Behind-The-Scenes with Wednesday's Child

My name is Jin and I am a Development Associate intern at the National Adoption Center (NAC). This is my 4th month of internship, and I have been learning about NAC’s mission, organizational structure, and functions. Mainly, I have worked in the Development Team by fundraising, creating marketing materials, working on special events, and using a database. But this week I had the opportunity to see what the Program Team does.

One of NAC’s functions is to increase awareness of children in foster care. One way they accomplish this is through the Wednesday’s Child Program on NBC10, where they feature children in foster care with Vai Sikahema, doing what the children like to do. I had the chance to be a part of a Wednesday’s Child taping. In this case Jasper, the child to be featured, enjoyed cooking.

My task for the day was to take pictures of the taping. The Wednesday’s Child Coordinator and I drove to Sur La Table in King of Prussia Mall. The activity for the day was making homemade pasta. We arrived on site and met the staff from NBC 10 and Vai Sikahema.

The kitchen in Sur La Table looked very professional. Stainless steel countertops, cabinets, large sink, large gas stoves, pots hanging from the vent, and tasting tables, it looked like a kitchen that would be on Food Network channel.

Jasper walked in soon after with two social workers. He was a quiet and gentle middle school student. After brief introductions, Angie, Vai, and Jasper crowded around the stainless steel countertop and began cooking.

They started by creating the dough for the noodles by mixing eggs, salt, olive oil, and flour.

Which turned into dough…

Jasper rolled out the dough into noodles.

Jasper added garlic, onions, and basil...

... to a pot, to make his own marinara sauce…

Dishing it all up, he topped the noodles off with cheese…

But he doesn't like marinara sauce, so he chose to have pasta with butter.

The pasta must have been good, because he finished the whole plate. Actually, we all got to taste his pasta and it was delicious. I can’t help but imagine that Jasper was proud of his own cooking. He didn't show it much, but I’m sure he was glad that we all enjoyed the food that he made with his own hands. 

As you can see, we finished the plate!

It was a meaningful time for me, because I was able to meet a child that I was helping. As a Development Associate, most of my time is spent at the office. The work I do indirectly benefits the children by supporting the organization financially. But sometimes that’s hard to remember at the office. So it was good to finally see a child that I have been indirectly serving.

But I imagine the day to be very meaningful to Jasper as well. He was eager to learn about cooking throughout the day. And Angie, the instructor, gave him helpful tips about cooking and let him do most of the work. Sometimes instructors are impatient and end up cooking in place of their students, but Angie stepped back and let Jasper enjoy cooking.

I hope that Jasper continues to explore, experiment, and grow in cooking, that it becomes a hobby, and maybe even a career. But more importantly, I hope that he finds a family that is committed to loving and caring for him, because he’s a great kid. (and look for his taping to air on NBC10 in Philadelphia soon!) 

Wednesday's Child - Wafiq

Meet Wafiq, featured last week on Wednesday’s Child. Like music? This guy knows all about it. Wafiq taught himself to play the drums and blew the minds of everyone at Elm Studio when he hopped on the set. Wafiq had a blast showing off his skills and spending some time with host Vai Sikahema and Dave Uosikkinen, the well known drummer and founder of The Hooters. Wafiq knows the importance of practice and can’t wait to start learning different instruments as well.

Aside from his love for music, this 7th grader is doing well in school, expresses an interest in his science classes, and is looking forward to possibly joining the school football team. Wafiq is an extremely friendly kid who does best with one on one interaction. When he’s not behind the drums, you can find Waqif rocking out on his Xbox, tossing around the football, or watching some laugh-out-loud comedies.

 

Like all other middle schoolers, Waqif knows the importance of having fun and being a kid. Waqif also knows the importance of family and talks a bit about what family means to him. Waqif says his dream is to be adopted. The most ideal family will be able to provide Waqif with the love, structure, and stability that every growing teen deserves. All families will be considered.

Watch Wafiq’s Wednesday’s Child feature.

