Expert Advice for Handling Sexual Abuse by a Sibling - Weekend Wisdom
Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care
12/13/25
•5m
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Question: I have a friend whose 12-year-old adopted son (adopted at age 6) has been sexually abusing his younger siblings. She self-reported to CPS and law enforcement, but they have not done a formal removal yet, and their solutions involved bringing the child back home or kinship (not an option).
The offending child is currently in a temporary behavioral hospital, and a Refusal to Assume Parental Responsibility was opened on my friend because she will not pick him up, especially not until he receives specialized treatment for sexual aggression. The other children deserve a safe home to heal. Has anyone been through this before? If, after treatment, she still does not feel like it's in the children's best interest for him to return home, what are her options?
Resources:
- Resources for Finding an Adoption-Competent Therapist
- Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery & Education
- Helping a Child Heal from Sexual Abuse
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
Introducing Our New Executive Director, Linda Fiore
December 10, 2025
•45m
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We're thrilled to introduce you to our new Executive Director, Linda Fiore. Listen to today's conversation about her journey to Creating a Family and where we're heading in this next chapter under her leadership.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What first brought you into the world of adoption, foster care, and kinship care?
- When you started out, what was your “why”?
- What values or goals drove your work in those earliest years?
- What was your first introduction to Creating a Family?
- When presented with the opportunity to pursue the position of Executive Director, what was it about our mission or the organization’s evolution that drew your interest?
- How did you know this was the right next step for you?
- What are the pivotal lessons or challenges that shaped your leadership approach?
- When you look at where Creating a Family stands today, what are our greatest strengths?
- Kinship care has become a growing focus area for us. Why do you think kinship support is so critical right now?
- What are some of the plans Creating a Family has to deepen our impact in this space?
- Our online education programs reach families and professionals across the country. From your experiences in the field, why is education so crucial in these spaces?
- As we continue to raise awareness of who we are and how we serve this community, what message do you want people to associate with Creating a Family?
- What stories or values do you hope will come through most clearly?
- Where do you think Creating a Family is heading in the next few years?
- Your “why” has probably evolved — what keeps you going now?
- What’s one thing you’ve learned that you hope every family advocate carries with them from today’s conversation?
- Finally, for those listening or reading who are inspired — individuals, professionals, or organizations — what can they do to join the mission of Creating a Family?
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
Between Cultures: One Transcultural Adoptive Family's Story
December 17, 2025
•54m
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What is it like to be the only biological child in a large transracial adoptive family? Our guest, Elaine Duncan, shares her story of how transcultural adoption impacted her identity and resilience. She is a writer, speaker, and strategist whose work bridges storytelling, healing, and social change. She has a passion for improving outcomes for underserved young people and is currently working on a memoir of her life journey.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What did your home look like growing up, and what was it like for you to be the only biological child in a transracial/transcultural adoptive family?
- Families who adopt across race or culture often wonder how to bring all of those differences together under one roof.
- How did your family handle conversations about race, culture, and identity? Were these things openly acknowledged, celebrated, or avoided?
- How did your parents support (or struggle to support) you in building your own sense of identity — not just as their child, but as an individual?
- Did you ever feel overlooked or lost in the mix? How could parents avoid that happening for their kids?
- What were some of the biggest challenges you carried from growing up in this transracial/transcultural adoptive family?
- How have those challenges shaped your adult life, relationships, or even your current work?
- What are the gifts or strengths you gained from growing up in such a diverse family?
- Are there ways your unique upbringing has given you perspective, resilience, or empathy that you now value?
Additional Resources:
- Intergenerational Trauma (podcast)
- The Impact of Fostering & Adoption on Kids Already in the Family (free on-demand course)
- Raising a Transracial or Multicultural Child (resource page)
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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