DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION
4900 TUTTLE CROSSING BLVD, DUBLIN, OH 43016 www.davethomasfoundation.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION IS A NATIONAL NONPROFIT PUBLIC CHARITY DEDICATED EXCLUSIVELY TO FINDING PERMANENT HOMES FOR MORE THAN 150,000 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 INITIATIVES, AND OFFERS FREE RESOURCES TO ORGANIZATIONS AND PROSPECTIVE PARENTS.

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 TURNING 18 AND LEAVING 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 HE OR SHE DESERVES AND EMPLOY AN AGGRESSIVE EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE MODEL FOCUSED ON FINDING THE BEST HOME FOR A CHILD.THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION IS FUNDING 442 WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS RECRUITERS WORKING FOR CHILDREN IN THE U.S. MORE THAN 8,900 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AS A RESULT OF WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS, AND ANOTHER 774 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.TWELVE ORGANIZATIONS WERE FUNDED UNDER THE GENERAL GRANTS EFFORT, INCLUDING 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 (2 GRANTS -MINNEAPOLIS, MN), , THE BAY AREA VIDEO COALITION (SAN FRANCISCO, CA), FOSTER AMERICA (VIA THE TIDES CENTER) (SAN FRANCISCO, CA), FAMILY FOCUSED TREATMENT ASSOCIATION (HACKENSACK, NJ), COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY (FORT COLLINS, CO), FOSTER CLUB (SEASIDE, OR), JUST ADOPT INC. (WILTON, CT) AND GENERATIONS UNITED, INC. (WASHINGTON, D.C.).

ADOPTION-FRIENDLY WORKPLACEIN 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 BENEFITS 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.

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