Twelve-year-old William* and his 10-year-old sister and brother, twins Lorraine* and John*, have been matched with a local adoptive family after their new parents learned the group would be featured in the Heart Gallery of Guelph Wellington, which was launched at the River Run Centre on October 24, 2012.

The children's new family had met the children previously but had not known they were going to be part of the Heart Gallery and that Family and Children's Services of Guelph and Wellington County was seeking an adoptive family for them.

The Heart Gallery is a travelling photographic exhibit of children waiting in foster care for permanent families. The project is an initiative of the Adoption Council of Canada, which joins local partners like Family and Children's Services of Guelph and Wellington County to showcase the unique personalities, possibilities and dignity of children in foster care.

Professional photographers, such as Guelph's Dean Palmer, donate their services to create portraits of waiting children and youth. The portraits then tour in public spaces to raise awareness about the 30,000 children in foster care across Canada, and to attract potential parents to meet the participants' need for permanent families.

"We found the adoption process to be very thoughtful, thorough, and based clearly on the needs of our children," said the children's new parents. "It has been a very rewarding experience."

Once a family expresses interest in a child or youth, they are linked with the local children's services agency and must complete a homestudy and meet the province's requirements to become adoptive parents.

The Heart Gallery of Guelph Wellington is supported by Jockey Being Family and The Co-Operators, as well as by Dean Palmer Photography.

"The Heart Gallery of Guelph Wellington is a special program that we at Jockey are honored and thrilled to be a part of," said Debra S. Waller, Chairman and CEO for Jockey International and founder of Jockey Being Family. "It's exciting to see that through successful programs like this, children are finding their forever families more quickly. Every child needs the safety, love and support of a permanent family."

There are still seven children and youth in the Guelph and Wellington Heart Gallery in need of permanent and loving families. To learn more about these children and youth, or to sponsor a Heart Gallery in your community, please visit www.canadaheartgallery.ca.

"The Heart Gallery is an exceptional and unique way to locate forever families for children in our communities," says Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of The Co-Operators. "Our staff members were delighted to volunteer to support this wonderful initiative, and we wish to thank the Adoption Council of Canada, Family & Children's Services of Guelph and Wellington County and Dean Palmer Photography for their tireless work that helps make these children's dreams a reality."

Together, we can make a difference in the lives of waiting children and youth.

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the children.

For more information:

Sarah Pedersen
Adoption Council of Canada
Executive Director
Email Contact
613-235-0344

Colleen Reardon
FCS of Guelph and Wellington County
Executive Assistant
Email Contact
519-824-2410. (Ext. 4112)