or


[11/20/14 - 09:30 AM]
Performers Announced for the 16th Annual "A Home for the Holidays," An Entertainment Special That Celebrates Families, To Be Broadcast Friday, Dec. 19 on the CBS Television Network
Jennifer Hudson, Train, Earth, Wind & Fire, Rixton, Katharine McPhee, Ashley Monroe, Dan & Shay and Jillian Michaels are among those slated to appear.

[via press release from CBS]

PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 16TH ANNUAL "A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS," AN ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL THAT CELEBRATES FAMILIES, TO BE BROADCAST FRIDAY, DEC. 19 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Jennifer Hudson, Train, Earth, Wind & Fire, Rixton, Katharine McPhee, Ashley Monroe, Dan & Shay and Jillian Michaels To Appear On This Moving Annual Holiday Special, Featuring Uplifting Stories About Children Adopted From Foster Care

Jennifer Hudson, Train, Earth Wind & Fire, Rixton, Katharine McPhee, Ashley Monroe, Dan & Shay and Jillian Michaels will appear on the 16th Annual A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, an entertainment special to be broadcast Friday, Dec. 19 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The special features uplifting stories about families who have adopted from foster care in order to raise awareness of this important social issue. The inspirational stories of these American families are enhanced with performances by some of today's most popular artists.

Musical performances will accompany heartwarming stories that highlight the remarkable American children and families involved in this rewarding process. This year's special profiles the following adoptive families:

VALENZA-GEE FAMILY (Los Angeles, Calif.):

"I always wanted to be a dad. At first I thought I would adopt after I had a life partner. But as time went on, I thought, 'Why wait? I can adopt as a single parent or as a gay parent.'" Rich Valenza became certified to adopt and received a call about 5-year-old Zack and his 4-year-old sister, Emmary. The siblings were homeless and malnourished when they entered foster care. "They just stole my heart," says Rich. "I remember being excited to move in with our dad because I could tell he really cared and would keep us safe," says Emmary. "After I adopted my children, I met Jared," says Rich. "Rich and I became life partners and I fell in love with our kids the moment I met them," says Jared Gee. "Our parents are awesome and I can't imagine what our lives would be like today without them," says Zack.

HUNT FAMILY (Los Angeles, Calif.):

Jennifer Hunt had been a children's book editor for 17 years when she decided to adopt. "I was adopted as an infant, so I grew up with the sense that family are the people who open their arms to you." Jennifer was matched with 17-year-old Josiah, who had been in foster care since age 2. "The risk of aging out and becoming homeless was a real concern and it made me scared. I did everything I could to focus on my education, because I knew college would give me a better chance in life," says Josiah. "When I met Josiah, I knew in my heart that he was meant to be my child. He had goals and dreams and really needed a parent to care and be there for him," says Jennifer. Today, Josiah is a freshman in college studying 3D animation. "Without my mom, I wouldn't be where I am now. She has shown me more love than anyone in my entire life," he says.

NOLIN FAMILY (Birmingham, Ala.):

"Our daughters Kathleen and Sara were in their teens when we decided to adopt," says Susan. "Initially we considered international adoption, but all that changed once we learned how many children are in foster care," says Denver. Just weeks before Christmas, the Nolins received a call about an emergency placement for a 12-year-old child who had been in foster care since age 3. "We fell in love with Heather the moment we saw her," says Susan. "When I met my family, it felt like I was dreaming. I'd never had a real Christmas before," says Heather. Today, Heather is a freshman in college studying early childhood education.

WILLIAMS FAMILY (Anaheim, Calif.):

Kelly and Jared Williams had two biological sons before adopting their daughter, Mara, in 2006. "Being a parent was so rewarding, and our sons Drew and Jordan were very supportive of our decision to adopt," says Jared. "We fell in love with Mara. Her situation was heartbreaking. She didn't know how to speak because no one had talked to her," says Kelly. Mara thrived in the care of the Williams family, and today is a talkative 12-year-old excelling in school. "My brother and I couldn't imagine our sister alone in foster care, and we looked forward to our parents adopting again," says Drew. In 2013, the Williams adopted Davion and his little brother, Shawn. "All of our children have added so much love to our lives."

CHILDREN WAITING:

Currently, there are more than 400,000 children in foster care in the United States. The inspirational "Children Waiting" segment gives voice to these forgotten children by creating an intimate portrait of their hopes, their dreams and their wish for a "Forever Family."

