On January 1, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption began its sponsorship of the Wednesday’s Child program to find adoptive homes for children in foster care in the National Capital Region. It will also operate the program in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City and Philadelphia through a two-year grant from the Freddie Mac Foundation, which is winding down its activities in 2014.
NBC4 and the Council of Governments will continue to support this program, which features children in foster care who are waiting to be adopted on local news television segments.
For more information, a press release from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is attached.
DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION TO LEAD WEDNESDAY’S CHILD EFFORT
Columbus, Ohio — Starting January 1, 2014, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption will implement the Wednesday’s Child program in Washington, D.C., to find adoptive homes for children in foster care.
Formerly sponsored by the Freddie Mac Foundation, Wednesday’s Child will become a program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption as the Freddie Mac Foundation winds down its activities by year-end 2014. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption will operate the program in the D.C. area, along with Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City and Philadelphia, through a two-year grant from the Freddie Mac Foundation.
“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 and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. “Wednesday’s Child, through the existing media and agency platforms, will help us drive action in communities across the nation on behalf of the children who need us most.”
“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,” said Freddie Mac Foundation Executive Director Wendell Chambliss. “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.”
Wednesday’s Child partners in Washington, D.C. – NBC4 and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments – are an integral part of the initiative and will continue their program support.
“For more than 25 years, NBC4 in Washington has been helping children in foster care find loving permanent homes,” said Jackie Bradford, President and General Manager of NBC4 Washington. “We are excited to partner with the Dave Thomas Foundation to continue our shared focus of making sure that every child has a place to call home.”
“Our work to identify waiting children to be featured on Wednesday’s Child and plan the segment is one of the most important ways we serve the region,” said Chuck Bean, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. “We are thrilled that the Dave Thomas Foundation has joined us as a sponsor and will continue the great work of finding permanent homes for our children.”
The transition officially takes place on January 1, 2014, when a new Wednesday’s Child website will be hosted on davethomasfoundation.org.
For more information on the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption or Wednesday’s Child, call 1-800-ASK-DTFA (278-3832), or visit davethomasfoundation.org.
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.
Media contact:
Staci Perkins
staci_perkins@davethomasfoundation.org
614.764.8406