How this group is helping children get adopted, easing transition for parents
Diana Gelfand became a foster parent in 2013 and within 10 years adopted three children, now 6, 11 and 12.
As a single mother to a transracial family and a social worker in Broward County, Gelfand, 42, says support from other parents was critical to her family.
“It’s really important that you find connections and find fellow adoptive parents that have been through the trenches and can support you on your own journey with finding community resources,” she says.
She credits the Heart Gallery of Broward County, a nonprofit that has been working with foster and adoptive parents since its founding in 2006, with developing that community.
The original Heart Gallery, based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, started in 2001 as a traveling photo exhibit showcasing foster children awaiting permanent homes. The professional photos and handwritten biographies helped get the children adopted.
Since then, the Heart Gallery of Broward County has developed as a community resource, offering activities like bowling and birthday parties for the kids and connecting families with resources.
“We have had over 500 successful adoptions since we were first founded,” said Dr. Mary Kinirons, executive director of the Heart Gallery of Broward County. Two years ago, she and her husband, William Kinirons, adopted three siblings in foster care from the Heart Gallery of Tampa.
The heart galleries are “a way to represent the true heart of the child,” Kinirons said, noting there are more than 80 heart galleries across the country.
Teens need adoptions
More than 368,000 children are in foster care in the United States, with more than 108,000 eligible for adoption, according to a 2022 report from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). In Florida, there are more than 22,000 children in foster care.
“One of our biggest challenges is that we represent specifically difficult to place youth,” says Kinirons, including teenagers, sibling groups and children with high medical needs, among others.
Kinirons says younger children tend to live in foster homes, but teens are usually placed in group homes because many foster parents are hesitant to welcome teens into their homes.
“There’s so much stigma around adopting a teenager, so that that’s been the most challenging,” says Kinirons. “It really breaks my heart when I see the same kids every year that just want a family, but then nobody’s really stepping up.”
The Heart Gallery’s fundraising efforts support several key programs, including its annual holiday party. Last year’s party cost about $20,000, including $150 gift cards for “wish-list” items for each foster child. Birthday cards with gift cards are also provided to each foster child, and the gallery’s back-to-school event includes $500 gift cards for each child.
“We really rely on donors to help make that happen,” says Kinirons.
The Heart Gallery also helps adoptive parents during and after the adoption process.
Family support after adoption
“We have been hearing more and more about failed adoptions because families aren’t getting the support long term and these adoptees are entering the foster care system again,” says Kinirons. “So, we started support and resource programs to show families that we’re here to support them for years.”
The Heart Gallery works with ChildNet and other foster care providers to help connect adoptive families with foster youth. “Giving kids the environment to thrive and grow and watching them succeed is the most rewarding,” Kinirons says. “The most challenging is meeting their emotional and mental health needs.”
Broward Circuit Court Judge John Bowman has certified many adoptions, including children featured by the Heart Gallery.
“They help us every year because they’ll provide professional photographers and volunteers to come help,” says Bowman, who noted that the Florida Department of Children and Families handles the actual adoptions, while the Heart Gallery provides the introductions and follow-up support.
National Adoption Day is Nov. 22, in which courts throughout the country finalize thousands of adoptions prior to Thanksgiving.
He says his court hosts one of the largest National Adoption Day programs in Florida, complete with a party, gifts for the kids, lunch, games, a DJ, and a “puppy pit” with puppies available for adoption.
“We’re also highlighting the kids who still remain in foster care and, of course, the special-needs kids that the Heart Gallery works with,” says Bowman.
Christine Frederick has spent over 20 years working on behalf of foster children, especially older teens “aging out” of the foster care system. She was recently honored as the “Child Advocate of the Year” at the 11th Annual “Eat Your Heart Out” charity event, whose proceeds benefit the Heart Gallery.
As someone who has worked closely with foster children, she recognizes the value of the Heart Gallery.
“What the Heart Gallery does is so unique and special to kids who are looking for a home,” said Frederick, now the CEO of the Lord’s Place, a West Palm Beach nonprofit that helps people experiencing homelessness in Palm Beach County. “They really try to focus on shedding light on those who really need a family and try to help remove barriers for families.
“They do a phenomenal job trying to find the support framework for families who do want to foster, but are maybe afraid or apprehensive.”
How to help
To donate to the Heart Gallery of Broward County, 222 SE 10th St., Fort Lauderdale, or to learn more about fostering or adopting, visit www.heartgalleryofbroward.org
Email: info@heartgalleryofbroward.org; Phone: 954-918-3008
Editor’s note: This story is part of the Miami Herald Giving Section that highlights local nonprofit organizations in the community.