâ off a bridge. She will obviously know everything eventually, but we are concerned about when and how to tell her.
Resources:
How to Find an Adoption Competent Therapist - resource pageTalking About the Difficult Parts of Your Child's History - online courseBuilding the Framework for Adopted & Foster Children to Process the Hard Parts of Their Stories - articleTalking about the Difficult Parts of Your Adopted Childâs History - older podcast interviewSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Are you considering adopting a sibling group? Join us for this interview with Deborah Bass Artis, MSW and Senior Program Director of Foster Care to Permanency with Childrenâs Home Society of NC.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why is it important to keep siblings together when placed for foster care or adoption?Advantages to adopting siblings.Special issues to considerThinking About Adopting a Sibling Group? Things to Consider FirstPractical Tips for Fostering a Sibling GroupIntegrating siblings with children already in the familyInvolve children already in the familyGet your support network in place before you adopt Suggested books for helping siblings understand adoption. Parentified childTips for handling a parentified child. Parenting Tips for a Parentified ChildOvercoming unhealthy dynamics from their pastOne child was the favorite in their previous family or families.Sibling rivalry When is it not a good idea to keep siblings together?Consider your motivation carefully- be honest with yourself and your partner about your desire to adopt a sibling group. Tips for parents adopting or fostering a sibling group Educate yourself before opening your home to a sibling group- it always helps to have realistic expectationsBe patient with yourselves and the children- itâs a big adjustment for everyone.Develop your support system ahead of time.Take care of yourself. Spending time on things that are important to you is not selfish!If married, ensure your marriage/partnership remains strong- it is the foundation of your familyâs health.If single, maintain your friendships. You need to have a life outside of your children.Find individual time with each child in the family Pay attention to each childâs interests and personality and create opportunities for those to grow. Donât treat the sibling group as a unit.Seek out professional support for the family when needed.Support the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: I have a daughter who has dealt with trauma from consistent experiences of neglect and abandonment. While our home is loving and supportive, she continues to exhibit a victim mentality and has a hard time taking responsibility for her actions. She's a sweet girl, but she makes comments to others that insinuate she is not having her most basic needs met, which is simply not the case. How can we help her, and how should we be responding to her self-victimization?
Resources:
Creating a Family Online Facebook Support GroupHelping a Child Heal from TraumaSelf-Care for Foster ParentsSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Are you really struggling with your adoption and feeling you've made a huge mistake? Listen to this interview with Lindsay Lanham, MSW. She works at Holt International and is the author of the online article âPredictors of Adoption Disruption and Dissolution: A Literature Review.â
In this episode, we cover:
Difference between an adoption disruption and adoption dissolution. What causes an adoption to fail? What causes parents to say: âHelp, I donât think I can continue this adoption?âChild-related factors:Childâs ageChildâs behavior Aggression or children who sexually act outAre sibling placements more stable?Adoptive parent-related factors:Demographic characteristics? (age, marital status, parenting experience, income, race)Parental expectationsParenting styleRelationship prior to the adoptive placementCharacteristics of parents in successful adoptionsAdoption professional-related factors:Identify problems quickly and provide supportHow to address children who have experienced sexual abuse. âIt is recommended that social workers universally prepare families for behaviors associated with sexual abuse trauma and the possible impact of sexual abuse. Adoptive families should have the language necessary to speak about child sexual abuse and know how to access supportive resources in their community, such as child advocacy centers, prior to placement.âWhat should parents do when they realize that the adoption isnât going as they had hoped/planned?Identify the problem quickly and get support.Reset expectationsSelf-careGet helpWhat should parents do if they are reaching the point where they want to dissolve an adoption?Resource: Predictors of Adoption Disruption and Dissolution: A Literature Review
Support the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: I've been an adoption social worker for almost seven years and just experienced my 2nd situation where the birth mother in a match had a stillbirth after selecting a family through our agency. Both situations were such a difficult loss for both parties. I'm curious if you've heard of others who experienced this unusually tragic type of loss during adoption. I'm not sure how common it is, especially given the rate of stillbirths is 1 in 175 births in the U.S. How can adoption professionals (on the adoptive parent AND birth parent side) best walk through such a situation with their clients?