Kahlisha and Felicia - Wednesday's Child

Freddie Mac Foundation's Wednesday's Child Philadelphia, is a weekly television feature on NBC10 that helps children living in foster care find permanent, loving, adoptive families. Last week 16-year-old twins, Kahlisha and Felicia, had a special visit to Power 99 FM studios to learn the ins and outs of the studio business and meet radio show personality Cappuchino. These two siblings were a joy to be around. Beginning with a tour of the studio, the teens were already excited. Meeting Cappuchino and learning how she runs the midday show was very cool -Kahlisha and Felicia even got some air time and were able to record a few speaking and even singing notes.

Their positive energy was irresistibly contagious - Kahlisha enjoys reading, listening to music, watching TV, and cooking. In school, she participates in cheerleading and track. Kahlisha hopes to pursue a career in broadcasting or become a couples therapist. Felicia has an amazing sense of humor and enjoys activities such as reading, blogging, watching movies, and attending sporting events. In school, she is a member of the lacrosse team. Artistic and creative, she dreams of becoming an actress or artist when she grows up.

Although the teens have different goals for the future, they share a common goal for the present. Kahlisha and Felicia yearn to be adopted and have definite ideas about what they want in an adoptive family. Kahlisha’s ideal family would be caring, understanding of teens, and non-judgmental. Felicia hopes a family would be supportive and helpful. Most of all, the siblings would like to be adopted together or at least be able to maintain contact with each other. All families will be considered.


To see the twins on Wednesdays Child, click to see the video.

To inquire about Kahlisha and Felicia, please contact Sheina at smartinez@adopt.org

The Fantastic Four

Freddie Mac Foundation's Wednesday's Child Philadelphia, is a weekly television feature on NBC10 that helps children living in foster care find permanent, loving, adoptive families. Last week, Kenneth, 12, Shakenya, 10 and twins Dominick & Deatrick, 9 were featured on the program and spent their day with Vai Sikahema, at Painting With A Twist as they were guided through a creative painting course. The siblings and Vai were provided with a canvas, paint and all other necessary art supplies. The painting course was an extremely entertaining and fun learning experience for them all.

Kenneth is in the 6th grade, Shakenya in the 5th grade and both Dominick & Deatrick are 3rd graders. All four siblings enjoy school and sports. The boys enjoy playing football while Shakenya enjoys cheerleading. Kenneth is the most social and can usually be found making someone laugh. Shakenya is very responsible and likes to speak on behalf of her brothers. Dominick & Deatrick tend to stick together most of the time when engaging in activities.

Kenneth, Shakenya, Dominick & Deatrick dream big of being adopted by a family that is willing to let them continue to grow and mature together. The children share the hope of living in a stable home with a loving forever family. The siblings desire parents that will be willing to spend quality time with them and allow them to participate in extracurricular activities. All families will be considered.

To see the children’s feature on Wednesday’s Child, click: View Video

To inquire about Kenneth, Shakenya, Dominick & Deatrick, please contact Sheina at smartinez@adopt.org

Wednesday's Child - Megan

Megan is a sweet and beautiful 15- year- old originally from Guatemala. Art, computers, listening to Spanish music, and basketball are just some of her favorite pastimes. In school, she gets along well with her peers and teachers. While Spanish is her first language, she has made great gains in learning to speak English. She is a friendly and helpful teen with a goal to some day work in a salon.

Hair wash, cut, blow dry and make-up are the things Louis Christian Wayne Robert Salon and Spa offered to Megan for her Wednesday’s Child taping. As assumed, she gladly accepted! Wednesday’s Child host Vai Sikahema was there to witness her turn even more into a beauty. She and Vai were able to chat with staff as they dedicated their time with her and listened to her amazing story of how she came to America and how she hopes to soon be adopted into a loving family.

Megan had an amazing day getting pampered Vai later sat with her to talk about the importance of family. Megan is actively involved in her recruitment process for a family. She would like to be in a family that will love her unconditionally. All families will be considered.

To view her original feature, click here.

To view an extended feature, click here. 

Behind the Scenes with Amanda

Greetings! My name is Amanda and I am a Program Intern here at the National Adoption Center. This internship fulfills the last requirement needed to obtain my degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State University, but more importantly allows me to gain “real world” experience outside of the classroom. In the short six weeks that I have been with NAC I have learned so much about the field of adoption and what goes in to finding the perfect family for a child in foster care.

