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

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What does partnering with birth parents in foster care really look like, especially when relationships are complicated or reunification feels uncertain? 
In this episode, experienced foster parent and trainer Carrie Sgarlata and permanency supervisor Nina Foster explore how foster parents can build respectful, child-centered relationships with birth families. We discuss why these partnerships matter to a child’s sense of safety, how to communicate without judgment, ways to support parent-child visits, and how to balance compassion with healthy boundaries. We also explore the foster parent’s role in reunification, managing difficult emotions, and helping children stay connected to the people they love without feeling caught between two families.
Resources:
Are You Considering Foster Care Adoption This Year?
Strategies for Co-Parenting in Foster Care
Setting Yourself Up for a Successful Co-Parent Relationship in 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!
Parenting two toddlers close in age can leave you wondering whether either child is getting enough of your time, attention, and emotional energy. That worry can feel even heavier when one child is newly placed in your home through foster care and may need extra reassurance, co-regulation, and support. 
In this Weekend Wisdom episode, we share practical wisdom from experienced foster, adoptive, and biological parents about letting go of perfectly equal parenting, simplifying family life during high-need seasons, building support around the whole family, and recognizing the difference between ordinary parental guilt and signs that your family may truly be stretched beyond its capacity.
Resources:
Equipping the Kids in Your Home to Welcome a New Child
Self-Care for Parents and Caregivers
Helping New Foster Kids Transition into Your Family
Creating and Cultivating Attachment
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!
How can parents support transracial adoption identity and belonging while honoring all the parts of who their child is becoming? 
In this episode, adoptee, adoptive parent, trauma-informed educator, and developmental psychology scholar Jessie Elliott joins us to explore how race, culture, adoption, attachment, and family experiences shape a child’s developing identity. We discuss why parents should acknowledge rather than minimize differences, how to create a family where conversations about adoption and race remain safe and welcome, and why cultural connection needs to go deeper than food, holidays, and special events. Jessie also challenges parents to examine their own expectations, learn alongside their children, and focus on parenting the child in front of them rather than the child they once imagined.
Resources:
Jessie Elliott
The Hummingbird Lion, Book 1
Adoption Microaggressions Parents Need to Know About
Transracial Adoption from the Eyes of Adoptee, Birth Mom, and Adoptive Mom
Raising a Transracial or Multicultural Child 
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!
What happens to kinship benefits after adoption, and could adopting a relative child affect Medicaid, monthly kinship payments, or other financial assistance your family currently receives? 
In this Weekend Wisdom episode, we answer a grandparent caregiver’s question about what to investigate before moving from legal custody to adoption. Because Medicaid, kinship assistance, and adoption benefits vary by state and by each child’s circumstances, we walk through the questions caregivers should ask about their current benefits, possible adoption assistance, Medicaid eligibility, Social Security benefits, and other post-permanency supports. We also explain which agencies and professionals can help you get clear answers before an adoption is finalized.
Resources: 
Child Welfare Information Gateway – Adoption & Guardianship Assistance by State - Their national information line is 1-800-394-3366.
Medicaid.gov – Find Medicaid and CHIP Help in Your State
Social Security Administration: Social Security Benefits for Children - Families can call 1-800-772-1213 to ask about benefits for an adopted child or dependent grandchild.
The Adoption Tax Credit and IRS Adoption Credit
Legal Services Corporation – Find Legal Help - A national starting point for caregivers who cannot afford a private family-law or adoption attorney.
Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network – Legal Options for Grandfamily and Kin Caregivers
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!
What is the connection between movement and regulation in children, and could the right kind of physical activity help a child focus, learn, and manage their emotions more effectively? 
In this episode, pediatric physical therapist, foster parent, and Tummy Time to Walking author Dr. Trevor Carlson explains how movement and brain development are connected from infancy through the school years. We explore how coordination, balance, posture, and body awareness can affect attention and learning; why some children need movement to reach a more regulated state; and why the same activity that calms one child may overwhelm another. Dr. Carlson also shares practical ways adoptive, foster, and kinship parents can observe their child’s cues, build movement into everyday life through play, and recognize when additional professional support may be helpful.
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