In 2005, Parade Magazine twice carried stories about the “Heart Gallery,” a professional photo exhibit of kids across the country who were eligible for adoption. In October of that year, the Child Saving Institute Guild, along with Adoption Links, Lutheran Family Services and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, collaborated to establish the Nebraska Heart Gallery to display professional portraits of hard-to-place older children. The effort resulted in several adoptions and the program continues today.
Top local professional photographers volunteer their time and talent to capture each individual child’s spirit and personality in an effort to inspire an emotional connection with families and, hopefully, a forever home. The children are referred to the gallery through Child Saving Institute, Lutheran Family Services, and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
Originally, the Nebraska Heart Gallery was a traveling exhibit that included biographical information about each child or sibling group. Today, internet technology allows potential adoptive families to see the children’s photos and bios with the click of a button. Visit Meet the Children to see for yourself the spirit and beauty evident in each child’s photograph and profile.