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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Primary Ovarian Insufficiency is a difficult and little understood diagnosis for infertility with ramifications for your general health as well as for your fertility. We talk with Dr. Alex Quaas, a Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist with Reproductive Partners of San Diego and an Associate Professor at UCSD.In this episode, we cover:What is Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)?Is there a difference between the labels/diagnoses - Primary Ovarian Insufficiency, Premature Ovarian Failure, Premature Menopause? What are the symptoms (other than an inability to get pregnant)?Is there a decrease in egg quality and increase chromosomal abnormalities?How is POI diagnosed?How does the diagnosis differ from PCOS?What causes primary ovarian insufficiency?Is there any correlation between POI and taking Accutane (a treatment for acne) as a teen?Is there a link between premature ovarian failure and the HPV vaccine (Gardasil or Cervarix)?Can losing one ovary lead to Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?Are those with autoimmune diseases more susceptible to POI?Can IVF lead to Primary Ovarian Insufficiency? Is there any evidence that aggressive stimulation of the ovaries during a typical IVF cycle can contribute to POI?How effective is IVF with woman with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency? What are the odds of a spontaneous pregnancy for a woman with POI?What is the role of the infertility nurse in helping women with POI?Is there a medical way to slow down the diminution of ovarian egg reserves?Are their lifestyle choices that contribute to POI or contribute to increasing a woman’s ovarian reserves?Are there supplements or vitamins that help improve fertility for women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?Has alternative medical approaches or Eastern Medicine been effective with increasing fertility for women with POI?What are the other health implications for women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire infertility patients and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What are some tried and true ways to afford adoption? In this episode, we talk with Julie Gumm, author of  You Can Adopt Without Debt: Creative Ways to Cover the Cost of Adoption. We cover ways to find “extra” money that you can put towards your adoption, ideas for increasing your savings, and reasons to be cautious about asking for donations to pay for an adoption.In this episode, we cover:How much do adoptions cost for families adopting in the US?Julie’s story of how they afforded to adoptWhat are the different options for paying for an adoption? Savings, second job, sell things, grants, fundraise, ask for money from family and friendsHow to effectively save money? - “Start with the money you already have”How long in advance do you need to start?Federal Adoption Tax Credit State Adoption Tax Credit, Adoption Employee BenefitsSecond job and freelance ideasDownside of adding additional work to your scheduleSelling items you have but don’t use much or don’t needFundraising to help pay for an adoption. Controversial in some adoption circlesDifference between offering a service or event vs. asking for moneyThings to be aware of when deciding on how to fundraise for adoption.  Dangers of oversharing your child’s story in order to raise moneyThis 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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.We talk about the challenges of adopting, fostering, IVF, or third-party reproduction while being in the military. We talk with the co-founders of the Military Family Building Coalition, Katy Bell Hendrickson and Ellen Gustafson.In this episode, we cover:What are the challenges of being in the military and trying to adopt?What are the challenges of being in the military when seeking fertility treatmentMilitary health insurance: Tri CareMilitary Family Building Coalition https://www.militaryfamilybuilding.org/What does Military Family Building Coalition do?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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Kinship caregivers (primarily grandparents raising their grandchildren) are often functioning as a shadow foster care system. We talk with Josh Gupta-Kagan, a Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina School of Law and author of America’s Hidden Foster Care System in the Stanford Law Review, and Karissa Phelps, a Stoneleigh Emerging Leader Fellow at Temple Legal Aid, where she provides legal representation and services to kinship caregivers.In this episode, we cover:In many cases, child protection agencies induce parents to transfer physical custody of their children to kinship caregivers by threatening to place the children in foster care.How often does this happen?Why do you call this the “hidden” foster care system?Generally speaking, don’t we consider it best practice for kids to remain with extended family? So why is this a problem? Is it inherently coercive?What are the advantages to encouraging placement with kin before they enter the formal foster care system?What are the risks?If this transfer takes place outside of the system, how long does it last? How can children go home? Who decides?How does this differ from informal kinship care?How does The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 contribute to the “hidden foster care system”?Do you see kinship placements increasing?What are child welfare agencies doing to support kinship families? Follow the money: Is it less expensive for agencies to place with kin rather than unrelated foster parents?How is foster care funded?What is the status of kinship navigator programs? How can we best support kinship families?What do you see as the biggest challenges to kinship families? 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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.The trauma of racism impacts our children's physical and emotional health. