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

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 adoptive, foster, and kinship caregivers can use playfulness to build connection, support emotional growth, and help children impacted by trauma thrive. She is a nationally recognized play therapy expert, co-author of the new book , The Way of Play, and the Founder/Director of The PlayStrong Institute.
In this episode, we explore why play is essential to children's emotional development, how trauma, loss, neglect, and disrupted attachment can affect a child's ability to play, and what caregivers can learn from the stories and behaviors that show up during play. Georgie also shares practical ways to use playful connection to build trust, respond to big feelings, and strengthen attachment—even when a child resists play or a caregiver doesn't naturally consider themselves playful.
Resources:
The PlayStrong Institute
The Way of Play: Using Little Moments of Big Connection to Raise Calm and Confident Kids 
How Do I Handle All These Big Feelings & Big Behaviors?
The IDEAL Response: How to Maintain Connection When Correcting Your 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!
Question: I've been looking into a lot of resources and communities for foster parents, and it seems like many of them, especially in my area, approach fostering from a Christian perspective. I was raised Christian but am no longer comfortable in Christian spaces. How do I find community? 
Resources:
Laura the Foster Parent Partner 
Annie E. Casey Foundation
AdoptUSKids
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
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 are trauma-responsive practices, and how can they impact your child’s behavior, emotional well-being, and success in school? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Brandy-Lea McCombs, founder of STL234 Outreaches and a frequent speaker on reviving resilience in children, drawing from her professional research and her personal journey as an adoptive parent.
Learn practical trauma-responsive practices for building connection during calm moments, responding to meltdowns, balancing empathy with healthy boundaries, and partnering with your child’s school. This conversation offers encouragement and actionable strategies for adoptive, foster, and kinship parents who want to strengthen resilience and help their children feel safe, supported, and ready to thrive.
RESOURCES: 
Moving Beyond Adverse Childhood Experiences: ACES and PACES
Wholehearted.org
PACEs Connection
Fostering Resilience in a World of Adversity
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!
Question: Our adopted son is almost 4 months old and perfectly healthy. He eats well, sleeps well, and seems to be hitting his milestones just fine. We know that he was exposed to cocaine during pregnancy, but he was born only three weeks early, which is still full-term. He had a healthy birth weight, he was not suffering from withdrawal in the hospital, and he has checked out as perfectly healthy at all of his pediatrician visits so far. My question is, does the lack of negative effects of cocaine in these early months of his life give us any indication of whether or not he will have learning difficulties or development issues due to the cocaine when he reaches school age? I am curious whether there is any research showing that a lack of symptoms at a young age following prenatal exposure indicates fewer symptoms at an older age. 
Resources:
FASD United
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Exposures
Raising a Child with Prenatal Substance Exposure
Prenatal Substance Exposure Training for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Parents
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!
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, “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents.“
In this episode, we discuss:
Our society has become afraid of being unhappy. What are the reasons for this?
Studies seem to suggest that teens are unhappier now than in the past. Why?
Three myths about adolescence.
The adultification of black teens.
Why do our teens find us so annoying?
The goal is not always to avoid conflict with our teens; rather, it should be to learn how to have constructive conflict.
You say that spending time online can be both good and bad for teens.
What should parents know about porn?
How carefully should you supervise what your teens are seeing online?
How can parents keep technology in place? What are some common-sense rules?
The importance of small pleasures in modulating the mood of our teens.
Resource:
American Psychological Association: Health advisory on social media use in adolescence 
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