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

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

Creating a Family
Adoption
Foster Care
Parenting
Trauma
Kinship Care
Child Development
Adoption Tax Credit
Mental Health
International Adoption
Parenting Strategies
Child Welfare
Open Adoption
Prenatal Substance Exposure
Child Trauma
Transracial Adoption
Family Dynamics
Fostering
Creating a Family
Domestic Infant Adoption
Trauma-Informed 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... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes997Founded19 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ParentingBusinessKids & FamilyNon-Profit

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

Latest Episodes

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When we think about attachment in adoption and foster care, we usually focus on the child. But parents bring their own attachment histories and life experiences into the relationship as well. Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker e... more

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Question: What advice do you have for fostering/adopting children with autism, particularly those with limited communication skills? How can we best support them in expressing big feelings and feeling safe to do so? Wh... more

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!

How can storytelling help kids heal? In this episode, we talk to Dr. Sharon Zaffarese-Dippold to explore how story helps children make sense of their experiences, build resilience, and move toward thriving, including s... more

YouTube

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Question: My partner and I parent really differently, especially with our adopted child. I’m more focused on connection and understanding behavior, and my partner is much more strict and consequences-focused. We keep a... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Carl Jung
Parent, advocate, international speaker focused on neurodiversity, especially FASD
Brain-based differences advocacy
Episode: Parenting Neurodiverse Teens: Practical Help for Hard Days
Joel Shagrin
Author, filmmaker, advocate working to make families and communities more inclusive of neurodiverse individuals
Embracing Hope project
Episode: Parenting Neurodiverse Teens: Practical Help for Hard Days
Josh Davis
Neuroscience and psychology expert, author, coach, and father of three
The Difference That Makes the Difference (author); founder of the Science-Based Leadership Institute and Neuralistic Programming
Episode: When Parenting Feels Uneven: Helping Your Partner Step In
Linda Fiori
Executive director with extensive adoption and family services experience
Creating a Family (Executive Director)
Episode: Should I Do DNA Testing for My Adopted Infant? - Weekend Wisdom
Dr. Darcey Merritt
Professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Work, expert in social welfare and child welfare systems.
University of Chicago
Episode: Understanding the Child Welfare Experience from the Birth Parent's Perspective
Robin Wynn
Grand Voices Support Coordinator at the National Center on Grand Families
Generations United
Episode: Raising Kids, Caring for Parents
Daniel Hostetter
Camp director at Fair Play Camp
Fair Play Camp, Westminster, South Carolina
Episode: A Hard but Helpful Step: Navigating Residential Treatment for Adopted Kids
Dr. David Anderson
Psychologist; founder and executive director of Safe Families for Children
Safe Families for Children; Lydia Home Association
Episode: The Power of Showing Up for Families Before They Fall Apart
Kathleen Bierce
Licensed therapist, foster mom, creator of Fearless Fostering
Fearless Fostering
Episode: Strengthening Foster Families

Host

Tracy Whitney
Host and Content Director for Creating a Family; long-time organizer and advocate in adoption, foster care, and kinship care communities

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 424 ratings
  • Not helpful for POTENTIAL Foster/Adoptive Parents

    I’m a potential foster/adoptive parent looking for info and encouragement on how to get started. This podcast is great at addressing all the real and serious NEGATIVE issues of adoption but for us newbies, it is extremely discouraging and helps perpetuate all the downsides of adoption—80% of the episodes are negative and perpetuate all the fears I already have about adoption. 20% have been genuinely helpful and motivating. We probably would have begun our process a couple years earlier had I not... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    BirdieMO123
    United Statesa month ago
  • Informative and helpful

    This podcast has been incredibly helpful for us. I started listening when we were in the process of applying for a domestic infant adoption and I’m still listening to it a year and a half later as we are raising our adopted son. It has helped me to be more understanding of his birth parents and to prepare myself for what we might see in my child’s behavior and development in the future and how we can best raise him with love and the support that he might need. Thank you for all that you do. For ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mogrady3
    United Statesa month ago
  • Essential for all foster and adoptive parents

    I love this podcast and find so much strength in having a podcast that touches on topics that most of my other mothering friends can’t necessarily relate to. The content is so relevant and so helpful. I highly recommend!

    We have five incredible biological children and one amazing adopted son. We always felt like a child would join our family through adoption but the process proved to take much longer than we anticipated. Our son came to live with us when he was 17 and became ours forever ju... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    sarahgranata
    United States2 months ago
  • Most Influential Podcast In Our Adoption Journey

    For nearly two years, we were in the planning and waiting phase of what would become an open adoption with our child’s birth family. This podcast is one that educated me on so many things - trauma and adoption informed parenting, the values and challenges of an open adoption and the importance of listening to the stories of birth parents and adoptees. I attribute much of my understanding and intentionality with our open adoption to this podcast and others I learned about through guests on the sh... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    T. Ewinghill
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great and Informative

    Great podcast, providing informative and insightful information!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    GF33
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some feedback notes occasional pacing or audio quality issues but praise the impact and usefulness
Listeners praise practical, trauma-informed guidance and accessible expert insights
Guests are knowledgeable and diverse, offering lived-experience and professional expertise

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Raising Kids, Caring for Parents
Q: How can families improve communication to avoid crises?
Engage in early, open conversations about expectations and resources, include the elder or child when possible, document plans, and maintain ongoing dialogue to align goals and reduce conflict during transitions or challenges.
Raising Kids, Caring for Parents
Q: What practical steps can caregivers take for self-care and balancing responsibilities?
Develop a plan or routine, schedule self-care like any important appointment, build a support network with people who share similar experiences, set boundaries, and seek help from family, clinicians, and community organizations.
Raising Kids, Caring for Parents
Q: What are the main pressures caregivers face in the middle of the sandwich?
Caregivers feel exhausted from juggling medical appointments, transportation, finances, and personal health, often with limited personal time and support, leading to high emotional and physical strain.
Raising Kids, Caring for Parents
Q: What is the sandwich generation, and why is it becoming a bigger issue?
The sandwich generation includes people caring for both grandchildren or other young relatives and an elderly parent or relative, and the issue is growing due to aging populations, economic pressures, and more complex family dynamics that spread caregiving across generations.
A Hard but Helpful Step: Navigating Residential Treatment for Adopted Kids
Q: What kinds of needs is residential treatment designed to meet for adoptive kids?
It provides a professional, intensified environment to work on coping skills, regulation, and language for emotions, while also enabling parents to gain a different voice and perspective to support the child and re-engage the family.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program centers on adoption, fostering, and kinship care, featuring trauma-informed conversations with leading experts and lived-experience guests. Episodes cover practical guidance for prospective and current foster/adoptive families, kinship networks, and the professionals who support them. Topics span trauma-informed parenting, navigating licensing and reunifications, youth transitioning to adulthood, and the societal systems around foster care, often anchored by real-world stories, actionable tips, and community resources. A standout throughline is the blend of expert insight and personal experience to empower families, improve outcomes for children, and broaden understanding of the adoption and foster care triad. Listeners can exp... more

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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. The Baffling Behavior Show {Parenting after Trauma}
2. Calm Parenting Podcast
3. Good Inside with Dr. Becky
4. Circle Round
5. Raising Good Humans

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 19 years ago and published 997 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Carl Jung
2. Joel Shagrin
3. Josh Davis
4. Linda Fiori
5. Dr. Darcey Merritt
6. Robin Wynn
7. Daniel Hostetter
8. Dr. David Anderson

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