Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

February 2012

Dave Thomas with some of his biggest fans.

As we move through 2012, we pause to remember our founder, Dave Thomas, whom we lost a decade ago.

We still fervently believe in the vision that he had when he started the Foundation: That every child will have a permanent home and a loving family.

As the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption marks 20 years in service, we will continue to commit ourselves to finding a home for every waiting child. It’s a lofty goal. But Dave would expect nothing less.

Read more about Dave Thomas.

Wendy’s Wonderful Kids research update 

In October of 2011, we released the results of a rigorous five-year research evaluation of the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids foster care adoption recruitment program (the Foundation is funding 127 independent grants supporting adoption professionals in all 50 states, and four provinces in Canada).

This rigorous evaluation was performed independently by Child Trends, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit and nonpartisan research center that studies children at all stages of development. It was found that children referred to Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, a child-focused adoption recruitment program, were nearly twice as likely to be adopted. Children with physical and/or emotional challenges and children age 15 or older were up to three times more likely to get adopted.

Since October, we have shared the research findings at a Senate Caucus on Foster Youth briefing, various editorial board meetings from Cleveland to Sacramento, with state decision-makers, and during keynote presentations and conferences.

And we are continuing many more conversations in the months to come. As we work in conjunction with the Annie E. Casey Foundation to develop a formal curriculum based on the successful model, we want those in a decision-making position in child welfare to know that we have a solution to the current state of foster care adoption. Children are not unadoptable, no matter their age or circumstances. They do not have to linger in long-term care or age out at 18 without the family they deserve. We look forward to sharing this model and the curriculum with other nonprofits, institutions and teaching organizations that are shaping the minds of those working on behalf of our most vulnerable children and youth. We will not stop until this model is embedded into best practice across the nation.

Learn more about Wendy’s Wonderful Kids.

Casey supports development of child-focused recruitment curriculum

We are pleased to announce that the Annie E. Casey Foundation has partnered with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to create a formal curriculum of the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids child-focused model currently in use by our grantees. With this generous gift, the Foundation will more effectively provide this successful, evidence-based program to counties and states – and assure homes for significantly more children waiting to be adopted.

Welcome Felicia Newell

We are pleased to announce the hiring of Felicia Newell as Grants Manager for Wendy’s Wonderful Kids.

Newell worked most recently at Franklin County Children’s Services in Columbus, Ohio, as a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter. Prior to that, she served as a counselor, adoption resource worker, and homeless youth advocate in Minnesota. She has a bachelor of arts in psychology from Gustavus Adolphus College, also in Minnesota, and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in social work from The Ohio State University. Newell was the 2011 recipient of the Friend of Adoption Award. 

“Felicia brings deep knowledge from her nearly five years as a WWK recruiter with Franklin County Children Services,” said Rita Soronen, Foundation president and CEO. “She is a skilled communicator, and is thoughtful and passionate about serving children.”  Newell joined the Foundation on February 8, 2012.

Welcome new board members

Emil Brolick

Emil Brolick is president and CEO of The Wendy’s Company. He worked closely with Wendy’s Founder Dave Thomas and executive management to deliver consistent sales growth for the brand, provide strong consumer insights and drive excellence. Brolick holds a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Detroit, and is Chairman of the Board of Governors of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Ulysses (Junior) Bridgeman

Bridgeman is the owner and president of Manna, Inc. and ERJ Inc. which currently oversees the administration and operation of 165 Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburger Restaurants in five states. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Louisville in 1975. Bridgeman serves on the Board of Directors of Fifth Third Bank, the West End School, and Jackson Hewitt Board, the PGA Board.