Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

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Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Finding loving, permanent homes for children waiting in foster care.

Working in child welfare requires resilience, empathy, determination, compassion and so much heart 💓 If you’re a casewor...
10/13/2026

Working in child welfare requires resilience, empathy, determination, compassion and so much heart 💓 If you’re a caseworker, we want to remind you that we see you and all of your effort. We see your challenges, your victories, your struggles and your breakthroughs, and we are immensely grateful for the work you do.

Thanks to our Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, thousands of children have forever homes, but none of that work would be possible without the commitment of the hundreds of adoption recruiters across the United States and Canada. We are so impressed by the work they do every day, and we want to encourage our community of supporters to reflect on their impact and share messages of hope and encouragement in the comments below.

A little support and encouragement can make a BIG difference 💌

Care for Caseworkers Week starts TODAY! This week offers all of us a chance to lead with kindness and offer support to t...
10/12/2026

Care for Caseworkers Week starts TODAY! This week offers all of us a chance to lead with kindness and offer support to the caseworkers and child welfare professionals who work hard every day to serve children in foster care 🫶

This week, we’re challenging our community to complete one act of kindness per day to offer some extra encouragement to caseworkers in your area. If you’re not sure where to start or want even more ideas, visit careforcaseworkers.org to learn more 🙌

Let us know if you’ll be participating in the comments!

Ellen Sabin created "The Belonging Book" to help children who have experienced trauma and uncertainty in the foster care...
10/11/2026

Ellen Sabin created "The Belonging Book" to help children who have experienced trauma and uncertainty in the foster care system find the words to share their experiences with trusted adults and begin to heal ❤️‍🩹

“The Belonging Book is a practical, child-centered tool that meets children where they are; giving them the language, space and support as they move through complex transitions," Ellen explained. "It helps children make sense of uncertainty, navigate difficult moments and begin to develop a stronger sense of identity, stability and hope.”

Helping children who have lingered in foster care rebuild trust is an ongoing process, but we believe those efforts could help change the trajectory of a child’s life 🫶

Learn more about Ellen's book: https://www.wateringcanpress.com/books/our-books/the-belonging-book/

This National Adoption Month, Rita Soronen, President & CEO, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, will be joining a pane...
10/10/2026

This National Adoption Month, Rita Soronen, President & CEO, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, will be joining a panel of adoption advocates, child welfare professionals and former foster youth to discuss the importance of permanency and connection in the lives of children in foster care ❤️

Together, they’ll unpack what meaningful connection looks like, some common myths surrounding permanency and adoption, barriers within the child welfare system and practical ways that supporters like you can help.

Don’t miss this critical conversation. Register here: https://www.kidsave.org/event/adoption-month-webinar-panel/

You asked, we answered 💡 We understand that the work we do to support youth lingering in foster care can feel complex! W...
10/10/2026

You asked, we answered 💡

We understand that the work we do to support youth lingering in foster care can feel complex! We’re grateful to our community for asking these important questions to help us explain our mission and purpose: to find forever homes for youth in foster care who are at risk of aging out without a permanent family 💔

Whether you’re brand new to our work and this conversation or you’ve been supporting us for years, we’re grateful to you for engaging with us, helping us spread awareness and most importantly, helping us find homes for over 16,500 children and counting.

Learn more: https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/get-involved/

10/08/2026

What can your donor-advised fund do for children lingering in foster care?

It can:
💗 Help find teens like DeMarion a loving home after a decade in foster care.
💗 Keep siblings like Isaiah, Jordan and Sophia together.
💗 Make permanency a reality for children like Kyleigh.
💗 Allow more families to step forward with safe homes for teens like Sean.

This Donor-Advised Fund Day, we want to encourage you to make the Foundation a part of your giving plans 🎁

Your gift will make a lasting impact on a child’s life. Learn more: https://bit.ly/make-a-non-cash-gift

⭐ Calling all child welfare professionals ⭐ Join us for a FREE live webinar TOMORROW on Oct. 8 from 1–2:30 p.m. ET to be...
10/07/2026

⭐ Calling all child welfare professionals ⭐ Join us for a FREE live webinar TOMORROW on Oct. 8 from 1–2:30 p.m. ET to better understand and support adopted teens as they navigate identity, belonging, relationships, adoption and other permanency-related experiences.

During this webinar, Debbie Riley, CEO of Center for Adoption Support and Education, will explore the unique and often layered losses experienced by children and youth with foster care and adoption experiences and offer best-practices and strategies for recruiters, social workers and other professionals supporting children and families. To wrap up the presentation, Debbie will be joined by three panelists with lived experience of foster care and adoption who will share their unique and valuable perspectives on loss, grief, being heard and the supports that can make a meaningful difference throughout the permanency journey.

This webinar will help child welfare professionals:
- Identify strategies for helping recruiters and social workers to address children’s loss and grief
- Examine the unique losses experienced by children and youth and how these losses affect their development
- Understand ambiguous loss and its impact on children’s mental health

Grab your spot today: https://bit.ly/cw-october-webinar

10/06/2026

After experiencing abuse and neglect as their parents struggled with substance use, Allison and Austin were placed with their grandpa. When he was no longer able to care for them, they were placed in foster care. Like many children in care, they started to wonder whether they would ever have a safe, permanent home where they could grow up together. “I felt nervous, and I thought that I wasn’t going to get adopted,” Allison shared.

When they were referred to the Foundation’s Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, their adoption recruiter, Mikayla, focused on building trust with them until they felt comfortable opening up and sharing what they wanted in a family. As she got to know Allison and Austin, she quickly realized that their foster parents, Adam and Shannon, had formed a deep bond with them. “I felt happy because they are a safe family. They treat me kindly, and they actually care about us,” Allison said.

Adam and Shannon advocated for Allison and Austin and worked hard to get them the support they needed. “They were in it for the long haul,” Mikayla explained. With help from the Foundation and our caring supporters, Allison and Austin were adopted at ages 9 and 7.

Read more about their adoption story: https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/resource/allison-and-austins-story/

10/05/2026

Did you know October is National Guardianship Awareness Month? The Foundation focuses on three types of legal permanency: adoption, legal guardianship and when safe, reunification with a biological parent.

CJ had been in foster care for eight years when he confided in his best friend, Henry, that he wanted a permanent family. “I told him that I was in foster care, and he was telling me about his mom,” CJ said. “And I believe I asked him, like as a joke to see, I was like ‘You should tell your mom to adopt me or something.’”

He never expected that Henry would take him seriously, but he did. That same day, Henry went home to his mom, Jessica, and asked if they could adopt CJ. Over time, they got to know CJ better and celebrated holidays and milestones together.

RJ helped CJ understand the different types of permanency and made sure his voice was at the center of the process. “For CJ, after explaining both guardianship and adoption, I think he felt that guardianship was just the best avenue for him. He felt safest around that,” RJ explained.

With help from RJ and the Foundation, CJ became a permanent part of Jessica and Henry’s family through legal guardianship when he was 15. “Permanency guarantees tomorrow for a young person in foster care,” RJ explained. “When we have adoption or guardianship, in your darkest and brightest moments, this is always going to be your family.”

https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/resource/cjs-story/

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4900 Tuttle Crossing Boulevard
Dublin, OH
43016

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