Is It Too Soon to Look Through Foster Photo Listings? - Weekend Wisdom
Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care
10/11/25
•18m
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Question: We are currently going through our home study to adopt from foster care, and I'm wondering if it is too early to look at photo listings? I have been looking at photo listings for a long time, but now, when I read the bios, it feels real, and I get slightly attached. I'm curious if you think this is setting myself up for disappointment.
Resources:
- Adoptions in the US – Our Annual Update
- Adoption Comparison Charts
- Foster Care Adoption
- Dealing with a Long Wait While Adopting
- The Impact of Fostering and Adoption on Kids Already in the 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
Previous Episode
Is My Child At Risk for Human Trafficking?
October 8, 2025
•67m
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What is human trafficking? Is your child at increased risk of being trafficked? Listen to this conversation with guests Dr. Yolanda Montgomery, a nurse, advocate, and the founder of Zoë Ministries, a nonprofit established in 2012 to combat human trafficking in Delaware and beyond, and Sara Poore, the Executive Director of the Delaware Anti-Trafficking Action Council (DATAC), leading statewide efforts to prevent human trafficking, support survivors, and strengthen community partnerships.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What is human trafficking, and how does it show up in the lives of children and teens in the U.S.?
- Why might children who have experienced foster care, adoption, or relative caregiving be at higher risk for trafficking?
- What role do things like running away, online activity, or mental health play in increasing risk?
- Are there particular ages or developmental stages when children are most at risk?
- What systemic factors—such as placement instability or a lack of adult oversight—contribute to vulnerability?
- What signs or red flags should caregivers be watching for in their children or teens?
- How does trafficking often begin for vulnerable youth?
- What should a caregiver do if they suspect trafficking or exploitation?
- If a child discloses trafficking or exploitation, what should a caregiver’s first response be?
- What kinds of services or professionals should a caregiver seek out to help a child recover from trafficking or exploitation?
- What are some preventative actions parents and caregivers can build into their homes and relationships with their kids?
- What can caregivers be sensitive to at home, things that may contribute to increasing risk factors for our kids who are more vulnerable to these risks? (
- What conversations should caregivers be having regularly with their tweens or teens about trafficking risks?
- What resources, hotlines, or support networks should every caregiver have saved in their phones, or know about?
- In addition to being the one safe, stable, nurturing adult in a child’s life, what other practical protective factors can parents and caregivers incorporate into their home’s daily rhythms?
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
Understanding Resilience and How to Build It
October 15, 2025
•62m
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Resilience is more than just bouncing back from a challenge. Join us for a conversation about building resilience in ourselves and our kids, understanding coping tools, and caring well for ourselves while raising kids who may have significant gaps in their resilience. We talk with Kathleen Harnish McKune and her sister, Karen Dickson from Remarkably Resilient, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to partnering to empower healing from trauma.
In this episode, we cover:
- How do you define resilience? What does it look like in real life, not just in theory?
- What are resilience cups? Why do we need a full cup?
- How can parents and caregivers fill their cups while raising kids impacted by trauma, prenatal exposure, etc?
- What are your “5 Rs” of resilience?
- Regulation
- Relationships
- Response
- Recovery
- Reflection
- What are some typical challenges – or symptoms – we might see in a child whose resilience is undeveloped or lacking?
- When a child is struggling with challenging behaviors that show some gaps in their resilience, how can parents/caregivers practically implement these 5 Rs in the moment?
- What are the coping tools you’ve identified to help people implement resilience-building strategies – the 4 Cs:
- Calm
- Care
- Courage
- Connect
- Strengthening resilience at the individual level ripples out to families, communities, and beyond. What gives you hope as you do this work?
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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