Texas organization captures lives, stories of children living in foster care

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A Texas organization is working to put a face and a name to the thousands of children living in the state's foster care system -- one portrait at a time.

Heart Galleries of Texas has been active for the past decade, beginning as a grassroot effort centered around photographic exhibits. These portraits are designed to help tell the stories of children living in Texas' foster care system and who are awaiting adoption, said Cara Fox, program director of Heart Galleries of Texas.

Working with volunteer photographers, Heart Galleries of Texas captures high-quality photos of the children. Working with the children's case workers and foster parents, the organization then helps write a narrative on the child to help find them the right match.

"These kids are so special. Each one -- unique personalities, different interests, searching for families that match in different ways," Fox said. "And so they really deserve to have their stories told with dignity and in a way that really honors the individuality of each child, and so that's our focus."

This effort is all the more critical, she added, given the sheer number of children seeking adoptive families. As of Nov. 7, there are more than 9,800 children in Texas' foster care system ages 17 and young, according to data from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

While the organization has been around for about a decade, Heart Galleries of Texas received funding during the last Texas legislative session to build out the initiative statewide and in "a more structured way," Fox said. Heart Galleries of Texas operates in 11 regions across the state, working in tandem with various community partners to display the portraits.

Those range from coffee shops and banks, to shopping malls and churches -- anywhere a prospective adoptive family might see and connect with a child's story.

This past year marked Heart Galleries of Texas' first with the statewide rollout, Fox said. Of the 515 children featured in those galleries, 40% of them have been placed with adoptive families.

"It works," she said. "We know that it works, and we're looking forward to continued statewide expansion and featuring more and more children. The goal is that every child in Texas who is waiting for an adoptive family and wants to be featured in a heart gallery is featured and has that opportunity statewide."

Alongside its mission connecting children with adoptive families, Heart Galleries of Texas also assists with post-adoption support services, so they can continue to aid both the family and the child as they enter this new chapter.

Those interested in aiding Heart Galleries of Texas' work can volunteer their time or skills if they're a photographer, help host a local heart gallery and spread the word on the organization's efforts. More details on those opportunities are available online.

Above all, Fox said it's imperative people remember that behind the foster care statistics are real children who deserve to find their home.

"It's not just a number," she said. "Those are individual children with individual stories and individual family needs, and somewhere out there, there's a family for each of them."