Ohio Hits 2,000 Foster Care Adoptions

The Wendy's Wonderful Kids program has helped more than 2,000 Ohio children in foster care find permanent homes.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Special Needs

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a small wooden cottage-shaped form standing alone in a wide open golden field under a pale sky. — More than 2,000 Ohio children in foster care have found permanent homes through the Wendy's Wonderful Kids adoption program, the Dave Thomas Foundation said. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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More than 2,000 children in Ohio who were in foster care now have permanent homes, according to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. The milestone reflects the work of the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program, which Ohio began expanding in 2012.

Why it matters

Many children waiting in foster care are older or have special needs, making placement harder without specialized recruitment. The program's trained recruiters focus on children who have not yet been placed with a family, a group that remains a priority for Ohio's child welfare system.

The Dave Thomas Foundation reports more than 2,000 Ohio foster children placed in permanent homes through the program. More than 80 adoption recruiters work across Ohio with older youth, who average age 14 and have been in foster care for nearly three years.

The players

Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

The foundation reported the Ohio adoption figure and supports the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program to find permanent families for children in foster care.

Wendy's Wonderful Kids

A program that uses trained professional recruiters to find adoptive families for children in foster care who have not yet been placed with a family.

The details

Wendy's Wonderful Kids uses trained professional recruiters to find adoptive families for children who have not been placed. Misconceptions and myths remain barriers for couples considering foster care adoption, even as the number of children in foster care nationwide declines.

2012: Ohio began expanding the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program.
November 2026: National Adoption Month is observed.

Roadmap

Ohio's expansion of the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program beginning in 2012 set the stage for reaching 2,000 foster adoptions. Child welfare agencies increasingly prioritize placement with relatives or kinship caregivers, shaping how specialized adoption recruitment fits alongside those efforts.

Families considering foster care adoption may find that myths about the process are a barrier worth examining. Ohio residents interested in adopting older youth or children with special needs can work with the program's trained recruiters.

The takeaway

Adopting an older child or one with special needs can give a young person a permanent family, and the Ohio program shows that trained recruitment helps make those placements happen. Learning the facts about foster care adoption can help dispel the myths that often hold prospective parents back.