How to Talk to Your Child About Unsafe Birth Parents (Without Shame or Fear) - Weekend Wisdom

How to Talk to Your Child About Unsafe Birth Parents (Without Shame or Fear) - Weekend Wisdom

Author: Creating a Family May 2, 2026 Duration: 11:45
Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: How do I delicately share information about my child’s birth parent with my child, when we know their biological parent has a long history of arrest? They are not a safe adult for my child to maintain a relationship with. Our family is struggling with how to balance the message that the adoption plan was made out of love for the child and not wanting to cast a negative message about the child’s birth parent, even though we know there is a history of so...

Navigating the world of adoption, foster care, or kinship care brings a unique mix of hope, complexity, and countless questions. Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care exists to meet you right where you are in that journey. Each week, we sit down with leading psychologists, social workers, legal experts, and experienced parents for substantive, hour-long conversations. You’ll hear practical guidance on everything from initial considerations and legal processes to the nuanced, everyday realities of parenting children who have experienced trauma or loss. This isn't about superficial tips; it's about building a foundation of understanding and resilience. Whether you're just exploring options, are deep in the certification process, or are years into caring for your child, these discussions provide clarity and connection. The Creating a Family podcast, produced by the organization of the same name, draws from a deep well of professional and lived experience across the non-profit, business, and parenting spheres. Tune in for honest talk that respects the gravity of your decisions and celebrates the profound commitment of building families through alternative paths.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care
Podcast Episodes
Is Fostering Going to Hurt My Kids? - Weekend Wisdom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:19
Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: We are seriously considering becoming foster parents. We have 2 children by birth, and I am really worried about how this will affect them and what I can do to prevent some of the…
Strengthening Foster Families [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:44
Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Foster families are doing significant work to support both the children in their homes and the parents of those kids. What do they need to thrive in this work? We talk with Cathleen Bearse,…
So You Want to be a Foster Parent [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:29
Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Have you considered fostering? What might be holding you back? Join us for a conversation with Laura, the Foster Parent Partner, to explore what it takes to be ready to foster, what the lic…
NFL Running Back Ricky Watters: How Adoption Shaped My Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:29
Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Join us for this interview with former NFL Running Back and Super Bowl Champion Ricky Watters. He is an adoptee, an adoptive dad, and author of a new children’s book on adoption, A Gift Cal…
What Do Kids Need From Therapy? - Weekend Wisdom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:32
Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: I’m an intern therapist working with kids involved in DHS and the foster system. Could you guys talk about what a kid in the system needs from therapy? Or like what helped them, w…
Maintaining Secure Attachment While Disciplining Misbehavior [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:59
Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Could you use a few new strategies to help your child improve misbehavior? Listen to this conversation with Dr. Casey Call, the Associate Director of Education at the Karyn Purvis Institute…
Celebrating & Supporting Men in Foster & Kinship Care [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:11
Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Join us for a conversation about why men in foster and kinship care matter - to the family unit, to the system, and most importantly, to the kids. Our guest is Tony Craddock, a Prevention S…
What Is Blocked Care? What Can I Do About It? - Weekend Wisdom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:20
Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! Question: I love my child so much, but lately I feel emotionally worn down and shut down in my parenting. Someone mentioned they recently learned about blocked care, and now I’m wondering i…