One family recruitment tool that is coordinated by NAC is “Wednesday’s Child.” I had the exciting opportunity to attend a Wednesday’s Child taping and meet Jose, the featured Wednesday’s Child for that week. I’m not sure why but I had expected something to set Jose apart from a typical teenager growing up in their birth family. I thought maybe he would look different or act different, or do something that would make it obvious that he lives in a foster home. Looking back, I feel embarrassed that I thought any of that. Jose was your average teenager; nose buried in his cell phone, listening to music on his head phones, and updating his Facebook status to let his friends know that he was at lunch with the Vai Sikahema. He was polite and very well-mannered. Nothing about Jose’s appearance or behavior indicated that he was going through one of the toughest things a child could face.

Unfortunately, I’m sure that many people have some of the same thoughts that I originally had about children in foster care. It just seems to make sense that a child who has been through such heartbreak and uncertainty in their short life might act bitter and mean. Lucky for me, I had the chance to be proved wrong by a sweet young man in foster care, and I am so thankful that I was blessed with that opportunity. Now I will make it my mission to let the rest of the world know just how amazing these children are.

Has Forty Become the New Twenty?

Not in this case. The board, volunteers and staff (present and former) at The National Adoption Center will take full credit for all four decades of its existence! We are forty years old and we are proud of it! 

Since our founding in 1972 our mission has been consistent – to expand adoption opportunities for children living in foster care throughout the United States, and to be a resource to families and to agencies who seek the permanency of caring homes for children.

In honor of this milestone we invite YOU to share 4 ways that you have impacted a child.

Ok, we’ll start…

1. We have found homes for 23,000 children since 1972
2. We are currently working hard on behalf of children like 11 year old Aphrodite  who wants a loving home to call her own
3. We helped provide holiday gifts for children in foster care through the generous partnership with local Wendy’s franchises
4. Due to our weekly WednesdayChild features on NBC10, 12 year old Nadir had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be on the court while the Philadelphia 76er’s held their practice, throw some hoops with host Vai Sikahema, and meet  some of his favorite players including Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, and Louis Williams!

Ok, now it’s your turn…… 

Success Story - Lucas

Today we celebrate the adoption of Lucas, a teen whose dream came true when his foster parents, Nancy and David, adopted him this year!

Lucas was featured on Wednesday’s Child Philadelphia in 2008 and then again a year later. Wednesday’s Child Philadelphia, sponsored by the Freddie Mac Foundation, is a weekly child feature on NBC10 with former Philadelphia Eagle, Vai Sikahema.

Starting the journey to be only foster parents, Nancy and David welcomed Lucas into their home when Lucas was seven years old. They prayed he would find a home and agreed to have him until that goal became a reality. Seven years later, Lucas still had no permanent home.

In 2011, Nancy and David realized that their home was Lucas’ home and made it official in court! Lucas says he is still getting used to calling them mom and dad and corrects himself when he calls them by their names.

Vai met up with Lucas’ family to hear more about their great story. Lucas says he is so happy they adopted him. Nancy and David say they have been blessed to be the lucky couple to have Lucas permanently in their lives. Diagnosed with mild mental retardation, Lucas is for the first time in a regular education class. He is doing well and has many friends.

When Vai asked what their favorite family activity was, they all said simply playing cards and spending time together. So they pulled out a pack of Skip-Bo cards and Vai quickly saw why they liked that activity. The four shared laughs and stories and had a great time.

The Wednesday’s Child program, sponsored by the Freddie Mac Foundation, is a great recruitment tool. In fact, over 62% of the children featured on Wednesday Child Philadelphia now have a permanent home.

Wednesday’s Child Philadelphia Spolight on Traquan

Meet Traquan! He is a respectful and outgoing 12-year-old with a passion for sports, matchbox cars and art classes. He is well-behaved and enjoys school, but above all he loves animals (especially dogs)! He would like to work in a pet store when he gets older, and he dreams of one day running his own animal shelter.

