Are you confused about having an open adoption? Do you worry about what this means for your family. Join us today to talk about open adoption with Sara Easterly, an adoptee, Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, a birth parent, and Lori Holden, an adoptive parent. In addition to co-authoring the book, "Adoption Unfiltered", they host a podcast of the same name. In this episode, we cover: What is meant by the term “open adoption”? Contact vs. openness. What open adoption is not: Co-parenting A courtesy to birth parents Confusing to the kids About/for the parents What are some of the challenges of o ..read more

Question: Hubby and I are finally ready to take the plunge and become foster parents. We wanted to wait until our youngest was in high school. We’ve started listening to your podcast, and you’ve mentioned on several of the shows that we would likely have a choice between the local county child welfare agency and a private agency. Which should we choose? Resources: Choosing a Foster Care Agency (Resource page) Becoming a Foster Parent (Resource page) Working as Part of a Foster Care Team (Resource page) This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit wit ..read more

Do you worry about applying the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard as a foster parent? Check out this interview with Rhonda Serrano, a senior attorney at the ABA Center on Children and the Law, and Kate Schultz, the Deputy Director at Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina and a licensed foster parent.  In this episode, we cover: Where does the concept and term for “reasonable and prudent parent” come from? What were the problems that the reasonable and prudent parent standard is trying to address?  The intent is to promote and support normalcy. Why is normalcy so important f ..read more

Question: We’ve been waiting for 15 months for an expectant mom to choose us to adopt her baby. We finally got chosen, but I’m filled with fear. Are we the right family for this baby? Are we up to parenting her? Will we be ruining our lives and maybe hers? Resources: Evaluating Risk Factors in Adoption (Resource page) Raising a Child with Prenatal Substance Exposure (Resource page) Explaining Prenatal Substance Exposure, ADHD, and Autism (Suggested books) This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, fo ..read more

Question: My husband and I are seriously considering domestic infant adoption. In my research I have found grants are available for people who want to adopt. We make decent money, but do not want to spend all of our savings on adoption fees when we know expenses will only go up when we have a child. Will filling out applications for grants be a waste of time for us or will they consider us even though we make decent money? Resources: Affording Adoption (Resource page) Adoption Tax Credit (Resource page) Welcoming an Older Child to Your Family (Resource page) This podcast is produced by www ..read more

Foster youth or children who have been in the foster care system make up over 80% of children being sexually exploited. What can you do to prevent this from happening to your child? We talk with Audrey Morrissey, Co-Executive Director of My Life My Choice, a survivor-led nonprofit fighting sexual exploitation of youth. In this episode, we cover: What are some of the different forms that sexual exploitation can take? What is included in sexual trafficking? Internet exploitation. How does grooming take place? Are foster children disproportionately represented in the sexually exploited populati ..read more

Question: I am a nurse and am very aware of the benefits of breast milk. I always imagined I would get breast milk from a milk bank if I adopted. Just recently, I read there aren’t many milk banks around, and they can have a supply issue and be very expensive. I then stumbled upon adoptive parents inducing lactation to feed their adopted baby. How common and easy is this? Is it successful? Does never being pregnant before and having small breasts have an effect? Resources: Breastfeeding the Adopted Child (Resource page) Creating and Cultivating Attachment (Resource page) This podcast is pro ..read more

Do you think your child was exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy? If so, a diagnosis can help your child access services and support. Check out this show with Dr. Yasmin Senturias, a developmental-behavioral pediatric specialist with 28 years of experience in developmental pediatrics and prenatal substance exposure. She worked with the American Academy of Pediatrics on developing their FASD Toolkit. In this episode, we cover: Prenatal Drug Exposure Do the impacts differ depending on what drug the child was exposed to?  What’s the difference between Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ..read more

Are you struggling to feel connected to your child? Do you sometimes wish you could turn the clock back and not be parenting this child? If so, you need to listen to this interview with Melissa Corkum, adoptee, adoptive mom, and co-author of Reclaim Compassion: The Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Overcoming Blocked Care with Neuroscience and Faith. In this episode, we cover: What is blocked care, and how does it differ from blocked trust? What is the attachment cycle? What is the blocked care cycle? Does it only happen when parenting children with more extreme behavior issues? What causes a well ..read more

Are you thinking about domestic infant adoption? This is an interview you must listen to! We talk with adoption medicine pediatrician, Dr. Todd Ochs, about common risk factors you should know about before adopting an infant. In this episode, we cover: Common Risk Factors in Domestic Infant Adoption Lack of prenatal care. Why do expectant moms who are considering making an adoption plan often have limited prenatal care? What is covered in prenatal care and how might a lack of prenatal care impact a baby? Prematurity What causes a premature birth? Poor prenatal care? Are expectant moms wh ..read more