Each May, Foster Care Awareness Month shines a light on the more than 330,000 children and youth currently in foster care across the United States. It is a time to recognize the experiences of children in care, celebrate foster families and child welfare professionals, and raise awareness about the urgent need for safe, stable, and supportive homes. Most importantly, Foster Care Awareness Month encourages communities to take action, whether that means becoming a foster parent, mentoring a child, supporting local organizations, or simply learning more about the realities children in foster care face every day.
Behind every statistic is a child navigating uncertainty, loss, and change. Many children enter foster care because of abuse, neglect, substance use within the home, or other unsafe living situations. While foster care is meant to provide temporary safety and stability, too many children spend years moving between placements or waiting for a permanent family connection because reunification is not possible. Foster Care Awareness Month helps bring these stories to the forefront while reminding communities that positive outcomes are possible when children have consistent support, advocacy, and care.
In Virginia, approximately 4,800 children are currently in the foster care system, and hundreds of youth age out of care each year without a permanent family. These young adults face significantly higher risks of homelessness, unemployment, incarceration, and mental health struggles compared to their peers. These realities highlight why programs, advocates, and community support are so important, not just during Foster Care Awareness Month, but all year long.
One of those programs is Wendy’s Wonderful Kids®, which helps find forever families for children who have waited the longest to be adopted from foster care.
What is Wendy’s Wonderful Kids?
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids was launched in 2004 by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national, nonprofit public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of 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 grantmaking.
Through Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, the Foundation partners with states to support the hiring and training of adoption professionals, known as recruiters, who serve children most at risk of aging out of foster care without a permanent home. That includes youth ages 9 and older, children with special needs and siblings. These professionals use an evidence-based, child-focused model to find the right family for every child.
A five-year, national evaluation by Child Trends revealed that children referred to Wendy’s Wonderful Kids are up to 3x more likely to be adopted.
In Virginia, the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program is operated through an agreement with Children’s Home Society of Virginia.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter Krista
Our Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter, Krista, has been working for more than a decade to match youth waiting in Virginia’s foster care system with permanent families.
Sadly, the youth who are placed on Krista’s caseload have often been moved around the most through the foster care system. Many of those youth have had 20 or more foster placements, have significant trauma histories, and are in need of a family who can meet these unique needs.
This past summer, Krista was recognized for 15 years of service as a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter. This is a remarkable achievement in a field where burnout rates are high.
Krista embodies the child-focused recruitment model, putting its principles into action every day. She is dedicated to building a trusting relationship with the youth she serves as she works to find a permanent family for every child within their existing network.
Over the years, Krista has been a steady, faithful advocate for children who often see family members, social workers, and other adults come and go. Her consistency and determination set her apart. While many pieces of the process fall outside her control, she remains a true team player, doing everything she can to keep things moving forward for the kids she serves.
“The support CHS and WWK have given me has been vital in allowing me to continue this hard work,” says Krista. “They understand the emotional toll it can take, and even in the heartache, I stay motivated knowing these kids need someone — and a whole village —investing in their future.”
On any given day, Krista can be found playing a board game with a young person, sharing a snack, or simply listening as they talk about their life. She knows each child on her caseload, not just their name or what their file says, but their hopes, fears, and relationships. She works tirelessly to help find permanency for them, spending countless hours on the road to be there for monthly visits and important milestones.
“Krista is truly a gem,” says Shelley, an adoptive parent. “She walked alongside us on every step of the way in our adoption journey. She truly knows the children on her caseload and helped us to get to know each other in an authentic way. Having a knowledgeable adoption worker has made a huge difference in our adoption journey.”
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter Heather
We are proud to announce the addition of a second Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter to our team!
Heather Beam joined the CHS Post-Adoption team in 2024 and will be transitioning this June to the position of Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter.
Heather’s warm and professional demeanor, team-oriented mindset, and communication skills have allowed her to build strong collaborative relationships with colleagues and post-adoption families. She brings a solutions-focused mindset, a proactive strengths-based approach, and plenty of positive energy, organization, and thoughtfulness to everything she does. She demonstrates initiative, flexibility, and diligence, exemplifies CHS values, and shows dedication to the CHS mission through her quality work and consistent participation in agency events.
Heather is excited about the opportunities this role will provide for her to connect with and advocate for youth, as she enjoyed doing in her previous positions with youth residential and vocational rehabilitation programs.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids 2026 Summit
Krista recently attended the annual Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Summit in Columbus, Ohio. This year’s Summit brought together more than 550 adoption professionals, all united by one shared goal: helping find permanent, loving homes for children in foster care. Throughout the multi-day event, attendees heard from powerful speakers, adoption advocates, and families whose lives have been changed through foster care and adoption.
The Summit highlighted the importance of permanency, hope, and connection for children waiting to be adopted. Speakers shared insights on supporting youth in foster care, overcoming systemic barriers, and understanding the lifelong impact adoption can have on identity and emotional well-being. The event also celebrated the incredible success of the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, which has helped achieve permanency for more than 16,000 children across the United States and Canada.
From inspiring personal adoption stories to honoring outstanding recruiters, partners, and advocates, the Summit served as a reminder that meaningful change happens when communities, professionals, and families work together to support children in foster care.
My Path Forward
At CHS, we are proud to support former foster youth through housing assistance, case management, therapy, independent living skill-building, and ongoing supportive services designed to promote long-term stability and success.
These services are made possible through the support of Fostering Futures, generous donors, community philanthropists, and valued community partnerships that help us invest in the futures of young adults transitioning from foster care.
We are currently accepting referrals for youth in need of services and are excited about expansion opportunities in the year ahead that will allow us to increase capacity and serve even more youth across our communities.
For more information on our My Path Forward programs, contact Kristina, My Path Forward Program Manager, at [email protected] or at (804) 433-7708. You can also apply here.
Support Virginia Foster Care
If you are open to adopting an older child or teen, we will equip you through extensive training and ongoing support. Training helps parents connect with and empower youth. We discuss the importance of adult attachment style when working with children, as well as how trauma affects brain development.
“You will never be alone during the journey. There is a tremendous adoption network around you,” Krista says.
Adoption is a lifelong process, which is why we also offer post-adoption services. Post-adoption services and support are crucial for successful adoption and are a great source of comfort for families who are considering adoption. Post-adoption services continue to serve adoptive families long after the adoption is complete.
Typical post-adoption services include support groups, therapy, counseling, and respite.
Our work is all about connections, not only for each child but for each family.
If you’d like to learn more about adopting an older child or teen, please give us a call at 804-353-0191.
This Foster Care Awareness Month, help us spread the word by sharing this blog with your friends, family, and community. Raising awareness about foster care, adoption, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, and Children’s Home Society of Virginia can help give more children the support, stability, and permanent connections they deserve.
