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

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Are you raising a child with known or suspected prenatal opioid exposure? Understanding the impacts and how to parent them will help you set your child up to thrive! We are joined by Lenette Serlo, an adoptive mom of four children impacted by prenatal substance exposure and the founder of Generation O, a nonprofit focused on creating understanding and support for children with prenatal opioid exposure and their families.
In this episode, we talk about:
What are opioids, and what does it mean when a child has been exposed to opioids before birth?
What are some of the short-term and long-term ways prenatal opioid exposure can affect a child’s brain, body, and development?
What were some of the earliest things you noticed that helped you understand that your kids might experience the world differently?
How can parents make the shift from asking “What’s wrong with this child?” to “What does this child need?”
When a child has prenatal opioid exposure, what practical ways can parents help support emotional regulation and nervous system balance for these kids?
What are some everyday challenges families might see at home?  And what strategies can parents and caregivers try to support their kids with those challenges?
What tools or routines can help kids succeed with things like organization, memory, and follow-through?
How could a parent or caregiver partner with teachers or schools so that children impacted by prenatal opioid exposure can succeed academically and behaviorally?
What have you learned about helping children build friendships and navigate social situations successfully?
In the baby and preschool years, what supports or parenting approaches can make the biggest difference?
What challenges tend to emerge during the elementary school years, and how can caregivers support learning, independence, and confidence during that stage?
As children move into adolescence, what new challenges can appear, and how can parents continue supporting identity, independence, and life skills?
What is one small change parents or caregivers can make tomorrow that could have a big impact?
You founded Generation O to support families navigating prenatal opioid exposure. What gaps did you see that made you want to start this organization? 
What’s giving you hope right now? 
What is one message would you most want our listeners to take with them about helping their kids with a history of opioid exposure thrive now and into their futures?
Resources:
Prenatal Substance Exposure Workshop for Foster, Adoptive & Kinship Parents
Raising a Child with Prenatal Substance Exposure
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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: Should I tell my nephew that by the time he turns 18, he has to be in school and passing his classes, or have a job, to continue living with us? He will turn 18 at the end of this school year and will inherit a small amount of money that could get him started. He is currently in school, and he doesn’t have a job or any interest in getting one. Anytime someone asks him about his goals or future plans, his answer is “I don’t know” or “I don’t care.” I know that he is depressed and apprehensive about growing up, so part of me worries about pushing him too hard, but on the other hand, without a push, I worry his situation will continue to deteriorate. 
Resources:
Prenatal Exposure, Part 2: Parenting Tweens and Teens
Practical Ways to Connect with Your Tween or Teen
Supporting Kids with Prenatal Exposure in the Transition to Adolescence and Beyond
Raising Resilient Kids
Raising Kids for a Lifelong Parent/Child Bond
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!
Helping young adults in foster or kinship care transition toward adulthood can feel overwhelming for foster parents and relative caregivers. Join us today for a conversation with Vernell Gore of Youth Villages and Nick Sgarlata of Bridge to Brighter, for practical ways to prepare and equip your foster or kin youth for adulthood.
In this episode, we discuss:
What makes this stage of life uniquely challenging for youth in foster or kinship care compared to their peers?
What does a successful transition to adulthood actually look like?
What are some common misconceptions that caregivers or professionals have about youth who are nearing adulthood?
When you think about a young person leaving care and thriving in adulthood, what key elements need to be in place?
Why might a young person leaving foster care or relative care at the same time they are leaving high school feel the weight of this uncertainty more than their peers? 
How and where can foster parents or kin carers help youth explore different career paths and possibilities?
What are some practical ways they can research those options and make informed decisions?
What types of programs or pathways will help youth develop skills, discipline, or career direction?
What are the most important money skills young people need before they leave care?
What are some simple ways to start teaching these skills while the youth are still at home?
What are some everyday adult responsibilities that youth may struggle with? 
What are some of the benefits of mentors for a young person transitioning out of foster care? 
How can they begin finding mentors or supportive role models?
Beyond practical skills, what character traits or skills do young people need to develop to succeed in adulthood?
Many youth in foster care or living with a grandparent or relative are carrying trauma from earlier experiences. How important are healing and identity development in preparing them for adulthood?
How might a foster parent or relative caregiver support their young person toward healing?
What are a few common mistakes adults make when trying to prepare youth for adulthood?
What practical steps can foster or kinship carers start today to prepare their youth for adulthood? 
Resources:
Raising Kids with Neurodiversity (ADHD)
Maintaining a Healthy Perspective When Parenting Tweens & Teens
Prenatal Exposure, Part 2: Parenting Tweens and Teens

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!
A Lifebook is the story of how your child came to be yours and the story of his life before he came to you. Adoption is only one aspect of your child, and at some point, his life merges into your life. However, he had a life before he came to your family, and his Lifebook tells this part of his story.
Resources:
Adoption Lifebooks (Suggested Books)
Welcoming an Older Child to Your Home (Resource Page)
Transitioning a Child to Your Home (Resource Page)
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!
Raising kids impacted by adoption, foster care, or kinship care can do a number on your marriage or life partnership. Join us for a conversation with Jeremy & Jara Walden, authors of The Heart Work of Foster Care: A Hopeful and Honest Guide to Foster Parenting, about strategies to re-prioritize and strengthen your most significant relationship.
In this episode, we discuss:
How can raising kids together enhance a marriage or relationship? 
Why are kids in our community often harder to parent?Trauma, loss, neglect
Prenatal substance exposure
Challenging behaviors that come from those experiences

Why and how might our kids’ needs test our adult relationships?
What are some of the additional stressors our relationships may face when fostering or adopting kids who’ve been exposed to trauma?  
What are some challenging behaviors kids who’ve experienced trauma can bring that might be particularly difficult for the marriage?
What are some signs that we may be neglecting or at least not maintaining our significant relationship?
How does your history impact your marriage, while raising kids with trauma impacts?
Can you offer specific strategies for “going back,” healing, or re-prioritizing our marriages or partnerships if we are listening to this and realize we haven’t done so?
How do single parents prioritize the adult relationships that they value?
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