Through our signature program, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption supports the hiring of adoption professionals, known as recruiters, who are dedicated to finding permanent families for the longest-waiting children in foster care.
The priority of the foster care system is to keep families together. But when a judge has ruled that it is unsafe for a child to return to their family of origin, they need someone to step forward to adopt them.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids adoption professionals use an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model to find the right family for every child in their care. A rigorous, five-year national evaluation revealed that children referred to the program are up to 3x more likely to be adopted.
adoption recruiters trained
Implementing a model proven by research to be up to 3x more effective at serving the longest-waiting children in foster care
adoptions
While other types of adoption recruitment can be successful, child-focused recruitment has been proven to be the most effective approach to achieving permanency for the program’s focus population of teenagers, children with special needs and siblings who are too often overlooked.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids professionals begin their search within a child’s familiar circles of family, friends and neighbors, and then reach out to the communities in which they live. Achieving permanency may include adoption or legal guardianship. And if family reunification is a safe option, a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter will explore it … always.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters are committed to building a trusting relationship with the young people they serve, helping them unpack fears and misconceptions about adoption.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters work with smaller caseloads of 12–15 children to ensure that every child receives the time, resources and support they deserve.
Explore research showing the impact of Wendy’s Wonderful Kids and the Foundation’s evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model.
Of children currently served by Wendy’s Wonderful Kids in the United States and Canada:
89%
Are older than age 8
35%
Have had six or more placements
23%
Have been in foster care more than four years
85+%
Had minimal or no foster care adoption recruitment efforts on their behalf before being referred to Wendy’s Wonderful Kids
Supporting Child Welfare Professionals
Learn more
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters work with a diverse village of child welfare professionals to achieve permanency for the young people they serve. The Foundation is committed to supporting all professionals in this life-changing work.
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