“The Day I Picked My Parents” Will Premiere As Weekend Event On A&E

“THE DAY I PICKED MY PARENTS” WILL PREMIERE AS WEEKEND EVENT ON A&E

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.”

“It was a privilege to witness and record these young people who, for the first time in their lives, have a say in their own future as they decide where they want to live and who will be their family." said Simon Andreae, CEO, Naked Television.

“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.