The Lengths We’ll Go

Have you ever questioned the lengths we’ll go for the kids we care for?

Meet Whitney, our Adoption Recruiter who spends her time at St. Vincent Catholic Charities managing the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids (WWK) program.  The WWK program operates as part of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. It specializes in finding homes for those children people consider to be “unadoptable.”  Whitney’s selflessness is on display on a daily basis, as she crisscrosses Michigan searching for homes for children on her caseload.  Yet as you’ll soon learn, Whitney is not restricted to just Michigan when it comes to finding a home.

Whitney had a particularly challenging case, a non-verbal autistic teenager who had been on her caseload for four years and was about to turn 18.  Although a juvenile adoption was no longer an option, Whitney was able to secure a guardianship placement in Kansas, yet funds were unavailable for transportation.  Whitney petitioned the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to provide financial support to help with the transition.

the lengths we'll go

The Lengths We’ll Go with Compassion

Whitney encountered several obstacles along the way, but preserved and continued to find more resources for the trip.  One and a half years later, Whitney’s persistence paid off, and she was finally on a train heading to Kansas with her soon to be placed teen.

For non-verbal autistic teenagers, routine brings comfort in their life.  Drastically changing that routine by traveling across the Midwest on a train, can be very challenging.  Yet Whitney’s familiarity and compassion for her child helped mitigate many bumps in the road. Whitney prepared his favorite movies and games. She tucked him goodnight, and gently awakened him once they arrived at their destination.  At one point, the teen even found himself locked in the train’s bathroom.  But Whitney, with her calm demeanor, counseled him until he was able to open the door.

For an Adoption Recruiter, it’s more than just matching a child with an adoptive parent.  Its years of connecting with a child and learning their personality, inside and out.  It’s attending event after event, reading bio after bio, searching for that one person or family who is the best fit.  At St. Vincent Catholic Charities, we are willing to go to the greatest of lengths to ensure that each child can find that family, no matter the challenges or obstacles.

Visit our Foster Care webpage for more information about our services.

» Back to all posts