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

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!
What if families had support before a crisis led to foster care? In this episode, we talk with Dr. David Anderson, psychologist and founder and executive director of SAFE Families for Children, about a community-based model that helps keep children safe while supporting parents through difficult seasons. Dr. Anderson also serves as Executive Director of Lydia Home Association in Chicago and has been recognized as an Ashoka Fellow and Prime Movers Fellow.
In this episode, we discuss:
For someone new to SAFE Families, how would you explain what it is?
Can you share a little about yourself and what drew you to create SAFE Families?
Who are the families you serve, and what situations bring them to you?
Why is a program like SAFE Families especially needed right now?
What happens to families when this kind of support isn’t available?
How is SAFE Families different from traditional foster care?
What kinds of training and screening do volunteers undergo?
What support do volunteers receive along the way?
What are the main ways people can get involved?
Can you share a story or two that captures the impact of SAFE Families?
What do families or volunteers often say after being part of this?
Who tends to be a great fit for this kind of role?
What hesitations do you hear most, and what would you say to those concerns?
If one of our listeners is interested in serving this community, what’s the first step to get involved?
For a parent or caregiver listening today who feels underwater or overwhelmed, what encouragement can you offer?
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.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!
Question: We are seriously considering becoming foster parents.  We have 2 children by birth, and I am really worried about how this will affect them and what I can do to prevent some of the negative effects.
Resources:
The Impact of Fostering and Adoption on Kids Already in the Family (Resource)
Talking with your Resident Kids about Foster Care or Kinship Care (Resource)
What You Should Know About Disrupting Birth Order in Adoption & Foster Care
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.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!
Foster families are doing significant work to support both the children in their homes and the parents of those kids. What do they need to thrive in this work? We talk with Cathleen Bearse, a licensed therapist, foster mom, and the creator of Fearless Fostering. She supports foster and adoptive parents with practical tools, emotional guidance, and trauma-informed strategies with her real-life experiences and clinical expertise.
In this episode, we talk about:
Your organization is called ‘Fearless Fostering’ – what does that mean to you right now in the work that you do with foster families every day?
What makes fostering profoundly worth it in your life and in your family, even when it’s hard?
What are some unexpected joys in fostering that people don’t hear about enough?
When things feel heavy, how do you recommend resource parents reconnect with their ‘why’?
What are the challenges that catch foster parents off guard the most?
Where do you see foster parents becoming depleted or overwhelmed?
What is often misunderstood about the emotional weight of fostering?
How does isolation show up in foster parenting?
How can fostering strain a household without the right support?
What patterns have you seen in marriages or partnerships under stress?
How does chronic stress show up in foster parents’ mental and physical health?What early warning signs should families not ignore?

If you could give every foster parent four supports, what would they be?Community
Therapeutic Space
Permission to Unschedule

Permission to Focus on “Just You”
What does realistic self-care actually look like for foster parents?
Where should foster parents begin if they realize they need more support?
How can they pursue continuing education without becoming overwhelmed?
What would you say to someone who wants to foster but fears they aren’t strong enough?
What is one message you want every foster parent to hear today?
Finally, what would a strengthened foster family look like five years from now if we truly supported them well?
Resources:
Self-care for Foster Parents
What is Respite Care and How Do I Access It?
What Foster Parents Want You to Know About Fostering
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.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!
Question: I’m new to raising my grandchild and still learning about trauma. People keep saying it changes a child’s brain, but I don’t really understand what that means. What does trauma actually do to the brain, and how does that show up in behavior at home or school?
Resources:
The Three Es: Understanding the Impacts of Trauma
A Conversation with Dr. Bruce Perry About Trauma
How Trauma Impacts a Child's Development
Meeting Children Where They Are: The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics
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.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!
Have you considered fostering? What might be holding you back? Join us for a conversation with Laura, the Foster Parent Partner, to explore what it takes to be ready to foster, what the licensing and placement process looks like, and how to navigate relationships with the child's birth parents while providing a safe place for the child to land. Laura is the author of First Time Fostering and brings awareness and advocacy for foster families to social media spaces.
In this episode, we talk about:
How can someone tell if fostering might be the right step for them?
What are some common misconceptions about foster parenting that you often hear from people who are just starting to explore it?
What mindset shifts do people often need to make before stepping into foster parenting, especially around trauma and reunification?
Once someone decides to move forward, what does the licensing process look like?
What tends to surprise people about that process?
How should families prepare the people already in their lives—a partner, kids in the home, or extended family—for fostering?
What kind of support system do new foster parents need?
How can they start building that before they get their first placement?
When you're waiting for your first placement, what are some basics you should have ready in their home?
What is it actually like to get that first placement call and welcome a child into your home?
In those first hours and days, what are some practical ways foster parents can help a child feel safe and supported?
It’s important to remember that reunification is the goal of foster care. What does co-parenting mean for foster parents? Why is it a crucial element of fostering?
In foster care, children often still have relationships with their families, especially when reunification is still the goal. How can foster parents begin building a respectful relationship with a child’s parent?
How can foster parents help facilitate connection or healing with the child’s parents?
How do foster parents navigate the reality and emotions of a child leaving their home, for another placement, or for reunification?
How should they support their resident children for that loss?
What are some of the other hard realities of foster parenting that people should be prepared for?
What would you want a newly licensed foster parent to know before they say yes to their first placement?
What keeps you anchored in this work and committed to supporting others?
Resources:
Becoming a Foster Parent
What Foster Care Alumni Want You to Know
23 Crucial Questions to
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.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:
Weekly podcasts
Weekly articles/blog posts
Resource pages on all aspects of family building