CBS today announced that Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Miranda Lambert will headline the 18th annual A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, to be broadcast Friday, Dec. 23 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Also, Alessia Cara, Rachel Platten and others are set to perform on the special.
Miranda Lambert will perform new songs from her recently released and critically acclaimed sixth studio album
The Weight of These Wings, which hit #1 on the Billboard Country Album Charts after one week of being available from its Nov. 18 release. Also, the double album debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, which spans all genres. Lambert earned her first Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2010 for "The House That Built Me," and her second win was for Best Country Album for Platinum in 2014.
Canadian singer-songwriter
Alessia Cara is best known for her multi-platinum debut singles "Here" and "Wild Things" from her first studio album, Know-It-All. Her new smash single "Scars to Your Beautiful" is currently in the Billboard Top 10.
International pop star
Rachel Platten rose to fame with the release of her multi-platinum selling hit single "Fight Song," which peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped iTunes and radio charts around the globe. Her major label debut album
Wildfire was certified gold and produced the platinum-selling single "Stand By You." She has received several awards, including an Emmy Award and an iHeart Radio Music Award.
A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS features uplifting stories of adoption from foster care and raises 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.
Christensen
Family (Los Angeles)
When Mike and Lisa Christensen decided to have children later in life, they chose foster care adoption. Although initially planning to adopt one child, the couple adopted three siblings after learning that the children could soon be separated in foster care. "Their background was heartbreaking, and we couldn't let them lose each other," says Lisa. Jasmine had lived in five different foster homes and taken care of her toddler sister and brother since their infancy. "They were my whole world," says Jasmine. Today, all three children are excelling in school. "When I was little, I could never imagine my life without my sister and brother," continues Jasmine. "And now I can't imagine my life without our parents. We are so loved."
Hangge
Family (Nashville)
After raising their daughters, Jessica and Kelsey, military family Mike and Rebecca Hangge adopted their 8-year-old daughter, Brynlee, from foster care in 2012. "The moment we met Brynlee, we knew she was meant to be our little girl," says Becky. Mike, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, has performed 27 overseas tours to date, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and numerous Air Medals with Valor for his incredible bravery. Raised by his grandparents for much of his life, Mike and his family wanted to give a child what Mike was given - a loving home. "Every foster child should feel whole, they should stand proud, they should be loved. And they should not be left behind," says Mike.
Munoz
Family (La Verne, Calif.)
In 2003 Raul and Aracely Munoz received a call from their social worker about a sibling group that had moved through seven foster placements. They could not find a family to adopt all four children who had been drug exposed. The couple moved quickly to adopt the siblings. "In the beginning, we would find food taken from the cupboards hidden under their pillows and in their closets," says Raul. "Our oldest, Ana, told us they had often gone several days without eating," says Aracely. Today the children are excelling in school and sports with the oldest earning college scholarships. In 2009 the Munozes adopted their youngest child, Amanda, who now plays the flute in her school band.
Carroll
Family (Los Angeles)
Nkechi Carroll, a screenwriter, and Jon Carroll, a school dean, married in 2002 and planned to have one biological child and adopt a child. When their son Isaiah was 4, the couple pursued their plan to adopt from foster care. "The adoption rates seemed so heartbreakingly low for boys, particularly boys of color. If gender or ethnicity is a reason why kids aren't being adopted, that is absolutely ludicrous and we knew that we could change that statistic for one child," says Nkechi. The Carrolls adopted their 4-year-old son Elijah the following year. "The bond our sons share is truly something remarkable. We have
THE FAMILY we always wanted. Our experience has been such a positive one. If you have the heart to be a parent, you can really do this," says Nkechi.
Children Waiting
Currently, there are more than 420,000 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 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 in 1992. It is dedicated to dramatically increasing the adoptions of children in North America's foster care system.
The Children's Action Network 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.
The 18th annual
A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS with
Miranda Lambert 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.
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