Adoptive homes sought for older foster children

Associated Press

DAYTON

A program aimed at finding adoptive families for older foster children in Ohio is expanding thanks to contributions by the state and a nonprofit adoption foundation

The Columbus-based Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption created by Wendy’s restaurant founder Dave Thomas contributed $1.2 million and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services committed $1.1 million last year that is helping expand the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, the Dayton Daily News reported.

Dave Thomas, who died in 2002, never knew his mother and was adopted when he was six weeks old.

Ohio’s contribution enabled Thomas’ foundation to expand its existing program and add 32 sites.

The program also has been able to hire 24 professional recruiters covering 51 counties to find adoptive families for foster children who fall into the hard-to place category, which includes those children who are older than 8 and who have been in foster care for two or more years.

Foundation officials say recruiters with adoption expertise each focus on 15 to 20 children. They get to know them and help them overcome fears of rejection and disappointment so that they’re open to adoption. The recruiters also contact family members, coaches, teachers or other responsible adults from the children’s past to see if they’d be interested in adopting them.

The recruiting method is more effective than using public service announcements to ask the general public to consider adopting a foster child, said Rita Soronen, president and chief executive of the foundation.