Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption

THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ADOPTIONS OF WAITING CHILDREN FROM NORTH AMERICA'S FOSTER CARE SYSTEMS.

WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS:WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS, A SIGNATURE PROGRAM OF THE FOUNDATION, IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ACROSS THE NATION - ONE CHILD AT A TIME. THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION AWARDS GRANTS TO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES TO HIRE ADOPTION PROFESSIONALS WHO IMPLEMENT A PROACTIVE, CHILD-FOCUSED RECRUITMENT STRATEGY TARGETED EXCLUSIVELY ON MOVING AMERICA'S LONGEST-WAITING CHILDREN FROM FOSTER CARE INTO ADOPTIVE FAMILIES. RESEARCH RELEASED IN 2011 FROM A FIVE-YEAR RIGOROUS EVALUATION OF WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS CHILD-FOCUSED RECRUITMENT MODEL SHOWED THAT CHILDREN SERVED BY THE PROGRAM ARE UP TO THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO GET ADOPTED. WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS RECRUITERS WORK WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH AT GREATEST RISK OF AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE WITHOUT AN ADOPTIVE FAMILY. THE RECRUITERS HAVE SMALLER CASELOADS, TO ENSURE THEY HAVE THE TIME AND RESOURCES TO GIVE EACH CHILD THE ATTENTION THAT CHILD DESERVES AND EMPLOY AN AGGRESSIVE EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE MODEL FOCUSED ON FINDING THE BEST HOME FOR A CHILD.THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION SUPPORTS 505 WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS RECRUITERS WORKING FOR CHILDREN IN THE U.S. MORE THAN 12,300 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AS A RESULT OF WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS, AND ANOTHER 705 ARE IN THEIR PRE-ADOPTIVE PLACEMENTS SIMPLY WAITING FOR A FINAL COURT HEARING.

PROGRAM GRANTS & AWARENESS:THE FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO NATIONALLY COMMUNICATING THE URGENCY OF FOSTER CARE ADOPTION AND TO ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO BECOME AN AMBASSADOR FOR WAITING CHILDREN. YEAR-ROUND AWARENESS EFFORTS INCLUDE DAILY SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS; MARKETING PROGRAMS DISPELLING MYTHS AND MISPERCEPTIONS SURROUNDING THE ISSUE OF FOSTER CARE ADOPTION AND THE CHILDREN WAITING TO BE ADOPTED; THE DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF FREE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES; THE PRODUCTION OF NATIONAL TELEVISION ANNOUNCEMENTS; MEDIA ENGAGEMENT AND THOUGHT LEADER SPEAKING AND KEYNOTE OPPORTUNITIES; AND PARTICIPATION IN A NUMBER OF EVENTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. ADDITIONALLY, SINCE 2002, THE FOUNDATION HAS COMMISSIONED SEVERAL GROUNDBREAKING STUDIES TO MEASURE AMERICANS' PERCEPTIONS OF FOSTER CARE ADOPTION.IN ADDITION TO FUNDING WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS GRANTS, RESOURCES GENERATED BY THE FOUNDATION HELP TO AWARD STRATEGIC NATIONAL GRANTS TO ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHARE THE FOUNDATION'S MISSION. THESE GRANTS PROVIDE CRITICAL FOSTER CARE ADOPTION SERVICES AND SUPPORT, PROMOTE BEST PRACTICES IN FOSTER CARE ADOPTION, AND ASSIST WITH EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND STRATEGIES FOR PARENTS AND CHILD WELFARE PROFESSIONALS.THIRTEEN ORGANIZATIONS WERE FUNDED UNDER THE NATIONAL GRANTS EFFORT, INCLUDING VOICE FOR ADOPTION (WASHINGTON, D.C.), THE CENTER FOR ADOPTION SUPPORT AND EDUCATION (BURTONSVILLE, MD), THE CONGRESSIONAL COALITION ON ADOPTION, INC. (WASHINGTON, D.C.), FOSTERING MEDIA CONNECTIONS (SAN FRANCISCO, CA), THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION (ALEXANDRIA, VA), THE NORTH AMERICAN COUNCIL ON ADOPTABLE CHILDREN (MINNEAPOLIS, MN), ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS (LOS ANGELES, CA), GENERATIONS UNITED, INC. (WASHINGTON, D.C.), FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL (NEW YORK, NY), ADOPT AMERICA NETWORK (COLUMBUS, OH), SECOND NURTURE (GLASTONBURY, CT), YATOM THE JEWISH FOSTER & ADOPTION NEWTORK, INC. (PHOENIX, AZ), FIRST FOCUS (WASHINGTON, D.C.).

