Wendy's Celebrates Forever Families with Five Thousandth Adoption through Wendy's Wonderful Kids

DUBLIN, Ohio, Nov. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- November is National Adoption Month, and Wendy's^® is celebrating the five thousandth child placed with a forever family, in the United States, thanks to the Wendy's Wonderful Kids^® program. Wendy's Wonderful Kids, a signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption^® (DTFA), focuses on helping children who have been waiting the longest in the foster care system get adopted. The program aims to ensure that every child has the childhood that they deserve, and children referred to Wendy's Wonderful Kids are up to three times more likely to get adopted.

Wendy's Founder Dave Thomas was himself adopted and founded the DTFA in 1992 to find permanent homes for the more than 130,000 children waiting in North America's foster care system. Wendy's passionately supports the DTFA to this day.

During National Adoption Month, the following spokespeople are available to discuss foster care adoption:

• Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, who can discuss the issue of foster care adoption in North America, the DTFA's work, and Wendy's Wonderful Kids' innovative model for placing children in foster care in forever homes.
• Liz Geraghty, Wendy's vice president of brand marketing, who can discuss Dave Thomas' adoption story and Wendy's in-store initiatives to raise funds and awareness for foster care adoption.
• The Curtis family, Tammy and son RD Curtis, can discuss their foster care adoption journey. Tammy originally thought she wanted to adopt a younger child, but once she met RD, then 14, she knew he was the one. RD had spent most of his life in the foster care system, and doubted himself and his ability to ever have a forever family. Today, almost 18, he is doing well in school, has confidence and describes his life as "fun and adventurous." See their story here: https://youtu.be/ZQLNiACY2Uk

Special recruiters are hired through the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program to work on caseloads of children. They give each child the attention that he or she deserves. These recruiters employ aggressive practices and proven tactics, taking into account the needs of the children they serve, to find the children their forever homes. Sixty-five percent of children referred to a Wendy's Wonderful Kids recruiter are older than age nine. Thirty-three percent of the children referred to Wendy's Wonderful Kids have been in foster care more than four years.

Through November, Wendy's is showcasing adopted children's illustrations of a special "family first" moment on all cold beverage and specialty cups. To learn more about Wendy's support for foster care adoption and hear the moving stories of adopted children's "family first" moments visit www.wendys.com/adoption.

About The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated exclusively to finding permanent homes for the more than 130,000 children waiting in North America's foster care systems. Created by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas who was adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs, foster care adoption awareness campaigns and innovative grant-making. To learn more, visit davethomasfoundation.org, or call 1-800-ASK-DTFA.

About The Wendy's Company
The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) is the world's third largest quick-service hamburger restaurant chain. The Wendy's system includes more than 6,500 restaurants in 29 countries and U.S. territories. For more information, visit www.wendys.com.

CONTACTS:
Frank Vamos, 614-764-8477, [email protected] 
Steven Coulombe, 404-879-9292, [email protected]

SOURCE The Wendy's Company