For Traquan, the location of his Wednesday’s Child taping was a no-brainer: an animal shelter! Traquan spent the day with Wednesday’s Child host Vai Sikahema and the crew at PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society), a no-kill organization that cares for cats and dogs in need of homes. Traquan had the chance to play with Coco and Fred, two sweet and adorable dogs up for adoption. Traquan also held tiny kittens that craved attention while he and Vai chatted about his hope to find a family that loves animals as much as he does. He finished the day with a tour of the facility to get a better idea of how a shelter operates. Even though Traquan couldn’t take any animals home with him, he left knowing that the shelter would take good care of them until they could find their forever home!

The most memorable moment of the day was when Traquan revealed that he feels a special connection with foster animals because they are a lot like him. Just like Traquan, they are all waiting to go home to a good family that will keep them forever. He would take them all if he could, but first he needs to find his own loving and supportive family—pets preferred!

Will you be that family for Traquan?

Wednesday's Child Featured Children: Juwon and Tyrek

Juwon, 13 and Tyrek, 10, are brothers who share similar interests. Enrolled in regular education classes, they do well in school and get along with their teachers and peers. Aspiring musicians, they dream of one day playing in a band together. Juwon and Tyrek also like playing sports and watching funny movies in their free time.

As fans of music, Juwon and Tyrek met up with Wednesday’s Child host Vai Sikahema at the School of Rock. There they had a great opportunity to test their skills. Juwon loves the drums while Tyrek is a guitar player. They got a private practice session with a staff member at the school. After getting warmed up, the boys got on stage with Vai ready to rock! They also got to meet the kids in the school’s house band, who all reminded the brothers to keep practicing and encouraged them to follow their dreams.

The day was definitely a success! Vai later sat with the boys to talk about family. Both Juwon and Tyrek long for the day they will be adopted. They hope for a loving and caring family who live in a safe neighborhood. All families will be considered.

Will you be that family for Juwon and Tyrek?

Wednesday’s Child Philadelphia Spotlight - Aaliyah

Meet 12-year-old Aaliyah. This beautiful preteen can be described as fun, loving, and energetic.  Aaliyah likes to draw, jump rope, and dance. In the 6th grade, she does well in school and really enjoys art class.  In the future she would like to become a doctor or nurse so she can help others.        

Aaliyah recently met up with Wednesday’s Child host Vai Sikahema at Philadelphia’s Please Touch Museum for a day of fun and excitement.  Aaliyah had a great time pretending to be Vai’s doctor.  They did grocery shopping and toured the SEPTA portion of the museum. They played the large  piano and overall simply had a great time. 

The day was definitely a success!  Vai later sat with Aaliyah at the cafeteria where they shared a meal and spoke about family.  Aaliyah says race does not matter.  She wants a family that will love her, play with her, and encourage her dreams for the future. 

Will you be that family for Aaliyah?

The Many Sides of Wednesday's Child

As you know we organize Philadelphia's Wednesday's Child program with the generous support of the Freddie Mac Foundation and NBC10's talented producers, camera people and host, Vai Sikahema. We also rely on members of the community to donate their time and selves to making a child’s day special. We’ve had doctors who have gotten WC participants operating room access; sports teams who give tours, equipment, jerseys and a practice time; chefs who’ve shared techniques and skills and delicious food; and countless others. We get to hear their stories of why they have stepped up to help, but you rarely do. Below we have a letter from KJ Rose who met with the Wednesday’s Child youth for this week, Amber. Thanks to KJ and all those who have opened up their lives to our kids!

"Wednesday's Child" Testimonial

When I first got the call to participate in "Wednesday's Child", I believe my excitement was focused merely on the opportunity to give back.  However, I had no idea that upon meeting Amber, she would have such a profound impact on my life! 

I must admit that I initially thought that I'd have to sell myself as a recording artist to her considering my slight obscurity, but on the contrary she was more than elated to receive anything I had to offer.  We sang, laughed, and bonded in such a short amount of time and what struck me most was her Resilience!  Amber radiates from the inside out in a way that belies her story of being in the adoption system since the age of 6.  Music is her release and safe haven giving her an uncanny sense of Hope, which is the message that I believe resonates throughout my music as well.  This commonality led me to the realization that our introduction was not just a coincidence but Predestined.

