In this third and last episode of the 3-part series on adopting or fostering older children, I go over choosing an agency, preparing for adoption (a course program, home study, etc), and resources to support parents. Time stamps below.

For more insights, buy my co-authored book on e-Bay: ⁠⁠Adopting Older Children: A Practical Guide to Adopting and Parenting Children Over Age Four

Time stamps:

"00:00 - Intro"

"00:58 - Working with an agency"

"03:33 - The amazing Toles family"

"04:54 - Training and home study"

"10:33 - Services and financial support"

"13:52 - Adopting a child from out of state⁠"

This is my guest appearance on Thinking Outside the Box, a podcast hosted by my PhD program colleague, Dr. Kimberly Grocher. We discuss opportunities for academics outside academia, how to build a research and freelancing career, and parenting children with additional educational needs. I offer specific advice about starting a freelance and consulting career as an academic. We also discuss my book, Adopting Older Children and how I became interested in this topic as a professional and parent.

Dr. Grocher is a licensed psychotherapist, coach, and consultant.

Timestamps:

"00:00 - Host intro"

"01:45 - Stephanie intro"

"07:50 - Pivoting away from academia after PhD"

"17:56 - Parenting a neurodiverse adopted son"

"20:28 - Freelancing & consulting work"

"29:00 - Adopting Older Children book"

"30:40 - Advice for going into freelancing"

In this second episode of my 3-part adoption/foster care guide, I go over some factors that foster parents should consider in the matching process. This includes culture, ethnicity/race, and special needs. Time stamps below.

In the last episode of the guide, I talk all about working with agencies. Stay tuned!

For more insights, purchase the book on e-Bay: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Adopting Older Children: A Practical Guide to Adopting and Parenting Children Over Age Four

Time stamps:

"00:00 - Intro"

"01:38 - Cultural and racial/ethnic considerations"

"05:12 - Indian Child Welfare Act"

"06:07 - Special needs children"

"09:19 - Contact with the bio family"

"12:52 - Preferences of the child"

Why should you adopt or foster an older child? Learn why in this episode, where I discuss the reasons, benefits, and eligibility criteria. Aside from saving costs, you'll change a struggling youth's life. Time stamps below.

In the next two episodes, I'll cover what to consider in the matching process, how to work with agencies, and available resources to support parents.

For more insights, buy my co-authored book on e-Bay: ⁠⁠⁠Adopting Older Children: A Practical Guide to Adopting and Parenting Children Over Age Four⁠⁠

Time stamps:

"0:00 - Introduction"

"04:37 - Children in foster care"

"06:26 - Benefits of adopting older children"

"13:00 - Who is eligible to adopt an older child?"

Welcome to my podcast! This podcast will cover everything from working with an agency, learning about the children and their needs, preparing your home and family for your adopted child, and much more! If you have any questions about older child adoption, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]

Also please share details of your journey in the comments!