Adoptive Family Success Podcast

In this episode Yolanda takes you through a simple formula, that you can customize to your family, to find the Best Fit professionals in each of the many times you need specific expertise for your family.

Yolanda reviews the basic of attachment as well as how to move forward in your research.

Yolanda shares what she has learned and applied from Brene Brown’s newest book, Rising Strong. She discusses how this applies to the really difficult times we often have in our families and the necessity of the messy middle.

Yolanda shares her story of her original HS provider and how she didn’t like Yolanda. She shares considerations when concerned about this possibility and suggested actions to take if in fact you discover your HS provide actually does not like you.

Yolanda talks about the two categories of difficulties many of our children experience once they walk in the house after a school day. She suggests ways to reduce these meltdowns for the benefit of our child and our families.

Yolanda talks about basics of Adoption Profiles, tips on what to do and not do while building your unique adoption profile and 8 things that expectant parents considering adoption will look for in an adoption profile.

Yolanda discusses some of the primary parenting changes she would do differently, mostly having to do with her, not her children. She comes to these very important realizations now that her children are young adults.

Yolanda makes strong recommendations for the transition period of having your new child home. She starts with the 10 days prior to your child’s arrival.

Yolanda discusses the not often admitted topic of being uncomfortable, intimidated or threatened by our child’s relationship with birth family members. She proposes three ways to think differently to reduce the negative feelings and see birth family as supports and advocates.

What you can do in advance to make sure you’re as prepared as possible when you get that wonderful call.  

Yolanda suggests 7 actions you can take early on if your young child is having concerning and or disruptive behavior in his new school environment

Yolanda discusses 5 common reasons an existing home study would not transfer to another agency or method of adoption, and the rally important reason you don’t want your home study to transfer.

Yolanda provides two definitions of micro aggressions, a concept and practice she has recently discovered. She also gives examples of micro aggressions and poses questions about the impact on our children.

Yolanda explains what kinship adoption is, the advantages of kinship adoption, the challenges of kinship adoption and great suggestions when considering adopting a family member.

Yolanda discusses the problem of thinking of our children as “trophies” and the actions of one ups man ship that some parents involve themselves, including Yolanda. She strongly suggests what to do instead.

Yolanda explains the common practice of concurrent planning in foster care and what it may mean for you if you plan to do foster to adopt.

Yolanda cautions parents about what they pass on to their children about birth parents. Seemingly neutral comments can sound very harsh when coming from a child and because children, teens and young adults are doing their identity work, what you say about birth parents can impact the youth’s identity.

Yolanda has been talking to many people who are being told they need to be “therapeutic parents”. She reviews very important primer bullet points about what it means to be a therapeutic parent.

Yolanda discusses the very important benefits/reasons to access a trained and experienced adoption professional when increasing contact between adoptive family and birth family.

Yolanda talks about why a psychological assessment and report would be requested when a home study is being conducted. Yolanda also suggests ways to make sure that you access and provide what is being asked of you. A brief explanation of one common assessment tool, the MMPI, is provided.