Resources:
Creating a Family Online Support GroupHow can you deal with your feelings of grief after a stillbirth? (March of Dimes)Stillbirth: Surviving Emotionally (American Pregnancy Association)Find a Local Chapter - The Compassionate FriendsSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Are you thinking about adopting a baby? Are you worried about what risk factors exist that you should know about? Join us to talk about these issues with Dr. Lindsay Terrell, a pediatrician at Duke University Medical Center and an Assistant Professor in their Department of Pediatrics. And James Fletcher Thompson, a South Carolina attorney with extensive experience in adoption.
In this episode, we discuss:
Lack of prenatal care.What is covered in prenatal care and how might a lack of prenatal care impact a baby?PrematurityWhat causes a premature birth?Prenatal exposureAlcoholWhat are some red flags that a mom might have abused alcohol during her pregnancy?Does the degree of impact differ depending on when in the pregnancy alcohol was consumed?What are the long- and short-term impacts of alcohol consumption on a child exposed prenatally?Creating a Familyâs Prenatal Substance Exposure Workshop for ParentsOpioids List of opioid drugs in increasing degree of strengthCodeine.Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Hycodan)Morphine (MS Contin, Kadian)Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percoset)Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)HeroinFentanyl (Duragesic)Methadone, SuboxoneDoes the degree of impact differ depending on when in the pregnancy the opioid was used?Does the degree of long-term impact differ depending on whether the baby was born dependent or with a diagnosis of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) or Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS)?What are the long- and short-term impacts of opioid exposure on a child exposed prenatally?CocaineMarijuanaMethamphetamine Polysubstance abuse Creating a Family has extensive resources to help parent a child exposed to opioids prenatally. Sexually Transmitted InfectionsWhat are the common STIs? What are the risks of each of them to the unborn child or newly born child?Mental Health IssuesWhat is the genetic connection for the following mental health disorders? How heritable are these mental illnesses?Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias. Mood disorders: Depression, bipolar disorder Personality disorders (antisocial, borderline, narcissistic)Psychotic disorders, including schizophreniaADHDLegal Risk FactorsWhat are the most common legal risk factors when adopting an infant through private adoption?Support the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: I've been listening to your podcast for a few years! Our 10-year-old kinship adopted daughter has lived with us since she was 2 months old. For a variety of reasons, there hasn't been any in-person visits or phone calls with her birth mom (my sister). Communication has been limited to holiday/birthday cards and gifts. My sister has schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. Because she has been stable on her medications and her behaviors are typically within a somewhat 'predictable' range, we're thinking it's time to begin an in-person relationship. We're planning on writing a letter to my sister to tell her our thoughts on all of this and establish some ground rules and boundaries. After she has some time to digest that letter, my wife and I plan to meet with her in person (without our daughter) to firm up plans, expectations, etc. My questions are:
What are some generally good boundaries to set up? How can we help prepare my sister for potentially tough questions from our daughter? (My sister is in denial that anything is wrong with her.) How can we prepare our daughter for all of this? How can we do this in a way that doesn't feel like we're wagging our finger at my sister and being 'above her'?Resources:
Working with Birth Parents for the Child's Best Interest (Resource page)Evaluating Risk Factors in Adoption (Resource page)Finding an Adoption-Competent Therapist (Resource page)Support the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
How do some kids survive a life of poverty, homelessness, abuse, and foster care and eventually thrive? We talk about courage & resilience with David Ambroz who is a national poverty and child welfare expert and advocate and the author of the memoir, A Place Called Home. He was recognized by President Obama as an American Champion of Change. Currently serving as the Head of Community Engagement (West) for Amazon, Ambroz previously led Corporate Social Responsibility for Walt Disney Television, and has served as president of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission as well as a California Child Welfare Council member. After growing up homeless and then in foster care, he graduated from Vassar College and later earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law. He is a foster dad and lives in Los Angeles, CA.
In this episode, we discuss:
Poverty and Homelessness:His story.SchoolWhat made a difference?What should adults who encounter or work with homeless children/youth know?Foster Care:His story.Youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are overrepresented in foster care (Human Rights Campaign, 2015). While approximately 5 percent of the general population is estimated to be LGBTQ+, studies estimate that about 30 percent of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ+. Why are these young people over represented in child welfare? LGBTQ+ youth are 1.5 -2 times more likely to have a foster placement failure.What would you want foster parents to know?What made the difference in your eventually succeeding? (Going to Vassar and UCLA Law School.)The lack of available treatments for mental illness.Why did you become a foster parent?Why did you title the book âA Place Called Home?âSupport the show
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 parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: - Se mer
