An Adoption Story for National Foster Care Month

For more than 25 years, the Wendy’s® system of restaurants and franchisees have been committed to giving back to our charity of choice, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption® and its singular focus: finding forever families for children in foster care.

Can you imagine being a child and going through the COVID-19 crisis without the stable love of a permanent parent? And, not having someone whose consistent presence, more than anything else, assures you that everything will be okay?

Tonya, who spent six years in foster care, could have been one of those youth navigating this pandemic without a forever family. Fortunately, she was adopted at age 12 through Wendy’s Wonderful Kids®, a signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

We’re sharing Tonya’s story in recognition of National Foster Care Month. And, to raise awareness of the more than 125,000 children who are waiting to be adopted from foster care in the United States — right now.

Tonya was born to a family in which she suffered years of abuse and neglect. As she lingered in foster care, she began to give up hope of ever being adopted. “I didn’t think that I would have a family or anyone who would want to be with me,” she shared.

Wendy’s Wonderful Kids adoption professional, Tiffany Leak, dedicated herself to finding the right family for Tonya. 

In 2017, Tonya was adopted by Kimberly and Brian Porter of North Carolina. The Porters credit Tiffany with bringing their family together. “Tiffany is like family,” Kimberly shared. “Seeing how passionate she was about the cause, it made us as passionate as she was.”

Brian recalls, “The day that it became official, I was happy for Tonya that she didn’t have to worry about that anymore. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was going to be in our home.”   

“I’m glad that I have a family that actually wants me and loves me as much as I love them,” Tonya said.

Tonya, now 15, shared her story because she doesn’t want children still waiting to be adopted to give up hope. Watch Tonya’s story.

Children in foster care are particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. When you order from Wendy's, you can help.

We are committed to giving back to our communities, especially to children waiting to be adopted. By doing that, we help fulfill a promise that we made to our Founder, Dave Thomas, who was adopted, to speak up for the children who need our help the most. We can’t let them lose hope. 

Wendy’s raises awareness and support for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption through a variety of fundraisers year-round, from the crowd-favorite Boo! Books™ at Halloween to Frosty® Key Tags during the holidays.

Funds raised help to make sure there are enough Wendy’s Wonderful Kids (WWK) recruiters, like Tiffany, to find homes for children in foster care who are often overlooked, including teenagers, children with special needs and siblings.

So far, through the WWK program, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has found adoptive families for more than 9,500 children in North America. But we’re not finished until every child in foster care has a permanent home. 

No child should face the COVID-19 crisis or any other without the security and support of a loving, permanent family. Help us support youth in foster care with your donation to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption today.