Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Expands Foster Care Adoption Program in West Virginia
Program aims to find permanent families for the longest-waiting children
Columbus, Ohio — The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is excited to announce a partnership with the West Virginia Department of Human Services and its implementation partner, Mission West Virginia, Inc. to scale the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program in the state.
This unique public-private partnership will support the hiring of adoption professionals, known as recruiters, who serve children and youth most at risk of aging out of foster care without a family. The Foundation began partnering with Mission West Virginia, Inc. in 2006 with two recruiters. Once fully scaled, 10 recruiters will work with smaller caseloads of teenagers, children with special needs and siblings who have waited the longest.
“We are thrilled to expand the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program in West Virginia. Every child deserves a safe, loving, and permanent home, and this partnership is a testament to our commitment to finding families for children who need them the most,” said Cynthia Persily, Ph.D., Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services. “Through this partnership, we are giving hope to the youth in our care who have waited far too long for the stability and support they deserve.”
Research shows that youth who age out of foster care without a family are at an increased risk of facing negative outcomes like homelessness, unemployment, early parenting or re-entering into government systems. Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters begin their search for a permanent family by conducting a diligent search within the network of adults the child already knows, including extended family members, who already care for them and can meet their needs.
A rigorous, national five-year evaluation revealed that children referred to Wendy’s Wonderful Kids are up to three times more likely to be adopted. “We are grateful to our partners in West Virginia for joining us in making Wendy’s Wonderful Kids’ evidence-based, child-focused approach business as usual,” said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. “West Virginia becomes the 20th state to expand the program, which has found forever families for more than 14,700 children across the U.S. and Canada, including nearly 100 in West Virginia, to date.”
On average, youth served by the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program in West Virginia are 13 years old, have been in foster care for more than three years and have had nearly six foster placements. Seventy-five percent of these youth are part of a sibling group, and 75% have a diagnosed special need.
“Innovative partnerships like this are critical to ensure there are enough recruiters in all 50 states and Washington D.C. to serve the number of young people who need a family now,” said Soronen. “We simply cannot stop this work until every child has a safe, loving and permanent home that is their birthright.”
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About the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national, nonprofit public charity dedicated to finding permanent homes for the more than 140,000 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.