MCLEAN, VA--(Marketwired - Dec 16, 2013) - The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption will continue the critical work of the Freddie Mac Foundation Wednesday's Child program to find adoptive homes for children in foster care, beginning January 1, 2014.
With the Freddie Mac Foundation winding down its activities by year-end 2014, Wednesday's Child will become a program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a respected leader in the philanthropic foster care adoption field. The Freddie Mac Foundation will provide a grant to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to fully fund Wednesday's Child through year-end 2015.
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption will take over program operations in all five Wednesday's Child cities: Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Our partners -- T.V. stations, government agencies and nonprofits -- are an integral part of Wednesday's Child and will continue their program support. A new website, replacing our national Wednesday's Child site, will be hosted on the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption website starting January 1.
"We're delighted that our long-time partner, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national leader and advocate on behalf of adoption, will lead our Wednesday's Child program. Over the past decade, we've successfully collaborated on a number of adoption efforts, and we're fortunate they have agreed to lead this life-changing program. We're confident that they will build on its success," said Freddie Mac Foundation Executive Director Wendell Chambliss.
"For a child, the most precious gift in this world is a loving family. We're grateful for our Wednesday's Child partners who've done so much to give children that gift: the love of a permanent family. And we're proud of our achievements: Through Wednesday's Child, more than 2,500 hard-to-place children in foster care now have adoptive homes," said Chambliss.
"We are honored to continue the Wednesday's Child program and humbled by the faith that the Freddie Mac Foundation has in our ability to not only honor the legacy of this program, but build it into a robust effort of our Foundation," said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. "As long as 100,000 children wait for adoptive families in the United States, we have not done enough. Wednesday's Child, through the existing media and agency platforms, will help us significantly elevate the conversation, and more importantly, drive action in communities across the nation on behalf of the children who need us most."
The Freddie Mac Foundation Wednesday's Child program started in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area in 1992, a partnership with NBC-4 and the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments. Its success there led to a nationwide expansion. Each week, a child in foster care who is available for adoption is featured on the local evening news. During a segment hosted by a popular local newscaster, viewers are encouraged to learn more about adopting these children. The children featured are usually the most difficult to place since they are often older, in sibling groups, and may have health and developmental needs. For these children, this program is often their last chance to find a permanent home and a family.
More than 2,500 children have been adopted, giving them a chance for a brighter future. And more than 42,000 viewer inquiries have been generated from people interested in becoming foster and adoptive parents.
The legacy of Wednesday's Child will live on for years to come -- through children like Francois and Brianna. In foster care for years, the brother and sister were finally adopted after Mom Carole Pratt saw them on Wednesday's Child (video link - Meet the Pratts). Now 10 years later, Brianna is happy and thriving; the eldest Francois is in college and continues to be an eloquent spokesperson for adoption.
The Freddie Mac Foundation works to make home a place where children and families thrive, primarily in the Washington, D.C., region. The Foundation partners with nonprofits to: provide stable housing with resident services for vulnerable families; find adoptive homes for children in foster care; and help young people succeed in school and their careers. The Foundation is funded by an irrevocable trust and uses no taxpayer dollars to support the community. The Foundation will be winding down its operations by the end of 2014.
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated exclusively to finding permanent homes for the more than 130,000 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 advocacy initiatives. To learn more, visit davethomasfoundation.org or call 1-800-ASK-DTFA.