Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

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

08/31/2026

Unadoptable. Troublemakers. Delinquents. Have you heard any of these words used to describe teenagers lingering in foster care? So have we. But don't let these misconceptions fool you. They couldn’t be further from the truth.

In our work to find homes for the longest-waiting children in foster care, we've spoken to many youth, parents and child welfare professionals about this topic, and they all want you to know one simple thing: Teenagers in foster care aren’t broken. They’re just children, and they need safe, permanent homes like any other child ❤️

If you're ready to open your home or heart to a teen, we're here to help you take the next step. Start exploring your options today with our step-by-step guide to adoption. https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/resource/finding-forever-families-a-step-by-step-guide-to-adoption-us/

Share your back-to-school photos! We know that a loving, supportive family helps youth thrive and have access to educati...
08/30/2026

Share your back-to-school photos!

We know that a loving, supportive family helps youth thrive and have access to educational opportunities. With a forever home and a family that stays, anything is possible ✨

If your family has grown through adoption, we'd love to see and share your back-to-school photos and celebrate your child's latest milestone with you 📷 Tag in your photos or DM us and you might be featured on the Foundation’s social media.

Growing up with a father who aged out of foster care, Mick saw firsthand the generational impact of that trauma. Recentl...
08/28/2026

Growing up with a father who aged out of foster care, Mick saw firsthand the generational impact of that trauma. Recently, he shared his father's story in a guest blog to highlight the belief he's held since childhood: aging out of foster care is simply unacceptable.

Mick shared that after many years of waiting and wanting to be adopted, his father aged out of the system. He dropped out of high school, and without access to job training or positive role models, he sadly was arrested. He eventually earned his GED while incarcerated, but Mick saw firsthand how hard his life was ... and didn’t have to be.

"I can clearly see how my dad’s lack of connections and bonds as a child affected not only his life, but the lives of everyone around him," Mick explained. "I wish things hadn’t been so hard for him. It’s not just that every child lingering in foster care deserves to be adopted. Of course they do. It is truly POSSIBLE for them to be adopted. Every child. No exception."

Thank you, Mick, for sharing this powerful perspective with us ❤️

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

A key component of the Foundation’s child-focused recruitment model is building a trusting relationship with youth to un...
08/27/2026

A key component of the Foundation’s child-focused recruitment model is building a trusting relationship with youth to unpack their hopes and fears about permanency. We’re sharing some lessons learned by Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters to support child welfare professionals who are having these critical conversations every day.

Whether you're explaining what permanency means, building the child's network or helping them think about their future, we believe the child's voice should be involved in every step of the journey to a permanent family. Learn more about how you can implement these practical tips:

https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/resource/voices-matter-practical-tips/

08/26/2026

To see Lila today, full of smiles and laughter, you would never know all that she has been through. Lila is nonverbal and experiences frequent, severe seizures. She was placed in foster care when her biological parents realized they could no longer care for her. For years, she was considered by some to be "unadoptable." But when she was referred to the Foundation’s Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, Krista, an adoption recruiter with Children's Home Society of Virginia, knew the right permanent family could care for her needs.

During a visit to Lila’s school, Krista met Allison, Lila’s classroom aide. Her warmth and fierce protectiveness of Lila was evident. Krista helped organize visits after school and on weekends so Lila and Allison could spend more time together, and over time, something amazing happened. Lila’s seizures dropped from over 100 per day to just a few per month.

With help from the Foundation, Allison brought Lila home, and they became a family ... forever ❤️ With the love and safety of her family, she continues to reach milestones that her medical team never thought possible.

"Lila's story is the clearest example I’ve seen in my career of what happens when a child feels safe and truly loved... Belonging rewires the brain, and adoption heals,” Krista shared.

Read Lila's story: https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/resource/lilas-story/

📢 Call for Presenters: Deadline Approaching Soon 📢 We are still seeking presenters for keynote and breakout sessions dur...
08/25/2026

📢 Call for Presenters: Deadline Approaching Soon 📢

We are still seeking presenters for keynote and breakout sessions during the 2027 Wendy's Wonderful Kids Summit, May 25–27 at the Hyatt Regency and Columbus Convention Center in downtown Columbus, OH 🏢

This event brings together more than 450 WWK recruiters, supervisors and agency administrators as well as thought leaders and experts in child welfare to support and help achieve legal permanency for the longest-waiting children in foster care 💗

Learn more: https://whova.com/call_for_speakers/aqldRqk5uMpYXjZQHIhyufYmv5K3a8dZG-yCNp2dxpDxGZKGROSON5hgwlpsYVXd/

Before being adopted, Lexi and Nick were teenagers facing an impossible situation. They were living out of a motel room ...
08/24/2026

Before being adopted, Lexi and Nick were teenagers facing an impossible situation. They were living out of a motel room and caring for one another, and homework and studying were far from their minds ❤️‍🩹

But all of that changed when the siblings became part of a permanent, loving family through the Foundation’s Wendy's Wonderful Kids program.

Today, Lexi and Nick’s parents Laurene and Matt support them in whatever they want to do, and both siblings are young adults living to their full potential. Lexi recently graduated from college and completed an internship at Walt Disney World 🎓✨Nick is also a recent graduate and hopes to land a fellowship working with state law makers and impact future policies 📝

If Lexi and Nick’s story is inspiring you to give back this back-to-school season, we have great news. During our back-to-school campaign, ALL gifts will be matched, up to $25,000, by Strottman International, Inc.

Donate today and DOUBLE your impact: https://giving.davethomasfoundation.org/page/FUNYHZKDZKY?s_src=C27B1OX2X

At the Foundation, we know that moving from foster home to foster home doesn't just mean a change of address; it means a...
08/23/2026

At the Foundation, we know that moving from foster home to foster home doesn't just mean a change of address; it means a loss of routines, connections and caregivers 💔

Rita Soronen, President & CEO, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, was recently featured on an episode of the Creating a Family Podcast, where she and Content Director Tracy Whitney discussed how the instability of foster care affects children as they process the trauma of these losses and how permanency can change their stories.

Watch now to hear them discuss the importance of stable, loving homes for children in foster care and how children’s voices, experiences and relationships can and should impact the permanency process.

https://creatingafamily.org/foster-care/fostering-radio-shows/too-many-goodbyes-how-foster-care-instability-impacts-children/

08/22/2026

Right now, there are thousands of children in the foster care system who need a permanent, loving home. But what does that really mean?

These children are waiting for...
Someone to tuck them in at night 🌜
Someone to ask them about their day 🗓️
Someone to hug them when they’ve had a hard day ❤️‍🩹
Someone to believe in their dreams 💭
Someone to show them they truly belong ❤️

Before Nathan was adopted through the Foundation’s Wendy's Wonderful Kids program with his brothers, his life was difficult and often uncertain. But after Delon and Melisa brought Nathan and his brothers home, everything changed. “This chokes me up a bit," Melisa shared. "Nathan has gotten to experience a mommy to tuck him in at night and to read him a story and to cuddle. It means a lot to him, and it certainly means a lot to us as well.”

Join us in our work to find a loving family for every child to belong: https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/

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4900 Tuttle Crossing Blvd.
Dublin, OH
43016

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