Heart Gallery Opens with Compelling Portraits and Stories of Young People in Need of Adoptive Homes Photo gallery designed to draw potential adoptive families
July 7, 2016
Contact: Kari Nye
kari.nye@maryland.gov
(410) 767-8592
Baltimore—In partnership with Adoptions Together, the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) today welcomed the Heart Gallery, a portrait exhibit featuring Maryland youth who are in foster care and waiting to be adopted. The moving portraits and accompanying stories capture the spirit of these children—all of whom are searching for a loving, permanent family to call their own.Through high-quality photos and brief, printed profiles, the exhibit shares personal stories of children who are aspiring paleontologists and outdoorsmen, who love to play football and go to school, who are big brothers and sisters, who like to be read to and are described as inquisitive, loving, or kind. “What each child has in common is the singular need for a loving forever family,” said DHR Secretary Sam Malhotra. “These children need us, our neighbors, our colleagues, and our family friends to spread the word about the importance of adoption, and to share the stories of the children whose lives it would change.”
In Maryland, there are approximately 45 children available for adoption today. The State of Maryland dually approves their resource families as foster/adoptive families. DHR provides extensive resources and training for their foster/adoptive parents while also providing a wide range of support services for youth transitioning to adulthood and self-sufficiency. For example, foster youth are eligible for a tuition and mandatory fee exemption to attend a public institution of higher education in Maryland if they meet certain criteria.
DHR will host the Heart Gallery through the month of July in its continued effort to ensure that every Maryland child has a permanency plan. To schedule a visit to the gallery, please email Kari Nye at kari.nye@maryland.gov.
About the Maryland Department of Human Resources
The Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) is the state’s primary social service provider, serving more than one million people annually. Through its 24 local departments of social services, DHR aggressively pursues opportunities to assist people in economic need,provide preventive services, and protect vulnerable children and adults in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. Additional information may be found at www.dhr.state.md.us, or on Facebook and Twitter.