Amber challenged me to be present in every moment and take nothing for granted.  During her interview she was asked of her ideal family and responded, "There's no perfect family, I just want one that needs ME and not one that I feel like I'm interrupting".

Amber knows her value and understands that she also has an assignment and a destiny to fulfill.  Although she graciously thanked me for my time, I was the one inspired - Thank YOU Amber!

Good Shepherd Mediation Program Honors 2010 Shepherds of Peace - Vai Sikahema

NBC 10 Sports host Vai Sikahema is an amazing person and not just because of his reporting! As the Freddie Mac Foundations' Wednesday’s Child Coordinator for Philadelphia for over 3 years, I have the priviledge of seeing him in action each week. Of all the things he is involved in, he always talks about how Wednesday’s Child is his favorite thing to do. He comes each week ready to meet a new child in hopes that the Freddie Mac Foundation Wednesday’s Child program will assist us in finding the child a forever home. Vai is active, engaging, and genuinely excited about his role as the Freddie Mac Foundation Wednesday’s Child host.

As a father of four children, he understands the importance of family. He is dedicated and passionate about learning about each child and often shares his experience at the tapings with other friends and family who may be interested in adoption.

On the shoots, he goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that the child is having a good time. Whether he’s learning to bake with a future chef, shooting hoops with a future all star player, going through a maze with a young child, or simply talking to an older teen about their dreams to have a forever family — Vai is dedicated to America’s waiting children.

We wish to congratulate him today upon being named one of the Shepherds of Peace by the Good Shepherd Mediation Program. He certainly deserves the honor.

Kept Promises

Today we got word that one of our youths, Miguel, is going to tonight's Phillies playoff game against the Cinicinatti Reds. Besides the hope of another amazing game like Roy Halladay's no-hitter, this is exciting news because it is a promise kept. Earlier this year, the Phillies hosted Miguel at Citizens Bank Park to fullfill a dream of his--meeting the Phillies. He and NBC10's Vai Sikehemia took a tour of the stadium and then went to the clubhouse where they met Mike Sweeney. Sweeney presented Miguel with his personal bat that had handwritten on it words of encouragement for this young man. They all then headed to the field where the entire team was practicing. Miguel met many players, including Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins.

Exciting enough, right? Well during this visit a member of the Phillies' PR staff promised Miguel playoff tickets if the Phillies made it. The Phillies played hard and made the playoffs and the promise was not forgotten. Miguel will be at tonight's game.

While promises to any person, especially a child are important, in this case think of how much more this means. How many times have the adults in Miguel's life let him down? His parents were unable to keep the unspoken promise of parents everywhere to take care of their childern no matter what. What other promises, big or small, have been made to this child only to end up broken? This action is one adult's effort to prove to Miguel that many people do keep their promises, that he isn't forgotten. What can you do to help remind these children that they matter and that what is said to them is important? (And go PHILS!)

Featured Child: Wednesday's Child

Talented and focused, Larnie is going to be a great musician one day. He is learning to play the guitar and loves it. At the age of 15, Larnie is a typical teen. He likes R&B music, watching movies, and eating! In the 10th grade, he does well in school and gets along well with his teachers and peers. Enrolled in regular education classes, he enjoys science and math. In the future, he would like to attend college and become a biochemist.

Larnie recently had an amazing opportunity to meet Philadelphia’s local band Octane at WMMR studios. The band surprised Larnie with a brand new guitar! He played his new guitar with the band for a few songs and they were all impressed with his skills. Larnie writes his own songs and practices all the time. The members of the band gave Larnie some tips, and encouraged him to continue writing and practicing. As another surprise, WMMR gave Larnie tons of new CD’s to add to his collection.



The day was definitely a success! Wednesday’s Child host Vai Sikahema later sat with Larnie to talk about what he wants in a family. He expressed that he needs a family that will be supportive of his dream of being a musician. He knows that it will take a lot of hard work, and he needs a family to keep him motivated and show him unconditional love! All families will be considered.

Another great Wednesday’s Child taping!

