Photo Exhibit Featuring Pennsylvania Children Waiting to be Adopted Visits Harrisburg

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 2 /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 Feb. 16 at the Harrisburg Mall.

"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 Harrisburg 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 waiting to be adopted.  Seven-hundred of these waiting children still need adoptive families identified for them.

The Heart Gallery will be on display in the upper level of the mall for four weeks, including during the mall's Family Fun Fair on Feb. 6. 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.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare