Wendy's Wonderful Kids Spolight

Hello, my name is Amy Cressman the newest employee of the National Adoption Center. I am the Recruiter for the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program in Delaware. Over the past month, I’ve been having a great time starting to meet the kids on my caseload. My fellow Wendy’s Wonderful Kids’ Recruiter, Crystal, had the great idea of featuring a child on the Center's Blog each week, so I am going to follow her footsteps and do the same!

Last week, I met Gerard, who just turned 13 years old last Friday! Right away, Gerard was open and friendly talking to me about his life and what he wants in a forever family. Gerard loves all things sports especially football. But not only is he a sports lover, he also loves sitting down and taking the time to read a good book. He loves books about history, and social studies is his favorite subject in school. He is proud of his good grades, and thinks he might want to be a lawyer when he grows up (if he doesn’t get into the NFL of course!). Gerard spoke about wanting an “All American” family who will be as active as he is! He also wants a family who is involved in church and the community. A smart and articulate teenager, Gerard is very optimistic in one day finding his new forever family.

If you would like more information about Gerard, or the Wendy’s Wonderful Kid’s program, feel free to contact me at acressman@adopt.org or at 215-735-9988 x319.

Growing Up Without Family

Last week, I heard a talk by a young woman—I’ll call her Cindy-- who had spent most of her growing-up years in foster care. Her brother was shuttled among relatives. Neither was adopted. Their mother was an addict and had abused both children frequently. When her brother was 18, just out of high school, he went home to his mother for one last try. It didn’t work. Six months later, he committed suicide.
Cindy never felt more alone.

But it wasn’t the first time she missed having a home and a family. There were those Thanksgivings at college when she hoped a friend would invite her for the holiday. And she was reminded of all of lonely nights without a mom to confide in or a dad with a broad shoulder to brush away her tears.

Today, Cindy is happily married to a man who adores her. She has a good job and many friends. But nothing can fill the hole in her soul where her family should have been.

Her talk brought tears to the eyes of everyone who heard it. It made me think of all of the Cindys who never have the families they need and deserve. It made me wonder why birth parents are given so many chances to keep ruining the lives of their children.

It made me feel even more certain that adoption is the best option for a child whose birth parents have demonstrated over a period of time that they can’t or won’t give her a loving home.

So many families want to adopt and have so much to offer a child. If our society cares about the futures of children as much as it claims to, it should welcome these families, taking the first step toward letting each child know that he or she is valued and deserves to be loved in a safe, nurturing environment.
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Center Year-End Wrap Up

On June 30, the National Adoption Center concluded its 2008/09 fiscal year. And for the third consecutive year, we ended with a balanced budget. There are not many nonprofits that can claim that distinction in the current economic climate. It’s a testament to the many generous supporters who share our belief that “there are no unwanted children, just unfound families”.

More importantly, during our Annual Meeting last week, we announced the facilitation of 85 placements over the course of the last 12 months, a 60% increase over the previous year.

The cost to find an adoptive family for one of these children is microscopic compared to the amount of money we spend to keep him/her in foster care. We once again urge our local, state and national leaders to make investment in adoption a priority, not a last resort.

Our goal next year will be to identify “forever families” for 100 children who currently languish in foster care. We thank you in advance for your support!

Wendy's Wonderful Kids Spotlight

Hi everyone! My name is Crystal Allen and I am the Center’s Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter for Southern New Jersey, as well as an Adoption Coordinator.
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a nonprofit 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the adoptions of the more than 150,000 children waiting in North America's foster care systems. Created by Wendy's founder, Dave Thomas, who was adopted as a child, the Foundation works to fulfill its mission by implementing result-driven national signature programs, awareness initiatives and advocacy efforts.

Wendy’s Wonderful Kids is a signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption that combines the fundraising of Wendy's and its customers; aggressive grants management of the Foundation, and the talent of experienced adoption professionals throughout the nation and in Canada to move children from foster care into permanent, loving adoptive homes. As a WWK Recruiter for Southern New Jersey, I recruit for 14 of the most amazing children and youth in the DYFS foster care system, using child-specific recruitment strategies. Each of my blog post will be dedicated to a child that I work with.