The 16th Annual A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is produced by Triage Entertainment and Goldsmith Entertainment. Karen Mack, Stu Schreiberg, Stephen Kroopnick and Marilyn Seabury are the executive producers. Kelly Brock is the producer, Kimberly Steer is the supervising producer and Mary Donaldson is the coordinating producer. Mike Simon is directing the special.

The special is presented in association with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and the Children's Action Network. Wendy's founder, Dave Thomas, who was adopted, established the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national non-profit public charity, in 1992. It is dedicated to dramatically increasing the adoptions of children in the United States foster care system.

The Children's Action Network (CAN) was founded in 1990 by leaders in the entertainment industry in order to harness the power of the entertainment media on behalf of children. The special is a part of CAN's National Adoption Campaign to raise awareness of the joys of adopting and to find homes for the children who are waiting.

RATING: To Be Announced





  [november 2014]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[09/12/25 - 09:18 AM]
Tubi Presents New Docuseries "Always, Lady London" Premiering Exclusively on Tubi October 10
Directed and executive produced by Erika Bryant, the three-part documentary series was greenlit under Tubi's new content incubator, Stubios, a fan-fueled studio for aspiring content creators and their fans.

[09/12/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Is It Cake? Halloween" - A Spooktacular Sneak Peek - Netflix
"Is It Cake?" returns for a special Halloween season with Mikey Day and nine of the best hyper-realistic cake artists around!

[09/12/25 - 08:31 AM]
Netflix Renews "The Hunting Wives" for Season 2 Globally
Season 2 will release exclusively as a Netflix-branded series in nearly all countries where Netflix is available, with the original cast set to reprise their roles in Season 2.

[09/12/25 - 08:08 AM]
ESPN Re-Signs Michael Eaves to New Multi-Year Contract
Eaves will continue his hosting duties on "SportsCenter" along with contributing to ESPN's coverage of golf majors.

[09/12/25 - 07:35 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams "M3GAN 2.0" Beginning September 26
The unrated edition will also stream exclusively on Peacock that same day.

[09/12/25 - 06:04 AM]
ID Sets October Premieres for New Series "The Friday the 13th Murders" & New Season of "The Real Murders on Elm Street"
Both series will premiere back-to-back on Wednesday, October 1 beginning at 9:00/8:00c.

[09/12/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Swim to Me" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The gripping family drama tells the story of the intense relationship between Estela, a domestic worker, and the six-year-old girl she takes care of day and night.

[09/12/25 - 05:31 AM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Most-Watched WNBA Regular Season Ever
ESPN networks aired eight of the top 10 most-watched WNBA games during the 2025 season, highlighted by its most-watched WNBA game ever - 2.7 million viewers for Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever on May 17 (ABC).

[09/12/25 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Heweliusz" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A disaster on the Baltic Sea, a complicated investigation, and the fight of the victims' families for the truth and the good name of those lost at sea.

[09/11/25 - 08:01 PM]
Netflix Marks 10 Years in Japan, Announces Three New Series That Will Keep You Hitting The "Next Episode"
"Straight to Hell," "Did Someone Happen to Mention Me?" and "STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" are all on tap.

[09/11/25 - 05:01 PM]
New International Crime Series "Road" (wt) Explores Twisted Murders Across Borders
The international crime thriller follows two detectives as they track a series of gruesome cross-border murders, characterized by twisted bodies and mysterious dying messages.

[09/11/25 - 12:01 PM]
Apple TV+ Renews Global Hit, Epic Sci-Fi Saga "Foundation" for Season Four
The season three finale debuts globally this Friday, September 12 on Apple TV+.

[09/11/25 - 12:00 PM]
Two Unforgettable Nights of Music Coming to CBS This Fall
Look for "A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire Live: The 21st Night of September" and "A Grammy Salute to Cyndi Lauper: Live from the Hollywood Bowl" in the coming weeks.

[09/11/25 - 11:00 AM]
Special Show Moments Announced for the "77th Emmy Awards," Sept. 14 on CBS
Plus: Brad Garrett, Young Mazino, S. Epatha Merkerson, Hunter Schafer, Ray Romano and Ice T have been added as presenters.

[09/11/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror-Thriller "Fatal Detour"
In the film, a demented tech genius lures unsuspecting influencers into his nightmarish mansion by hacking their luxury electric vehicles.