National Adoption Day is November 18th. As an adoptive family, it's a meaningful day for us, as it is for millions of other families. In order to learn a bit more about the day, we chatted with Rita Soronen, CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
Eric Cohen: Hi Rita, Thanks for taking the time to chat. To start, can you tell me a little about the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption?
Rita Soronen: Sure, thank you for sharing our story. The DFTA is a national non-profit founded in 1992 by Dave Thomas, who was CEO of Wendy’s at the time. He was looking to support a cause that was in line with the spirit of Wendy’s desire to give back. And as Dave was adopted, it was a cause near to his heart. After looking at the various facets and needs around adoption, he determined the area where he could make a great contribution was to help get kids adopted out of the foster care system. He also had the foresight to make our organization a not for profit, vs a traditional foundation. What this has done has made it necessary for us to raise funds and get out in the community. To build awareness and be active, as opposed to a traditional foundation that does not have this need. So driving awareness and addressing the myths of foster care adoption is one element of what we do. The other is distributing grants to organizations that are aligned with our mission of moving kids from foster care to their adoptive families.
EC: Was Dave Thomas adopted out of foster care?
RS: Yes and no, he was adopted as an infant after being in foster care for a few days. And his childhood was similar in many ways to those in the foster care system. His mother died when he was young and his father was transient and Dave spent much time being raised by his grandparents. He eventually left home at 16, so his childhood journey of being raised in various households by his non-biological parents has significant similarities to those raised in foster care.
EC: You’ve been with the foundation 16 years. What changes have you seen over that time?
RS: Since I’ve been here we’ve made a very significant and deliberate shift from awareness of the need, towards action in moving children out of foster care and into adoptive families. Originally we focused on PSA’s (Public Service Announcements) and our TV show, which is still around, but around 2004 we made this shift. The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program is a model for child focused recruitment. Right now there 111,000 kids waiting to be adopted, and 20,000 age out once they reach 18 without ever being adopted. We want to change this. We’ve also learned that once a child reaches age 9, their chance of being adopted is lowered dramatically. The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids model focuses on these kids. We’ve seen the proof that it works. What we do is distribute grants to 260 organizations that allows them to hire a full-time professional whose role is to take action. We’ve helped over 12,000 children get adopted through this program.
EC: If someone is interested in adopting out of foster care, what should they do?
RS: Research, research, research. Learn about adopting out of foster care. Many people have false assumptions that lead them to talk themselves out of adoption before they even start. For example, you don’t have to be a stereotypical young couple to adopt. We see many single parents and many older parents joining us. For example older parents, many decide they have room in their hearts and homes for more children, but don’t want to change diapers again. Another thing to consider is do you have a support system? Friends and families that can share the joys and the challenges. And do you have the heart for the unconditional love this will require for the rest of your life and theirs?
EC: I’m sure there are many people that would be great as adoptive parents and I encourage them, but for those that don’t feel this is right for them, how can they help?
RS: Of course, adoption isn’t for everyone, but there are a lot of ways to help. Every child deserves a family and there are many things we can do at a community, faith and corporate level. There are ways to volunteer at a local level, including mentoring the children, or volunteering around the holidays or back to school or other times of need. There are a lot of ways to help locally. Or folks can consider fostering. It helps these children tremendously and offers them a safe and secure home in a time of need. Any many children are adopted by their current or past foster families. If someone is interested in exploring this, we have lists of organizations around the country that need volunteers or foster families. We’re happy to help.
EC: Rita, thanks so much for sharing this information, and thanks for your work.
RS: Thank you for helping us, and hopefully helping more children find their adoptive families.
