The Wise County Department of Social Services this week partnered with Wendy’s in Wise to celebrate National Foster Care Month. The Dave Thomas Foundation, named after the founder of Wendy’s, is a major supporter and contributor to the cause of foster care and adoption, notes social services foster care/adoption supervisor Jeannie Mullins. Wendy’s General Manager Connie Kennedy happily agreed to let social services workers place commemorative pinwheels and foster care informative signs on the property, according to Mullins. In 2012, Wise County social services worked with 135 kids in foster care. Substance abuse is the primary reason children are in foster care in Wise County, according to Mullins, and there is always a need for good foster parents. The county currently has slighter fewer than 50 foster homes and faces a shortage. Officials try their best to keep the kids in their own communities. Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent or looking to volunteer is encouraged to contact the department for more information at 276/328-8056.