Wendy’s Wonderful Kids
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program offers proactive, child-focused recruitment of adoptive families for children who have been placed in long-term foster care. Sponsored by the Dave Thomas Foundation, this unique program provides intensive social work services to find the best adoptive home for a child by exploring all facets of the child’s family, school, and friendship circles, as well as recruiting families from the broader community.
Location: O‘ahu
Eligibility: All children, ages 0-17, who are in the permanent care of the Department of Human Services Child Welfare System are eligible for the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program.
Services:
- Opportunities for foster youth to connect
- Case management services for children in long-term foster care who are ready for adoption
- Recruitment and screening of adoptive families and legal guardians
- Development of a customized recruitment plan for each child
- Completion of in-depth case reviews and assessments to determine each child’s strengths, challenges, desires, and preparedness for adoption/guardianship
- Training and support for adoptive parents
- Public education and promotion of adoption
Goals:
- Increase the number of foster children placed with loving, adoptive or guardianship families
- Develop supportive and warm relationships with children waiting to be adopted/legal guardianship
- Provide information and resources to prospective and adoptive/guardianship parents
- Increase community awareness of foster care adoption
- Streamline the adoption process
- Improve the quality of life for children in the permanent care of the Dept. of Human Services by providing a “forever” family
Funding:
Dave Thomas Foundation
Contact:
Katie Joosse, Program Coordinator – 540-2552
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