Heart Gallery of the
Panhandle Plains
Our Digital Gallery
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Volunteer photographers capture each child’s individuality and spirit in a powerful image that helps share their story. One photo can change everything by engaging coordinated local community networks to connect the child with families and advocates.
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Heart Galleries display beautifully captured professional portraits to connect children whose parental rights have been terminated with adults, friends and communities who support and celebrate them, including potential adoptive families. These connections are especially critical for teens, sibling groups, and children with higher medical needs.
But it’s not just about the photo. The foundation of this approach is collaboration and success centers around communities working together to collectively wrap their arms around children and build permanency through strong relationships.
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With a decade-long demonstrated track record of success in Central Texas, the 88th Texas Legislative session committed to statewide expansion of this model to help every waiting child in Texas find a caring family. Working out of the Moritz Center for Societal Impact at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and in partnership with the Texas Center for Child and Family Studies, we’re rolling out an aligned, collaborative, community-based approach to establishing and supporting Heart Gallery programs statewide
Heart Galleries of the Panhandle Plains works across the state to find positive permanency for Texas children.
Each day, more than 6,000 children in the Texas foster care system are waiting to be adopted and find a permanent place to call home. Heart Galleries tell a child’s story through photographs capturing the spirit, individuality, interests, and unique needs of each child. This helps connect children to caring families and community networks. Since 2014, over 400 children featured in the Heart Gallery of Central Texas have been adopted. As a result, the Central Texas adoption rate has been an average of 22% higher than the rest of Texas year-over-year for the past decade.
Heart Galleries of Texas supports expansion of this model throughout the state. By the end of 2023, each region in Texas will have a Heart Gallery. We’re also increasing community awareness about the needs of families formed through adoption, kinship, and guardianship. Our hope is to decrease the number of children raised in systems by increasing support for families.
Make an impact today
Support our mission by contributing a donation.
Thank You Volunteer Photographers!
Thank You Volunteer Photographers!
We are so grateful to all the amazing photographers who give their time, talent, and heart to make the Heart Gallery a reality in Lubbock, Amarillo, and the surrounding counties.
Where we’re headed
By 2025, Heart Galleries of Texas will:
Develop strong and thriving local heart galleries that serve communities across Texas in order to increase the number of children and youth in positive and permanent placements
Provide support to families formed by adoption, kinship and/or guardianship to prevent disruptions and promote family wellbeing
Provide statewide support of local heart galleries to foster innovation, provide peer support and inform best practices for system and practice improvements
"Heart Gallery of the Panhandle Plains is a proud partner of Heart Galleries of Texas."
