Photo Exhibit Featuring Pennsylvania Children Waiting to be Adopted Visits Colonial Park Mall

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Heart Gallery, a traveling photo exhibit featuring the personal stories of just a few of the thousands of Pennsylvania children waiting to be adopted, will be on display through March 16 at the Colonial Park Mall in suburban Harrisburg.

"The Heart Gallery helps to connect children with families who want to provide a supportive environment and help them achieve their dreams for the future," said acting Secretary of Public Welfare Harriet Dichter. "We hope people will visit the Colonial Park Mall to learn more about the many Pennsylvania children who need to find permanent families."

There are currently more than 20,000 children living in foster care throughout Pennsylvania, with approximately 2,700 children waiting to be adopted.  Seven-hundred of these waiting children still need adoptive families identified for them.

The Heart Gallery will be on display around the mall's fountain, near the entrance of Boscov's. Fourteen of the featured children are from the central Pennsylvania region.

To date, 45 of the children featured in the Heart Gallery have found permanent homes.

Photographers statewide donated their services to create portraits for the gallery. Each child's photo is accompanied by a detailed profile including information about his or her interests, personality and dreams.

The Heart Gallery is on its fourth statewide tour. During previous tours, the exhibit has stopped in Altoona, Erie, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Scranton, State College, Uniontown, Allentown, Lancaster, and York.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Heart Gallery and the children waiting to be adopted, call 1-800-585-7926. To view the exhibit's itinerary, visit www.adoptpakids.org.

Media contact: Stacey Witalec, 717-787-4592

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare