Kidsave will make its television series debut on Sunday, September 8th on A&E Network! The Day I Picked My Parents” features youth and families in Kidsave’s Weekend Miracles Program in Los Angeles, a county that has the largest child-welfare system in the country. The real, riveting stories in this series explore advocacy, mentorship, and hosting, and in some cases the road to permanency and adoption.
Read the press release below and find it in A&E Network's Corporate News.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A&E PRESENTS A SPECIAL FIVE-HOUR DAYTIME LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES EVENT WITH THE PREMIERE OF “THE DAY I PICKED MY PARENTS” FOLLOWING A UNIQUE APPROACH TO FINDING FAMILIES FOR OVERLOOKED CHILDREN ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 STARTING AT 10AM ET/PT
August 21, 2019 – New York – A&E has set Sunday, September 8th at 10am ET/PT for the premiere of a special daytime family programming event, “The Day I Picked My Parents.” The original limited five-hour documentary series follows ten foster children who are part of a revolutionary program operated by the nonprofit organization Kidsave in California, as they search to find their forever home. For the first time in their lives, they will have input into their own destiny as they decide where they want to live and who will be their family.
Kidsave partners with Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services to turn the adoption process on its head. Through a pioneering program Kidsave developed, kids who have been in foster care for much of their lives are being asked what they want, how they want to live and are given the power to picking their own parents.
“We are very proud to highlight the incredible work of Kidsave and the Los Angeles County Department of Family and Children Services, who are dedicated to giving foster children a voice in finding a permanent family and home,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for A&E. “At A&E, we believe it is our responsibility to use our platform to inform as well as entertain, and we hope the stories shared in ‘The Day I Picked My Parents’ may inspire families to consider adoption or to help support organizations doing great work for our children.”
Kidsave’s CEO and Co-Founder Randi Thompson hopes this series helps to change the narrative about older kids in the child welfare system. “We developed our model to give people the opportunity to get to know kids who have often been labeled as ‘troubled or damaged’ because of their age and experiences,” said Thompson. “When people meet them, they see their great potential and resilience. We also empower our kids to have a say in their futures and give them an avenue to find permanency with the help of caring adults. We appreciate A&E’s commitment to sharing their stories, which can help thousands more find families and a chance to thrive.”
“The Day I Picked My Parents” is produced by Naked Television. Simon Andreae, Sreya Biswas, Becky Clarke, Tom O’Brien, David Tibballs and Stef Wagstaffe are executive producers for Naked Television. Elaine Frontain Bryant, Amy Savitsky and Sean Gottlieb are the executive producers for A&E.
A+E Networks holds international distribution rights to “The Day I Picked My Parents.”
About A&E Network
A&E leads the cultural conversation through high-quality, thought provoking original programming with a unique point of view. Whether it’s the network’s distinctive brand of award-winning disruptive reality or groundbreaking documentary, A&E always makes entertainment an art. The A&E website is located at aetv.com. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/aetv and Facebook at facebook.com/AETV. For more press information and photography please visit us at press.aenetworks.com.
Kidsave, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity, helps older children and teens living in U.S. residential facilities, foster homes, group homes, and orphanages overseas, find loving parents and lifelong mentors through our unique Family Visit Model. A volunteer-driven effort, Kidsave works with governments and communities worldwide to see that no orphan or foster child is forgotten, and every child grows up in a family with love and hope for a successful future. Learn more at Kidsave.org.
About Naked Television
Naked Television creates and produces high quality, innovative factual and entertainment programming for the UK, US and international television markets.
The company was founded in 2015 by multi-award winning producer Simon Andreae, in partnership with global production and distribution group FremantleMedia.
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CONTACT:
For A&E:
Kerri Tarmey, (212) 551-1504
Kerri.tarmey@aenetworks.com
For Kidsave:
Lauren Davis, (202) 503 3101
laurend@kidsave.org
