Michael has been a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® adoption professional at the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services since 2018. Among his peers, Michael is known for his positive attitude and unique ability to build lasting connections with the young people he serves. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is proud to recognize Michael as a 2023 Recruiter of the Year.
Pictured: Michael, a 2023 Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter of the Year
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters, like Michael, are committed to finding permanent homes for children waiting in foster care who are too often overlooked. That includes teenagers, children with special needs and siblings. To date, more than 13,000 children across the U.S. and Canada now have a forever family with help from Wendy’s Wonderful Kids.
“The thing I enjoy the most about my job is the relationships with our kids,” said Michael. “Specifically, the relationships that I’m able to build with them to learn about their hopes, their dreams, the things that they want moving forward.”
Using the Foundation’s evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model, Michael conducts a diligent search to find the right family for every child. Wendy’s Wonderful Kids professionals begin their search within a child’s familiar circles of friends, family and neighbors and then reach out to the communities in which they live.
“The best thing about this program is the permanency aspect,” explained Michael. “It’s for these kids to have their forever family. It’s not just for while they’re a child, but also when they’re an adult. I mean, they now have a family they can go to for Thanksgiving, for Christmas.”
Congratulations, Michael, and thank you for your passion and commitment to finding forever families for children in foster care who need our help the most!
You can join the Foundation in celebrating Wendy’s Wonderful Kids adoption professionals, like Michael, by sending them a thank you note.
