Adoption recruitment continues to grow in Ontario, in large part because of the new partnership between Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Servicess and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s Wendy Wonderful Kids program.
The province is funding 15 targeted adoption recruiters, and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids is funding an additional four recruiters. These 19 Wendy Wonderful Kids recruiters will increase the number of recruiters to 23. This is part of a $24-million investment that Ontario is making in enhancing adoption services.
The new adoption recruiters will work within Children’s Aid Societies across Ontario to find permanent homes for children and youth in care. Launched in Canada in 2006, the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program uses a child-focused recruitment model to target the needs of youth who have typically been waiting the longest for a permanent home. The recruiters are focused on finding permanent homes for children and youth with unique, and sometimes complex needs, including older children and sibling groups. Other jurisdictions that have implemented this program have seen an average of 1.7 times more adoption. To date, the recruiters at Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program have found more than 230 permanent homes for children, and the program has served over 800 children in Canada.
