Should We Expand Our Special Needs Checklist to Include HIV? - Weekend Wisdom
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: My husband and I are considering whether we will open our special needs consideration to include children who are HIV+. We have already been approved to adopt from India, and as our home study update approaches, we are taking a good, hard look at the Special Needs list again. I was listening to your podcast episode on this topic from 2013 and wondered if this was worth an updated episode? Has much changed for families living with HIV?Resources:Factors to Consider When Adopting from IndiaCountry Comparison ChartsCommon Special Needs in International AdoptionSupport the showPlease 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
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Preventing Sexual Abuse
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What strategies can parents and caregivers implement in their homes to help reduce the risk that their children may be sexually abused? Learn practical parenting tools from this conversation with Dr. Eliana Gil, the founder of the Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of trauma in children, especially those who have been sexually abused.In this episode, we discuss:Why should adoptive and foster parents and relative caregivers learn about the risks for sexual abuse of children in our community and how to prevent it?How can parents or caregivers tell the difference between normal childhood curiosity and behaviors that may signal a problem?What are some warning signs that might give parents or caregivers a clue to dig deeper into problematic behaviors they observe?If a child is showing some of these concerning behaviors, what are some practical and supportive ways caregivers can respond?Why is it preventative for parents and caregivers to use correct anatomical terms with kids?Can you offer a few practical suggestions for parents and caregivers to get more comfortable with correct terminology, if they find this an obstacle to equipping and educating their kids?What signs should parents and caregivers be on the lookout for – things that may suggest a child has been abused?5 categories: fear/anxiety, depression, sexual acting out, attachmentEmphasize that no single sign proves abuse but patterns and context matter.If a caregiver suspects abuse, what steps should they take?What is the parents’ or caregiver’s role once they have reported to the proper authorities?What are some everyday preventative practices families can put in place to keep kids safe while also allowing them to grow in healthy ways?Protective, not paranoidOpen communication in the homeSupervision by safe adultsSafe boundaries in the homeTeaching consent and respectModeling healthy relationshipsAny last words of advice for adoptive parents, foster parents, or relative caregivers about protecting their kids from sexual abuse? Support the showPlease 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
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Navigating Time Off from Work to Bond with a Newly Adopted Child
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: My husband and I are in the process of adopting a waiting child internationally. This is our first adoption and we will soon be waiting to be matched with a child. I teach in higher education and my schedule is coordinated about nine months out. I am working with my supervisors to try and make sure my schedule for the next year is flexible to account for uncertain adoption timing. It has been so difficult to try and navigate this with my job, especially because my institution has very limited options for paid parental leave. I'm wondering if you have any insight into how to discuss a few of my questions with my employer:How to manage unpredictable adoption timelines that may require mid-semester leave on minimal notice,Explaining the necessity of time off work to bond with our new child, without the physical recovery needs that traditional birth includes, and That while teaching online is an option, balancing teaching online with international travel and a critical bonding period is very daunting. If you have any insight into how to discuss these topics with my employer, or any additional details I should be considering, I would love to hear your thoughts. I should say that my supervisors are very supportive and excited for my family, and they are open to creative solutions. These are just uncharted waters at my institution. I love listening to your podcast every week and my husband and I have learned so much from you all while we've been on our adoption journey!Resources:How Can I Get Paid Leave for My Adoption?The Movement Project: Relationship & Parental Recognition: State Family Leave Laws Center for Parental Leave LeadershipSupport the showPlease 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
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Understanding Resilience and How to Build It
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Resilience is more than just bouncing back from a challenge. Join us for a conversation about building resilience in ourselves and our kids, understanding coping tools, and caring well for ourselves while raising kids who may have significant gaps in their resilience. We talk with Kathleen Harnish McKune and her sister, Karen Dickson from Remarkably Resilient, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to partnering to empower healing from trauma. In this episode, we cover:How do you define resilience? What does it look like in real life, not just in theory?What are resilience cups? Why do we need a full cup?How can parents and caregivers fill their cups while raising kids impacted by trauma, prenatal exposure, etc?What are your “5 Rs” of resilience?RegulationRelationshipsResponseRecoveryReflectionWhat are some typical challenges – or symptoms – we might see in a child whose resilience is undeveloped or lacking? When a child is struggling with challenging behaviors that show some gaps in their resilience, how can parents/caregivers practically implement these 5 Rs in the moment?What are the coping tools you’ve identified to help people implement resilience-building strategies – the 4 Cs: CalmCareCourageConnect Strengthening resilience at the individual level ripples out to families, communities, and beyond. What gives you hope as you do this work?Support the showPlease 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
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Is It Too Soon to Look Through Foster Photo Listings? - Weekend Wisdom
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: We are currently going through our home study to adopt from foster care, and I'm wondering if it is too early to look at photo listings? I have been looking at photo listings for a long time, but now, when I read the bios, it feels real, and I get slightly attached. I'm curious if you think this is setting myself up for disappointment.Resources:Adoptions in the US – Our Annual UpdateAdoption Comparison ChartsFoster Care AdoptionDealing with a Long Wait While AdoptingThe Impact of Fostering and Adoption on Kids Already in the FamilySupport the showPlease 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
About 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 the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: weekly podcasts, weekly articles, and resource pages on all aspects of family building at our website, CreatingaFamily.org. We also have an active presence on many social media platforms. Please like or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
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