The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Marks Significant Milestone

Columbus, OH, June 16, 2016 /3BL Media/ – For children in foster care, a forever family can often times feel far off, but at the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption we won’t stop until every waiting child goes home. In May, the Foundation surpassed 5,500 children who have found their permanent, loving homes thanks to the work of our Wendy’s Wonderful Kids adoption recruiters. These women and men work tirelessly for the children they serve and are diligent in their search to find the right fit for the child.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption was founded in 1992, by Wendy’s Founder Dave Thomas, who was adopted. He often said, “These children are not someone else’s responsibility. They are our responsibility.” The Foundation holds these words close as we work day-by- day to find more forever families for children waiting in foster care.

“The work of the Foundation is far from done. There are still more than 130,000 children waiting to go home in the U.S. and Canada,” Rita Soronen, CEO and President of the Foundation said. “What started as a pilot program at seven sites, is now a program with 215 recruiters throughout North America. There is definitely hope for the children in foster care who so desperately want that loving family and permanent home.”

The children served by the Foundation are those who have been waiting in foster care the longest: children over the age of 9, sibling groups, children with mental and physical challenges and children with at least one failed adoption. The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters use a child-focused recruitment model that relies on getting to know the needs of the child, targeting existing child relationships and finding the best family for the child. When implemented, this model is up to three times more likely to find a child their forever family. 1
 

About us:
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated exclusively to finding permanent homes for the more than 130,000 children waiting in North America’s foster care systems. Created by Wendy’s® founder Dave Thomas who was adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs, foster care adoption awareness campaigns and innovative grantmaking. To learn more, visit davethomasfoundation.org or call 1-800-ASK-DTFA.

1 Malm, K., Vandivere, S., Allen, T., DeVooght, K., Ellis, R., McKlindon, A., Smollar, J., Williams, E. and Zinn, A. (2011).
Evaluation Report Summary: The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Initiative, Child Trends, Washington, D.C.