Q: Where did the name “Wednesday’s Child” come from? 

There are two answers to this question depending on who you ask. Tom nor I created the name. It originally came from another Gannett- owned station in Oklahoma which used “Wednesday’s Child” for a similar foster care segment. Gannett encouraged other stations to adopt the idea and it spread to various cities. However, it was never a franchise – each station that uses Wednesday’s Child operates independently.

A more generic answer is the name “Wednesday’s Child” is from the days of the week poem from the 1800’s ‘Monday’s Child’ which says Wednesday’s Child is full of woe. 

Q: Tell us about the early days? 

WLKY aired the first Wednesday’s Child segment in August 1980, coinciding with the launch of Kentucky’s Special Needs Adoption Program (SNAP). I worked closely with social workers whose goal was to recruit adoptive families for children considered “hard to place”. The children featured on the news were selected by social workers who knew them personally. WLKY’s viewing area covered multiple counties in Kentucky and Indiana, and at the end of each segment, we shared a phone number for adoption inquiries. After our very first segment aired, we received over 75 calls from people wanting more information. The public was shocked by the reality these children faced, and they wanted to help. 

Q: How did it evolve over the years? 

As we continued featuring children every week, public awareness grew. While not every child featured was adopted thousands of foster children found homes because of the exposure. The initiative also helped influence changes in adoption laws, making it easier for families to adopt older children. 

Q: What are some of the more difficult aspects of this type of news coverage? 

One of the biggest challenges was telling each child’s story in a way that was personal and compelling while also protecting their privacy. We had to be careful not to share too much about their backgrounds or the difficult situations they had been through. Instead, we focused on their personalities, interests and the qualities that might connect with a potential adoptive family. 

Q: What are some of the rewards of this news coverage? 

In journalism, you don’t always get to see the direct impact of your work. But with Wednesday’s Child, we could see lives being changed in real time. Seeing a child meet their adoptive family for the first time, hearing from families who were inspired to adopt because of a segment they saw – those moments were incredibly powerful. It was proof that television could do more than inform, it could truly transform lives. 

Q: How did the nonprofit begin? 

Many people who saw the Wednesday’s Child segments wanted to help even if they couldn’t adopt a foster child. Donations started coming into WLKY to support the children, so Wednesday’s Child, Inc was created as a nonprofit to manage those funds. Over time, the organization grew into a fully functioning nonprofit with a working board. Lynda Price, a social worker, became its executive director and led the organization for 34 years. The mission expanded to include grassroots adoption recruitment efforts as well as host special events for foster children and adoptive families.

Q: What is the relationship between Wednesday’s Child, Inc and WLKY? 

They are completely separate entities. WLKY remains a media sponsor, helping to raise awareness through public service announcements, donating airtime to special stories and hosting our annual Adopt-a-thon fundraising event. 

Q: From your perspective, what are your thoughts on Wednesday’s Child today? 

The need for foster and adoptive families was urgent in 1980- but today, the crisis is even greater. As more protections are put in place to remove children from unsafe environments, the number of children in state care continues to grow. Many have nowhere to go, sometimes not even a bed to sleep in. 

Wednesday’s Child is committed to not only recruiting foster and adoptive families but also helping these children succeed. Whether it’s through education programs, providing funds for essential needs and/or extracurricular activities, we want to prepare Kentucky’s foster children for adoption or independent living. Kentucky Youth Advocates in a recent study, found 1 in 3 young adults in Kentucky who have foster care experience will face homelessness/housing instability at some point.