9 Things I Wish I Knew Before Adopting - Weekend Wisdom
Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care
09/20/25
•13m
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I spent some time this week thinking about what I’ve learned from my experiences as an adoptive parent and the wisdom of others in our community. In reflection, I've created a list of the things I wish I knew before adopting.
Resources:
- 8 Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Adopted
- Free courses to strengthen your family
- Therapeutic Parenting: Strategies & Solutions
- Beginner’s Guide to TBRI
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
Previous Episode
How Can Kinship Caregivers Find the Resources They Need to Succeed?
September 17, 2025
•72m
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Kinship-led families have unique needs, and finding resources to meet those needs can be a challenge. Today, we're talking with Mike Heath, a Resource Specialist with the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families in Wisconsin. The Coalition is a Resource Center for birth parents, foster families, adoptive families, relative/kinship/and like-kin caregivers, and child welfare and Tribal agency professionals.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What are the most frequently reported everyday needs or resource gaps caregivers are experiencing?
- What is the most pressing need these kids are facing when they come to a new caregiver?
- What are the urgent needs caregivers have when welcoming a child or a sibling group, etc?
- Where can families find help with immediate essentials—such as beds, cribs, car seats, clothing, and school supplies?
- Which phone numbers should caregivers keep on speed dial?
- How should a relative caregiver secure the ability to make medical and school decisions quickly?
- What papers or forms should caregivers request on day one? From whom?
- Managing the documentation and paperwork can be a significant challenge for a new caregiver. Do you have any recommendations for managing this?
- Should school enrollment be a priority in that first week?
- How should a caregiver start the process of ensuring medical coverage (dental, vision, prescriptions, and mental health included)?
- Where should I start if I find the Medicaid/CHIP process confusing?
- Once a kinship-led family is settling in, what additional needs or options should they consider?
- Where to go to learn about those options?
- What are the possible financial resources that caregivers should look into?
- Importance of self-care, mental wellness, and community for both caregivers and the children they support
- If a new caregiver listens to this and does only three things this week, what should they be?
Resources:
- Free Download Checklist for the first 30 days as a Kinship Caregiver
- Virtual Resource Kit for Relative Caregivers - Virtual Resource Kit: Relative Caregiving - Wisconsin Family Connections Center
- Relative Caregiver Learning Pathway on Champion Classrooms (Free recorded webinar series) - Relative Caregiver Learning Pathway Link
- Collection of Resources for Relative Caregivers - https://wifamilyconnectionscenter.org/how-do-i/find-support-as-a-relative-caregiver/
- Coalition for Children, Youth & Families - https://coalitionforcyf.org/
- Legal Options for Kinship Caregivers - NCKinshipFamilies.org
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
Next Episode
Connecting with Teens
September 24, 2025
•54m
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Do you dread the teen years? Or, if you're in the midst of parenting teens, do you struggle to find ways to connect? This week, we interview Dr. Melody Aguayo, a parenting coach specializing in working with at-risk children and their families and the founder of Real Child Consulting, LLC. She is the mom of two adopted kids.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Parents wonder why their easy and natural connection with their kids changed, and they now feel on the outs and have to work harder. What is the developmental stage that is happening between the ages of about 13 and 18 or 19?
- Teens act like they don’t need us, when I believe they need us even more, to be present, but in a distinctly different way. I think that our emotions as a parent can sometimes interfere with connecting with teens.
- Change our expectation of what “connection” means with teens.
- Parents report feeling powerless in parenting when their kids reach their teen years. What is the essence of our power as parents?
- Our goals for our teens are to become responsible and independent. How can we parent in such a way to foster these goals?
- Let’s address some common issues we face when parenting teens:
- Arguing. How to turn an argument into a conversation?
- Spending too much time on technology
- Running with the wrong crowd
- Tips for connecting and building trust and appreciation with your teen!
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
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