How Can Kinship Caregivers Find the Resources They Need to Succeed?
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.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 supportIf 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 CaregiverVirtual Resource Kit for Relative Caregivers - Virtual Resource Kit: Relative Caregiving - Wisconsin Family Connections CenterRelative 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 - 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
--------
1:12:15
--------
1:12:15
Tips for Managing Your Picky Eater - Weekend Wisdom
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Today, we are tackling a question that comes up a lot for parents and caregivers in our community – what do you do with a picky eater? Resources: Food IssuesMy Foster Child Only Eats Junk FoodPractical Solutions to Typical Food Issues with Adopted and Foster KidsSupport 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
--------
13:31
--------
13:31
The Only Way Forward is Back with Jackson TerKeurst
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Jackson TerKeurst was born in Liberia and by the age of 7 was a war orphan living in dire circumstances. So how did he end up as an entrepreneur, leader, and now author? Join us for an inspirational conversation about identity, overcoming, and redemption from Jackson's new book, The Only Way Forward is Back.In this episode, we discuss:Cultural differences How challenges like poverty and food insecurity impacted your first experiences in the StatesHow did your trauma manifest in your behavior at home?How did your family help heal those impacts?Discuss the additional unique challenges that being adopted as a teenager may have presented during your early months and years in your new family.Discuss how you’ve worked on answering "Who Am I?" across the chapters of your life?What were the helpful or healing experiences that went into pulling all those parts of your identity together to create today’s Jackson TerKuerst, husband, father, son, brother, entrepreneur, and now author?What would you say to parents or caregivers who are in the thick of it right now, walking with a child who is struggling to figure out who they are and where they belong?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
--------
43:41
--------
43:41
Travel Restrictions When Fostering - Weekend Wisdom
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: Are there travel restrictions when you are fostering? For example, my family lives out of state, but can I bring the child with me when I travel to visit family?Resources:Working as Part of a Foster Care TeamWorking with the Birth Parents for the Child's Best InterestBecoming a Foster ParentSupport 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
--------
8:34
--------
8:34
Adopting Older Kids
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you considering adopting a child over the age of 5? Listen to this interview with Sarah Hansen and Simi Riesner. Sarah is the Director of International Advocacy at the Gladney Center for Adoption, with over 20 years of experience supporting adoptive families and children. She is also an adoptive parent to an older child from Thailand. Simi is the Executive Director of Mazi Adoption and Family Services, as well as a licensed social worker and foster parent. Simi also has lived experience as an adult adoptee, and is passionate about maintaining sibling relationships and promoting transparency within the adoption community. In this episode, we discuss:What are the age ranges you see being the most difficult to find adoptive homes for?Generally the greatest need in both international and foster care adoption is kids 5+Why are many prospective parents are almost afraid of adopting a tween or teen.What are the common challenging behaviors parents may face when adopting an older child: (keeping in mind that not all older children will struggle with these behaviors!) Lying, stealingLagging social skillsActing out physically or sexuallySibling rivalryRegression of already developed skills (potty training, sleep, communication etc)What behaviors might parents expect to see in the children already living in the home that are likely impacted by the behaviors of a newly adopted sibling? Or influenced by the new sibling?Why do older children behave in some of these challenging ways? What’s driving them? Grief, lossTrauma, abuse, neglectPrenatal exposure to drugs/alcoholFear, unpredictability, Fight/flight/freeze responseConstant hypervigilanceCoping or survival skillsMental health challengesUndiagnosed learning challengesWhat are a few specific strategies to build trust and felt-safety for a newly adopted older child?What suggestions do you offer families who are adopting tweens and teens – especially when those young people have had very few limits or boundaries around them prior to adoption?What are the signs that maybe an older child is not attaching securely or catching on to the idea that they are now part of this family?Practical tips to implement today when considering Older Child AdoptionResources:6 Tips for Older Child AdoptionMaintaining a Healthy Perspective When Parenting Tweens & TeensPreparing to Blend Kids by Birth and Adoption or Foster/Kinship CareSupport 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
Über Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care
Are you thinking about adopting or fostering a child? Confused about all the options and wondering where to begin? Or are you an adoptive or foster parent or kinship caregiver trying to be the best parent possible to this precious child? This is the podcast for you! Every week, we interview leading experts for an hour, discussing the topics you care about in deciding whether to adopt/foster or how to be a better parent. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are the 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, and resource pages on all aspects of family building at our website, CreatingaFamily.org. We also have an active presence on many social media platforms. Please like or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Österreich