Adoption Specialists Alayna Basham and Tina Graber attended this year’s summit of the Dave Thomas Foundation of Adoption, where Tina was named a 2025 Wendy's Wonderful Kids Recruiter of the Year.
We are proud to announce that the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has named CHS Adoption Specialist Tina Graber a 2025 Wendy’s Wonderful Kids (WWK) Recruiter of the Year.
For nearly nine years, Tina has dedicated herself to finding permanent, loving families for South Dakota’s longest-waiting children in foster care, including teenagers, sibling groups and children with special needs. She travels across the entire state making meaningful connections and searching for permanent families through the WWK’s evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model—known to be up to three times more effective for children who have been in foster care the longest.
“I feel very honored and humbled to receive this award,” said Tina. “It’s a privilege to work with these kids and find families that make them feel loved, supported and safe—and to remind them that they’re just regular kids.”
This year, Tina helped finalize 10 adoptions, with a few more in progress, and matched six additional children with pre-adoptive families. She credits her success to teamwork and perseverance.
“I’ve been doing this long enough that I’m used to hearing the word ‘no,’” said Tina. “I couldn’t do this on my own. I have a strong relationship with South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS) and work with an incredible team. We all believe that there is a family out there for every child. That hope keeps me going—because the next phone call could be the one where someone says, ‘yes.’”
In South Dakota, CHS serves as the state’s only WWK partner agency, with offices in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Rapid City Adoption Specialist Alayna Basham nominated Tina for the award because of the calm presence she brings to every situation and the lasting relationships she builds.
“You can tell Tina really thinks about what she says and does, and how it impacts the relationships that she builds with youth, families and coworkers,” said Alayna. “She makes a lasting impact on everyone she works with, and the way she always stays level-headed in tough situations is truly admirable.”
Basham noted that these strong relationships also extend to other child welfare agencies, including DSS.
“Tina consistently has a wait list of youth because of the excellent partnerships she has with custodial agencies in South Dakota,” said Alayna. “There have been times I have heard members of the youth’s team say, ‘this youth would not have achieved permanency if it wasn’t for Tina and the WWK program.’”
In June, Tina traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to accept the award during a special ceremony at the 20th annual summit of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. With more than 600 recruiters in the United States, Tina was one of four who were chosen as this year’s award recipients. She shared that receiving the award wasn’t just about recognition for her work, but a reminder of why she continues to push forward to find permanent families for children in foster care.
“It's a privilege to work with these kids,” she said. “I want them all to have a family and be loved and supported. Seeing a child succeed in a family after witnessing the challenges and struggles that they have gone through—I could not be happier for them. It's hard to describe into words how that makes you feel.”
As CHS continues to advocate for children in foster care, Tina’s commitment reminds us that there is a family for every child waiting for one—and sometimes, it just takes determination and someone willing to keep searching.