ADOPTION-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE:IN 1990, PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH ASKED DAVE THOMAS, FOUNDER OF WENDY'S, TO BE THE SPOKESPERSON FOR A NEW ADOPTION INITIATIVE. DAVE, AN ADOPTEE AND ADOPTION ADVOCATE, ENTHUSIASTICALLY ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE AND BEGAN TO SPEAK OUT PUBLICLY, ASKING PEOPLE TO CONSIDER FOSTER CARE ADOPTION AND ENCOURAGING OTHER BUSINESS LEADERS TO OFFER ADOPTION AS A PART OF THEIR EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS. ADOPTION-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE WAS DEVELOPED TO KEEP DAVE THOMAS' WORK IN MOTION. THIS SIGNATURE PROGRAM OFFERS FREE TOOLKITS AND EXPERT GUIDANCE TO EMPLOYERS ACROSS THE NATION. THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE COMPANIES WITH THE TOOLS AND SUPPORT NEEDED TO SET UP AND PROVIDE THEIR EMPLOYEES ADOPTION BENEFITS, INCLUDING FINANCIAL REIMBURSEMENT AND PAID LEAVE. THE FOUNDATION COMPILES AND PUBLISHES AN ANNUAL LIST OF THE NATION'S 100 BEST ADOPTION-FRIENDLY WORKPLACES LIST AND HIGHLIGHTS THE FORWARD-THINKING EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE ADOPTION BENEFITS IN PLACE.

OTHER PROGRAMS:NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH AND DAY EXPENSES $44,142 INCLUDING GRANTS OF $0 REVENUE $134,181NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH, A TIME TO CELEBRATE AND RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT FOSTER CARE ADOPTION. THE FOUNDATION JOINS THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION BY IMPLEMENTING A MONTH-LONG STRATEGIC EFFORT THAT FOCUSES ON OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION, AND MEDIA COVERAGE TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF FOSTER CARE ADOPTION ACROSS THE COUNTRY.NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY IS HELD EACH YEAR ON THE SATURDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. ON THIS DAY DURING NATIONAL ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH, COURTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO FINALIZE PENDING FOSTER CARE ADOPTIONS, WHILE CELEBRATING ALL FAMILIES WHO ADOPT. THE FOUNDATION IS HONORED TO BE A LEAD FOUNDING AND FUNDING PARTNER OF THIS EFFORT. POST ADOPTION EXPENSES : $23,997 INCLUDING GRANTS OF $0ROBUST POST-ADOPTION SERVICES ARE CRITICAL FOR MANY FAMILIES WHO ADOPT FROM FOSTER CARE AND OTHER VENUES. THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION HAS DEVELOPED A FREE RESOURCE BOOKLET, "A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO POST-ADOPTION" FOR DISTRIBUTION THAT DEFINES THE TYPES OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR PARENTS AFTER AN ADOPTION IS FINALIZED, HOW TO SELECT AND LOCATE PROVIDERS, AND WHAT TO DO IF RESOURCES DO NOT EXIST IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. IT ALSO INCLUDES RECOMMENDATIONS OF OTHER NATIONAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HELP. IN ADDITION, THE FOUNDATION HAS FUNDED THE CENTER FOR ADOPTION SUPPORT AND EDUCATION (BURTONSVILLE, MD) TO SUPPORT THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF A CURRICULUM FOR ADOPTION-COMPETENT MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS; HAS FUNDED ADOPT AMERICA NETWORK TO CREATE AND OPERATE THE ONGOING ADOPTION AND KINSHIP SUPPORT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE SUPPORTS FOR WWK FAMILIES FROM PRE-FINALIZATION MATCH AND AFTER FINALIZATION; HAS WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS (CHICAGO, IL) TO PRODUCE AND DISTRIBUTE A CRITICAL RESOURCE FOR PEDIATRICIANS WORKING WITH ADOPTIVE FAMILIES; HAS PARTNERED WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ON A NATIONAL POST-ADOPTION CONFERENCE FOR CHILD WELFARE PROFESSIONALS; AND HAS ENGAGED CHILD TRENDS (WASHINGTON, D.C.) TO FURTHER RESEARCH FAMILIES ADOPTED THROUGH WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS TO IDENTIFY BOTH SUCCESSFUL POST-ADOPTION RESOURCES AND GAPS IN SERVICES FOR FAMILIES.