Mountain State Times

The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption have announced an expansion of a program aimed at increasing adoptions for youth in foster care. The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® program, a key initiative of the Foundation, will now be implemented statewide in West Virginia. This expansion is designed to help children who are at risk of aging out of the system find permanent homes.

Governor Jim Justice made the announcement during his briefing, coinciding with National Adoption Month. He also declared November as Adoption Awareness Month in West Virginia.

The collaboration between DoHS and the Foundation will involve hiring adoption professionals known as Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters. These recruiters focus on finding legal permanency for children who have been in foster care the longest, including teenagers, children with special needs, and sibling groups. The program has shown significant improvements in adoption outcomes for these often-overlooked children.

Cynthia Persily, Ph.D., Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services, expressed enthusiasm about the expansion: “We are thrilled to expand the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program in West Virginia. Every child deserves a safe, loving, and permanent home.”

Currently, recruiters are working across the state, with plans to hire more through Mission West Virginia. Both DoHS and the Foundation will monitor progress and assess future needs for additional recruiters.

Rachel Kinder from Mission West Virginia highlighted the importance of this expansion: “We are thrilled to be expanding our Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program in West Virginia.”

A national evaluation found that children referred to this program are up to three times more likely to be adopted than those in traditional foster care. After a successful pilot in Ohio led to statewide implementation there in 2012, efforts have been made to scale this initiative across all 50 states and Washington D.C., with several states already participating.

Rita Soronen, President and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption stated: “Innovative partnerships like this are critical to ensure there are enough recruiters...to serve the number of young people who need a family now.”

To date, over 14,700 children nationwide have found permanent homes through this initiative, including 98 youth in West Virginia.

For those interested in career opportunities supporting this cause, visit www.governmentjobs.com/careers/osawv.