This National Adoption Month, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and State of Tennessee Celebrate the Importance of Family for Every Child
Columbus, Ohio — In recognition of National Adoption Month, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption joined Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and other state leaders in Nashville to celebrate the state’s strides toward legal permanency for youth waiting in foster care. Governor Lee also proclaimed Adoption Month in Tennessee coinciding with National Adoption Month.
The event brought together state leaders, nonprofit partners and families to celebrate Tennessee’s progress toward achieving permanency and recognize the partnerships helping make it possible. Participants included representatives from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Family & Children’s Service and Youth Villages, which all implement the Foundation’s Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® program in partnership with the state.
Through a public-private partnership, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids allows more children waiting in foster care to have a dedicated adoption recruiter, focused on finding them the right family. The programserves youth who have waited the longest, including teenagers, older youth, siblings and children with special needs.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up with love, security and the support of a permanent family. Yet thousands of children and teens across the country continue to wait for that connection,” said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. “National Adoption Month serves as an important reminder that family matters at every age and that having a permanent home can change the trajectory of a child’s life. We are grateful to the state of Tennessee, its Department of Children’s Services and our nonprofit partners for their shared commitment to legal permanency.”
The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program has 11 recruiters serving Tennessee youth in foster care. Since the start of this partnership in 2006, the program has found forever families for 158 youth.
“Since the beginning of our administration, we’ve been committed to strengthening Tennessee families and ensuring every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, loving family,” said Lee. “Government cannot solve our greatest challenges alone, and the progress we’re making for children who have waited far too long for permanency is a testament to what is possible when state employees, nonprofit partners and families work together. This National Adoption Month, we celebrate that progress and reaffirm our commitment to every child still waiting for the stability, security and belonging of a permanent home.”
In Tennessee, the children served by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s Wendy’s Wonderful Kids are on average 14 years old, have waited an average of about four years in foster care and experienced more than seven placements before being referred to the program. Now, with more Foundation-trained recruiters in the state, more children can be served.
“When youth face barriers to achieving permanency in foster care, they can begin to lose hope. By working tirelessly to identify adoptive families and cultivate other lasting, supportive relationships, recruiters help these kids restore hope and rebuild trust,” said Charmaine Kromer, Chief Operating Officer of Youth Villages. “We are honored to be part of the journey that helps so many young people find family, connection and a true sense of belonging.”
“For more than 50 years, Family & Children’s Service has partnered with the TN Department of Children’s Service building families through adoption and securing permanency for Tennessee’s children,” said President and CEO Michael McSurdy. “For the past 20 years, we have worked side by side with TN DCS and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to bring Wendy’s Wonderful Kids’ proven model of recruitment and network building to Tennessee. We are proud of this 20-year partnership, our state’s accomplishments, and our commitment to continuing this work moving forward.”
Research underscores the importance of this work. Young people who leave foster care without a permanent family face an increased risk of experiencing homelessness, unemployment and other challenges. A rigorous, national five-year evaluation conducted by Child Trends found that children referred to the Foundation’s program were up to three times more likely to be adopted.
“Helping find children safe, loving homes is one of the most important things we do at DCS,” said Commissioner Margie Quin. “Our partnership with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids is making a real difference for youth who have spent years waiting for a family. We’re grateful for the dedicated recruiters and community partners who share our commitment to finding permanent families for children who need them.”
The Foundation’s success in Tennessee is echoed across the U.S., Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada.
“We are excited to celebrate nearly 17,000 adoptions from foster care through our Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program,” said Soronen. “Our continued partnership and growth in Tennessee will only help to expand this success.”
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 130,000 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.
