The Dave Thomas Foundation recently celebrated its 10,000th adoption of a child from foster care and the milestone was reached during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Foundation was created by Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas as an independent non-profit foundation separate from the restaurant chain, says Rita Soronen, CEO of the Foundation.
The Foundation focuses on the adoption of children who have been in foster care the longest and those who might soon turn 18 without being adopted by a family.
It works with its Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program which partners with private and public adoption agencies to fund specially trained adoption recruiters. These recruiters work specifically to find adoptive homes for teenagers, children with special needs, and siblings who have been in foster care the longest, according to Soronen.
The Dave Thomas Foundation tries to find adoptive homes for children before they “age-out” of foster care – turn 18 or 21 years of age depending on the state. The Foundation understands that if a child ages-out of foster care they are more likely to be homeless, unemployed, and face a myriad of other issues.
The Foundation also has been urging states to put moratoria on youth’s aging-out of the system during the COVID pandemic, says Soronen. To date, through Soronen’s efforts, the Foundation has convinced 9 states and the District of Columbia to enact such moratoria.
The COVID-19 crisis has presented special problems for the Foundation’s work, but it has successfully pivoted to find ways of continuing its adoption efforts even through pandemic isolation.
The Foundation was recently highlighted by the “New York Times” for its pandemic efforts.
American Politics Through a Camera Lens: Viewpoint of Former NYT Photographer
Cesarean Sections Account for One-Third of the Baby Deliveries in the USA
The Tangled Trump-Russia Web Ensnares as Attorney Cohen’s Story Unfolds
Investigative Reporting Hits the Grassroots through Non-profit Journalism
Award-winning Journalist Studies Today’s Climate Change by Looking at the Past
Big City London Reporter/Editor Visits & Studies American Small Town & Cities
Internet Pioneer is both Optimistic & Cautious about New Cyber Developments
What Does It Mean to be a “Progressive” in Today’s Political Landscape
Artificial Intelligence: Is it Biased in Law Enforcement & Court Usage?
With Seriousness and Satire, Top Scholar Examines Climate Change in Trump Era
From Travails to Triumph: A Woman NYC Chef Who Persisted Through Adversity
Is “Fake News” an Accurate Description of Today’s Media Landscape?
Syria is Beleaguered by Internal Wars and External Interventions, says Expert
“Black Girls Matter”- Study Shows Black Middle School Girls Get Disciplined More Often than White Students
Recent Indictments Show Russia Sows Discord in America, Russia Expert Says
Hometown Journalists Add to Poverty Problems of Their Areas, Scholar Says
We Look Behind the Washington Headlines with NPR Security Editor
Booming Gaming Industry is Expanding to Include Healthcare, Education & Finance
Media Coverage of Fed. Shutdown Misses Impact on Average Person
20 Ways to Fight Tyranny In the USA in Book by Historian & Holocaust Expert
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Jim & Bill (It‘s Another Day)
HauntingLive
Dr. Paul’s Worldviews
The Ben Shapiro Show
Morning Wire