Jay, an engaging, creative and inquisitive youngster is a bundle of non-stop energy. He loves to ride his bike and scooter, play sports and involve himself in any activity that requires vigorous playing. Is it any wonder, that his favorite animal is the Cheetah! Jay loves to play the saxophone and is in the school band. He also sings in the choir. Jay makes friends easily, but feelings of loss and low self-esteem sometimes interfere in his interaction with peers and adults. Jay must be closely supervised around other children. Jay continues to deal with issues of loss, past trauma, impulse control and trust. Enrollment in a specialized academic program where Jay receives one-on-one support is assisting him in accomplishing academic goals. He is making progress in school. Jay would do best in a patient, highly structured, loving home that will support his therapeutic, emotional and educational needs. Being an only child or having older teenage siblings is highly recommended.

If you would like information on Jay or the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, please do not hesitate to contact me at callen@adopt.org or 215.735.9988 Ext. 346.

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act

Roughly 26,000 youth each year “age out” of the foster care system when they turn 18years old. Many are unprepared to live on their own, especially without any support from a permanent family to help them as they struggle to find their way.

One of the most important provisions of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, signed into law in October 2008, the option for states to extend supports and services to youth and young adults in foster care up to age 21.

Another goal of the Act is to provide educational stability for children in foster care, many of whom move from school to school as their foster placements change. Studies have shown that youth do better academically when they are in stable home and school environments.

Among other provisions, the Act advocates for placing children in foster care with relatives, coordinating health care planning, and improving training opportunities for caseworkers, private agency staff, judges and others whose work impact on the welfare of children in foster care.

The National Foster Care Coalition, in collaboration with several other organizations, has prepared Frequently Asked Questions about this Act and its implementation. We think it’s important to read them and learn more about what can be done to help children who “age out” of foster care to be on their own when they are not prepared to do so. The FAQ can be downloaded at http://www.nationalfostercare.org/pdfs/NFCC-FAQ-olderyouth-2009.pdf

Finding the Right Adoption Agency

Hi Everyone, My name is Christine Jacobs and I am the Program Director for the National Adoption Center and its regional affiliate the Adoption Center of Delaware Valley. I am really excited about a project our staff is working on to help families who want to adopt – an online service that would match families with the most appropriate adoption agency.

We know from speaking with families that most may experience confusion when faced with the dilemma of selecting an adoption agency to start the process. Families we speak with want to know: How do I know which agency is best for my family? Does the agency work with single families who want to adopt? Will the adoption agency work with a member of the lesbian or gay community?

The Center conducted research with families in the Delaware Valley in 2008 to find out if an online service that would match them with an adoption agency would be useful. It was clear from our research that families would welcome this type of service. So, we were able, with the support of several foundations in the area, to raise the money to build it! We hope to begin this service in the fall of 2009.

With the online Family- to- Agency Matching service, families can look forward to ratings of adoption agencies by other families; the ability to match with an adoption agency on their family’s needs and more exciting features. It is our hope that this will reduce the amount of time to find the most appropriate agency from several weeks to 30 minutes! Do you think this would be a helpful service and do you have suggestions for other features you would like to see included? We welcome your ideas!

Father's Day Weekend

Here in the US it is Father's Day weekend. For many this is a positive day to show dad he's appreciated. For some, though, this can be a day of painful reminders. Remembrance of a father or father figure who has passed. Or the loss felt when a someone can't quite live up to being all a father can or should be. For those in the adoption world there is also range of feelings from positive to negative emotions. For those who have suffered through infertility there may be the loss of a dream. For others, there may be a feeling of the excited anticipation of an impending placement or already be filled with the joy of becoming a father. There might also be some tension surrounding the role of the birth father.

Whether you are a father or father-to-be, we wish you a wonderful weekend. Please also remember that during Father’s Day weekend, Wendy’s will donate 50¢ from every Frosty product sold to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (DTFA), a national, non-profit public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of foster children in North America. Also customers can stop by Wendy’s and donate to the cause by purchasing a Frosty pin-up for $1 each. Online, you can design a Frosty eCard for Dad: Kids can go to FrostyCard.com to create a free custom Father’s Day eCard and Wendy’s will donate an additional 25¢ to the DTFA for every Frosty Card sent.