DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION

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 AN EVIDENCE-BASED, CHILD-FOCUSED RECRUITMENT STRATEGY TARGETED EXCLUSIVELY ON MOVING AMERICA'S LONGEST-WAITING CHILDREN FROM FOSTER CARE INTO ADOPTIVE FAMILIES. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE ON WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS.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 531 WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS RECRUITERS WORKING FOR CHILDREN IN THE U.S. MORE THAN 13,820 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AS A RESULT OF WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS, AND ANOTHER 1,085 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; SEE SCHEDULE O FOR ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE ON PROGRAM GRANTS & AWARENESS.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.TWENTY-SIX ORGANIZATIONS WERE FUNDED UNDER THE NATIONAL GRANTS REPORT, INCLUDING THE CENTER FOR ADOPTION SUPPORT AND EDUCATION, STANFORD SIERRA YOUTH AND FAMILIES, VOICE FOR ADOPTION, BETHANY CHRISTIAN SERVICES OF GEORGIA, LUND FAMILY CENTER, INC., LUTHERAN FAMILY SERVICES OF NEBRASKA, INC., CARING FOR KIDS, INC., TREEHOUSE FOUNDATION, NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION, FOSTERING MEDIA CONNECTIONS, CHILDREN'S NETWORK OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, LLC, GENERATIONS UNITED, INC., ADOPT AMERICA NETWORK, INC., SECOND NURTURE, FAMILY TO FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK, FOSTERING CHANGE FOR CHILDREN, ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS, ADOPTION RHODE ISLAND, ADOPTIVE AND FOSTER FAMILY COALITION OF NEW YORK, FAMILIES RISING, RAISE THE FUTURE, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION, ADOPTEE MENTORING SOCIETY, AID TO ADOPTION OF SPECIAL KIDS ARIZONA, CENTER FOR THE RIGHTS OF ABUSED CHILDREN, CONGRESSIONAL COALITION ON ADOPTION INSTITUTE.