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Roger Harrison, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and a pediatric psychologist in the Division of Behavioral Health at Nemours/Alfred I DuPont Hospital for Children; Dr. Lonna Gordon, the Division Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Florida. She is board certified in pediatrics, adolescent medicine and obesity medicine; and Cindy Bo, Senior Vice President, Delaware Valley Strategy and Business Development and Interim DRIVE Enterprise Leader.In this episode, we cover:We talk a lot about the impact of trauma on children and often we do so in the context of neglect, loss, abuse, removal from biological family, and prenatal exposure. Today we are going to expand the concept of trauma to include the impacts of racism.What is racism and what are the different forms it can take? Examples of the different types of racism.Does racism impact the physical health of minorities? Racism hurting the emotional health of minorities.In other forms of trauma we can see that the impact on the child varies depending on many factors, such as who was responsible for inflicting the trauma and that persons relationship to the child, the child’s age, and the child’s basic temperament. Is the same true for the traumatic impacts of racism?Internalized racismCumulative impact of different types of trauma.Are children of color being raised by white parents more vulnerable to the traumatic impacts of racism? Does the trauma of racism differ depending on the race or ethnicity of the child or person? Model minority?Are non-minority children also impacted negatively by racism?How can we help children of color cope with racism and not be unduly impacted by the trauma?Suggested books and activities.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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.What do you need to know about uterine fibroids if you want to get pregnant? We talk with Dr. Desiree McCarthy-Keith, is the Medical Director of Shady Grove Fertility Atlanta and a Board Certified OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist. She also has a Master of Public Health in maternal and child health. She has been listed in Atlanta Magazine’s Top Doctors for Infertility from 2017-2021 and as one of Black Health Magazine’s Most Influential African American Doctors.In this episode, we cover:What are uterine fibroids?What are the main symptoms of fibroids?Who is most at risk for having fibroids?Is there a genetic connection to uterine fibroids? Do fibroids pass through families?Why do some fibroids grow very slowly and others rapidly? Is the speed the fibroid is growing something to worry about? How should women track this?Are fibroids always a problem requiring treatment?How to diagnoses fibroids.Symptom distinction between endometriosis and fibroid?What is the best way to medically treat uterine fibroids?Are their alternative medicinal treatments that have been seen to be effective at treating uterine fibroids?When is a hysterectomy the preferred treatment?Skill of surgeon is important when using a surgical treatment. How can a patient determine the surgeon’s skill?Can fibroids cause infertility?Impact of fibroids on pregnancy?What happens to fibroids during pregnancy? If a woman knows she has fibroids, what should she be aware of when she is pregnant?Are their lifestyle factors that contribute to having fibroids or worsening fibroids once you have them?Does diet affect fibroids?Are women with fibroids at a higher risk for uterine cancer or reproductive tract cancers?What other routine medical treatment should women with fibroids make sure they receive?What can infertility nurses do to help patients with fibroid.Other health issues associated with fibroids.Are tampons safe to use? Do they cause or contribute to fibroids? Are the sponge and cup safe to use or better to use?What happens to fibroids after menopause?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org.  Creating a Family brings you the following expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Do you have a child that is more—more loud, more energetic, more argumentative, more everything? Intense children can be harder to raise, but their intensity is a gift as well as a parenting challenge. We talk with Howard Glasser, creator of the Nurtured Heart Approach to parenting. He is the author of Transforming the Difficult Child and Transforming the Intense Child Workbook.In this episode, we cover:What do you consider to be an intense child? My child was “more”—more loud, more energy—their reaction to most things was simply more. They go from 5 mph to 60mph in about a second. What are the labels and diagnoses that intense children often accumulate? ADHD, ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder), conduct disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression.What makes some kids more “intense” than others? What do you mean by energy-challenged kids? Unable to handle or effectively control their physical, cognitive or emotional energy. They have a disorder of self-control. They have more energy than they have self-control.Energy is a gift as well as a challenge.You mention in Transforming the Difficult Child that many intense or difficult kids love video games—more so than the average child. I’ve noticed this too. Why? Structure-while I think all children need structure, the high intensity child really needs structure. Positive forms of structure vs. negative forms of structureTraditional parenting techniques did not work well for my intense little wonder. Your approach to raising an intense child is based on your Nurturing Heart Approach as outlined in your book, Transforming the Difficult Child and Transforming the Intense Child Workbook. What are the basic principles of this approach to parenting? The 3 strands.Strand 1: Refuse to energize the negative. What are some of the challenges parents face when applying this? What are some common ways we might accidentally energize the negative?Strand 2: Energize the positive. active recognition, experiential recognition, proactive recognition, creative recognition.Is there a problem with too much praise?Strand 3: Absolute clarity on limits and consequences. How to set limits?Intensity is not something that a person outgrows.