OHIO: Noah* is a teenager who entered foster care as a toddler. His father was never around and his mother has been unable to care for her child. Until Noah started working with a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® (WWK) recruiter, there had been no communication with his mother over the past ten years. Noah’s WWK recruiter was able to track down his mother thanks to the Connect Our Kids tools, which provided Noah’s mother’s latest, updated contact information.
When Noah’s mother was contacted, she shared that she wanted to help find a family to take care of her son since she could not. She calls the WWK recruiter every couple of months to check-in to help find a family for him. She has offered a few relatives’ names but unfortunately, none of them were qualified to become licensed adoptive parents. These relatives are, however, interested in being involved with Noah’s life somehow.
His mother and his WWK recruiter kept trying.
In one face-to-face conversation, Noah informed his WWK recruiter that he used to go to church and liked one couple in particular. Immediately, his WWK recruiter investigated the couple. The problem was, Noah only remembered their first names and there were so many couples who attended that church.
There was no way to know who this couple was or how to contact them.
Noah’s WWK recruiter was able to get full names and a location by interviewing Noah’s former foster parent and another foster family in the area. Their full names and precise location were enough for the People Search tool to capture the couple’s latest address right away.
This couple from Noah’s former church responded to the WWK recruiter’s letter as they remembered Noah and liked him very much. They were excited to reconnect, and after re-establishing contact the couple eventually became licensed foster parents and Noah is now living with them. His new foster parents are committed to supporting Noah no matter what, and however they can.
Connect Our Kids is a non-profit dedicated to leveraging technology to find families, build connections, and create a community for children in the foster care system. Want to help more children like Noah? You can today by donating HERE.
*Name has been changed to protect privacy.