Everyday after school Jamie loves coming home to watch her favorite cartoon, ‘Dora the Explorer’. Last week, at her Wednesday’s Child taping, Jamie took a trip to the Merriam Theater and was surprised when her favorite character was there to meet her! Jamie was so excited and couldn’t stop asking ‘You’re really Dora?’ Dora sung songs, and went exploring in the theater with Jamie. No one at the taping could stop smiling just seeing how happy Jamie was getting to play with her favorite friend. Not only did she get to take home stuff animals of the Dora characters, she also got free tickets to come back with her whole foster family to see Dora on stage the next day! It was such a great taping, and I can not wait to see her feature on NBC.

Jamie is part of the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program for Delaware, and is waiting for her Forever Family. I hope that after she is featured on Wednesday’s Child, plenty of families will see how beautiful and loving Jamie is, and will want to inquire about adopting her. She is such a happy and sweet girl who deserves a great home, preferably one with a Dora decorated bedroom! If you would like more information about Jamie, please contact, Amy Cressman, at acressman@adopt.org or 215-735-9988 x319.

Never Too Late for a Family!

This week on Wednesday’s Child, we are kicking off National Adoption Month with a success feature on how it’s never too late to find your forever family. Meet Kiana and her mother, Ms. Patricia! Kiana was adopted at the age of 17 by her teacher, Patricia, who happened to be watching Wednesday’s Child one night. Prior to the feature, Patricia did not know Kiana was available for adoption. After seeing the Wednesday’s Child feature, Patricia inquired on Kiana’s history and secretly got certified as an adoptive parent. When Kiana was notified that Patricia wanted to adopt her, she was in shock and very excited!! Kiana is thankful to now have a family that includes a wonderful mother; two sisters to look up to; one brother who will always have her back; a niece she can mentor; and many aunts and uncles.

Kiana’s success taping was a day to celebrate. Many family members and friends were there to support her as Wednesday’s Child host Vai Sikahema came to her home to learn of their story. Patricia welcomed Vai with open arms and a cake which read, “WE ARE FAMILY”. Patricia is very thankful of the Wednesday’s Child program which has opened the opportunity to add a new member to her family. Kiana is now 18- years-old and doing well in school.

On behalf of Wednesday’s Child Philadelphia, I want to thank all the dedicated parents who have stepped up to the plate and adopted. The Wednesday’s Child program, sponsored by Freddie Mac, is a great recruitment tool. Many families have a new addition to their family. In fact, over 40% of the children featured on Wednesday Child Philadelphia now have a permanent home.

Weekend Frustration

Not-so-happy Friday

As the weekend begins, I wonder if people’s minds turn from adoption, family, and relationships from Friday to Sunday. As an Adoption Coordinator, it is interesting to see the numbers inquiries about waiting children drop dramatically. Do we forget that there are kids who sit in foster care even on the weekend? Do we forget that someone has to do something? Because of the lack of interest in becoming adoptive parents during the summer months, it can sometimes be very lonely here. Where do people go? Do they take a break from caring?

While individuals drown themselves in their own activities, children in need wait and wait, and wait some more. I am deeply saddened that while life continues to go on for us, it also does for them. As a parent of two beautiful children, I look at them at night and wonder how life must be for those children who have never been tucked in, read a bed time story, praised, or even hugged. When will they get their turn? How dare we as citizens of the United States who have it so well compared to other countries allow OUR children to be subject to that neglect?

The National Adoption Center does child recruitment of all sorts, and at times, we feel it’s not nearly as much as what is needed and deserved for waiting children. For example the Center places weekly columns in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Tribune; features children on NBC 10 and the Wednesday’s Child website; has two Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters (one for NJ and one for DE); and we also host at least two Match Parties a year where waiting children get to meet face-to-face with prospective adoptive families.

Not all families can adopt or are in the position to adopt at this time, we understand that and hope you help our children in some other way. For those persons who are able to adopt, we are asking, begging, and challenging you to step up. Adoption is free of charge if adopting from the foster care system. Subsidy and medical assistance are available to families to help support the adopted child.

The Adoption Center is open to ideas and recommendations of other ways we can get the word out about adoption….Please send your ideas and suggestions in to us!!

written by Sheina Martinez