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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review Support the showPlease 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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Have you ever thought about becoming a foster parent but didn't know where to begin? This is the show for you! We talk with Vicki Ochoa, State Director for South Carolina MENTOR, an organization that provides an array of child and family services, on the ins and outs of becoming a foster parent.In this episode, we cover:Why should you become a foster parent?What is the role of a foster parent?What are the expectations of what a foster parent will do?How to become a foster parent.How do you get licensed to be a foster parent?How much training is required?What type of ongoing training is required?Do you have to own your home? How big does your house need to be?How many kids can you have already in your home?What agency can you work with to become licensed?Who places the child with you?What are the needs of kids in foster care?How is the decision made as to which child or children should be placed in your home?Can you specify the age, gender, # of kids, and degree of special need of the child you want to foster?What type of help should the agency provide for you after the child is in your home?If you have a choice, how do you choose a foster agency to work with? How much voice do foster parents have on what happens to the child?Do foster parents get paid?Can you adopt your foster child?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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How can we raise children who are resilient and able to bounce back from the ups and downs of life and move forward with optimism and confidence? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ken Ginsburg, the Co-Founder and Director of Programs at the Center for Parent and Teen Communications, a Professor of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and The University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, and author or “Building Resilience in Children and Teens” and “Raising Kids to Thrive”.In this episode, we cover:What is resilience and why is it important. Resilience is the ability to bounce back and the capacity to rise above difficult circumstances, allowing our children to exist in this less-than-perfect world, while moving forward with optimism and confidence.What are the biggest challenges in creating resilience in children?Raising resilient kidsWe want our kids to be successful. What is Success- how does it relate to happiness?The importance of imagining the person we want our child to be at 35. How to take the long view of parenting?How to Foster Resilience in Children / What are the two fundamental principles of building resilience in our children? Young people will be resilient when the important adults in their lives believe in them unconditionally and hold them to high expectations.Unconditional love is key to resilience. It gives children the deep-seated security that allows them to take chances when they need to adapt to new circumstances and the knowledge that in the long run all will be okay.What do we mean by hold them to high expectations?What are the 7 crucial ingredients to building resilience in our kids/raising resilient kids: strategies to build the seven crucial “Cs” — competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control.How does trauma impact resilience?Resources mentioned in this episode: https://parentandteen.com/category/for-teens/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 podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Can problems in our immune system cause infertility, miscarriage, or premature birth? Today we talk with Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Daniel Stein, Director of RMA of New York’s Westside office and Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology at Mount Sinai West Hospital, about the impact our immune system has on our fertility.In this episode, we cover:In what ways are our immune system and reproductive system linked?Why does the woman’s immune system not react to the presence of a fetus?Autoimmune diseases-how do they impact fertility and miscarriage or premature birthWhat are the most common auto-immune diseases? (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s Disease, Hashimoto's disease, celiac disease, endometriosis, premature ovarian insufficiency)Are autoimmune mechanisms involved in infertility disorders such as premature ovarian failure or diminished ovarian reserves, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), unexplained infertility, and repeatedly unsuccessful IVF attempts and may be responsible for the pathophysiology of preeclampsia or spontaneous abortions?EndometriosisPremature ovarian insufficiencyImpact of auto-immune diseases on pregnancy complications, miscarriage, and still births.What is antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and do they impact fertility or miscarriageMucosal immunity of the female genital tract? Female immune system reacting to sperm.What are anti-seminal/sperm antibodies in men and women?Can a woman be allergic to sperm?What role does our microbiome play in our immunity?What role does our microbiome play in fertility? What are natural killer cells?Does infertility treatment, such as IVF, affect a woman’s immune system?This podcast is produced  by www.CreatingaFamily.org. Creating a Family brings you the following expert-based content:·         Weekly podcasts·         Weekly articles/blog posts·        Resource pages on all aspects of family buildingPlease leave us a rating or review RateThisPodcast.com/creatingafamilySupport the showPlease 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