| 2009 |
The Foundation increased its offering of awareness and education materials with the addition of the video Every Child is Adoptable, the PSA I'm Just a Kid and two new publications: A Step-By-Step Guide to Post-Adoption and Beyond Benefits: More Ways to Make Your Workplace Adoption-Friendly. |
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The Foundation continued leadership of the National Adoption Day collaborative and introduced U.S. Dept. of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelious at a NAD kickoff event in Washington, DC . National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of children in U.S. foster care waiting to be adopted. 400 events were held nationwide, finalizing the adoptions of 5,000 children from foster care. In its 10 year history, a total of 30,700 adoptions have been finalized nationwide. |
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The Foundation earned the Standards for Excellence Certification. Recognized nationally, the Standards for Excellence is a comprehensive code of ethics for the nonprofit sector based on core values of honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, compassion, and responsibility. |
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In July, the Foundation celebrated 1,000 children adopted as a result of its signature program, Wendy's Wonderful Kids. |
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The Foundation partnered with Paul Werth Associates to receive the prestigious Public Relations Society of America's Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for promoting adoption benefits and the cause of foster care adoption. |
| 2008 |
The Foundation was honored by Congressional Quarterly (CQ) and The Creative Coalition with the Shining Star Award at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions for its significant work finding adoptive families for children waiting in foster care. |
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In July, a milestone was reached with a total of 500 children adopted from foster care as a result of the Foundation's Wendy's Wonderful Kids program. |
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A Home for the Holidays, a television special that celebrates foster care adoption and is co-sponsored by the Foundation, celebrated its tenth year on CBS. |
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Father's Day Frosty Weekend becomes an annual event that benefits the Foundation through sales of Frosty's in Wendy's restaurants across the U.S and Canada. |
| 2007 |
The Foundation's Wendy's Wonderful Kids program earned a 2007 Adoption Excellence Award from the United States Department of Health and Human Services. |
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Harris Interactive released a groundbreaking National Foster Care Adoption Attitudes Survey commissioned by the Foundation to address how America's beliefs and misperceptions impact adoptions of children from foster care. |
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The first Father's Day Frosty Weekend benefited the Foundation through sales of Frosty's and pin-up campaigns in Wendy's restaurants. |
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The first of an annual list of America's Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces was launched by the Foundation. |
| 2006 |
National Adoption Day celebrations are held in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. |
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The Wendy's Wonderful Kids program expands to every state, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. |
| 2005 |
A Spanish-language version of the Foundation's A Child is Waiting: A Beginner's Guide to Adoption is produced. |
| 2004 |
A national coin canister campaign is launched to collect donations from customers in Wendy's restaurants. |
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The Wendy's Wonderful Kids program, a partnership with Wendy's restaurants that funds local adoption professionals to find families for children in foster care, is piloted in seven cities. |
| 2003 |
The first National Adoption Awareness Month packets are produced and distributed by the Foundation. |
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The Foundation significantly expands the Adoption-Friendly Workplace campaign and establishes a toll-free phone line and web site offering free resources to help employers and employees establish adoption benefits. |
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The Foundation implements a toll-free 800 line used by tens of thousands of callers seeking more information on adoption. |
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Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Canada becomes a non-profit organization and offers a free Beginner's Guide to Adoption. |
| 2002 |
The Foundation becomes a founding sponsor of National Adoption Day, an annual event in which courts across the country open for one Saturday in November to finalize thousands of adoptions from foster care, and communities host events to celebrate all adoptions. |
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The Foundation and Wendy's co-sponsor The Hallmark Channel’s Adoption series. Hallmark Cards designs and sells the first in a series of adoption ornaments to raise awareness and benefit the Foundation. |
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The Foundation completes a landmark survey of U.S. adoption attitudes with Harris Interactive which becomes a valuable tool for driving recruitment and public policy efforts. |
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Dave Thomas passes away and is remembered as the "patron saint of adoption" as the nation lauds his passion and commitment to foster care children. |
| 2001 |
A partnership begins with famed artist Christopher Radko and Federated Department Stores that promotes adoption awareness and generates funds for the Foundation with sales of a "Celebrate Adoption" ornament. |
| 2000 |
Dave Thomas and the Foundation succeed in creating an adoption stamp issued by the U.S. Postal service to strengthen a national awareness campaign for adoption. |
| 1999 |
The first educational videos for adoption professionals were created and offered at no charge by the Foundation. |
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The Foundation begins its first adoption awareness efforts in Canada. |
| 1998 |
A partnership with Children’s Action Network and CBS Television creates the first A Home for the Holidays featuring top Hollywood talent and successful adoption stories. The prime time program shows the joys of adoption and generates thousands of inquiries from viewers. |
| 1997 |
Dave Thomas testifies before Congress and urges enactment of an adoption tax credit that will make adoption more affordable. His efforts pay off when the tax credit is signed into law. |
| 1995 |
The White House holds an Adoption Month event, hosted by Dave Thomas, the Foundation and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. |
| 1994 |
The Foundation begins allocating grant dollars to organizations that present innovative ways to reach and recruit prospective adoptive parents. |
| 1993 |
The Foundation and Wendy's International, Inc. partner to create and distribute its first national television public service announcement encouraging potential parents to consider adoption. |
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The Foundation's first posters and trayliners of waiting children are displayed in Wendy's restaurants and distributed nationwide. |
| 1992 |
The first Halloween Coupon Books are sold in Wendy's restaurants to benefit the Foundation. |
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The Foundation partners with the National Adoption Center and The Kellogg Foundation to create Adoption-Friendly Workplace, an initiative to promote employer-provided adoption benefits. |
| 1992 |
The Foundation creates and distributes a booklet that outlines adoption basics for individuals interested in adoption called A Child is Waiting, A Beginner's Guide to Adoption. |
| 1992 |
The first Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge golf tournament is held with proceeds benefiting the Foundation. |
| 1992 |
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is established as a public charity, with the goal of a permanent, loving family for every child. |
| 1990 |
Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s Restaurants and an adoptee, accepts President Bush’s invitation to be spokesperson for a national adoption awareness initiative. |