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

What Do I Look For In A Trauma-Informed Parenting Model?

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! With so many trauma-informed parenting approaches available, how do foster, adoptive, and kinship parents know which strategies will actua

Open Adoption: What If Birth Grandma Wants Contact but Birth Mom Doesn’t? - Weekend Wisdom

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! What should you do when a birth mother doesn’t want contact in open adoption, but other birth family members still want a relationship wit

Where Do I Belong? Young Transracial Adoptee Adults Talk About Race, Identity, & Belonging

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! How can parents support transracial adoption identity and belonging as children grow and begin defining who they are for themselves? In th

When Should You Consider Residential Treatment for an Adopted Teen? - Weekend Wisdom

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! When should a parent consider residential treatment for an adopted teen who has been struggling for years? One listener shared that after

How Can We Protect Kids from Sexual Exploitation Without Scaring Them?

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! How can parents protect kids from sexual exploitation without teaching them to fear the world around them? For adoptive, foster, and kinsh

Are You Ready to Foster or Adopt a Sibling Group? - Weekend Wisdom

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Are you considering whether your family is ready to foster or adopt a sibling group? Keeping siblings together can preserve important fami

How Do You Adopt a Relative from Another Country?

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! If you want to adopt a relative from another country, the process involves much more than simply proving your family connection. Internati

Can Autistic Adults Be Foster Parents? – Weekend Wisdom

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: I recently received an autism diagnosis in my mid-30s. I have relatively low support needs and am working with my therapist to i

Open Adoption: Practical Strategies for Staying Connected with Birth Family

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! What does healthy openness in adoption really look like—and how can adoptive parents maintain meaningful birth family connections over tim

Kids Do Well When They Can - Weekend Wisdom

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Parenting kids exposed to trauma is hard. Sometimes, it is very hard, but these families can thrive. In an interview with Creating a Famil

Too Many Goodbyes: How Foster Care Instability Impacts Children

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Children in foster care can experience far more than a change in placement. They may lose caregivers, siblings, schools, routines, communi

5 Ways to Handle Bedtime Battles Without Dividing Your Parenting Team - Weekend Wisdom

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Bedtime can be especially challenging for children who have experienced trauma, loss, or disrupted attachment—and even harder when parents

Big Feelings, Better Connection: Using Play to Help Kids Thrive

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! How can play help children heal, regulate big emotions, and strengthen attachment? We talk with Georgie Wisen-Vincent about ways that adop

How Do I Find Non-Religious Resources for Fostering? - Weekend Wisdom

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: I've been looking into a lot of resources and communities for foster parents, and it seems like many of them, especially in

Trauma-Responsive Practices To Set Your Kids Up for Success in School

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! What are trauma-responsive practices, and how can they impact your child’s behavior, emotional well-being, and success in school? In this

Our Baby Was Exposed Prenatally to Substances. Should I Worry? - Weekend Wisdom

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: Our adopted son is almost 4 months old and perfectly healthy. He eats well, sleeps well, and seems to be hitting his milestones

The Emotional Lives of Teenagers

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Are you parenting teens, or will you be in a few years? Don’t miss this conversation with psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour, author of the book

How Do We Make It Through Summer Without Falling Apart? - Weekend Wisdom

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question:  I feel terrible even saying this, but I am counting down the days until school starts. My kids have trauma histories, ADHD, and

How Your Attachment History Shapes Your Parenting

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! When we think about attachment in adoption and foster care, we usually focus on the child. But parents bring their own attachment historie

"I Don't Know What They Need" • Supporting Kids with Autism Through Big Feelings - Weekend Wisdom

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: What advice do you have for fostering/adopting children with autism, particularly those with limited communication skills? How c