Photo gallery aims to give foster children permanent homes

ATTICA, Ind. (WLFI) - The photos on display at the Attica Public Library show kids with big smiles. They're smiles on the faces of children who are waiting for homes.

The pictures are part of the Indiana Heart Gallery. It's a photo exhibit that shows pictures of foster children who are ready to be adopted.

"The kids that are in the Indiana Heart Gallery photo exhibit are currently legally free," Indiana Region Five Adoption Champion Amie Cooper said. "That means their parental rights have been terminated and they're waiting for a family to go ahead and proceed with adoption."

The Department of Child Services uses the exhibit to raise awareness for the roughly 1,100 foster children in Indiana who are ready to be adopted. The gallery travels across the state. Cooper helped bring it to Attica.

"Sometimes when people think about adoption they think about infants or international adoption," Cooper said. "They don't realize there are kids right here in our own community in foster care waiting for a loving family."

"It's emotional for me because I want them to feel accepted and loved," Attica resident Christina Kerr said.

Kerr used to be just like the children in the Indiana Heart Gallery. She became a foster child at 15. She was adopted in 2010.

"You feel no one is going to want you permanently and you're just kind of going to be floating around for the rest of your life," Kerr said. "You want to feel accepted and part of a family."

Each child has a card next to their picture. It describes the child, lists their favorite activities, and describes the kind of family they're looking for.

The gallery will be at the Attica Public Library until March 2. To look at the full list of kids in the Indiana Heart Gallery you can visit the DCS website.