The North Dakota Heart Gallery was promoting National Adoption Day on November 18. The NDHG is a non-profit, privately-funded organization that encourages the adoption of children throughout North Dakota. The organization travels to events and exhibitions across the state and features professional photographs of children in need of adoptive parents on its website.
The NDHG recently held a gala and carnival called, “One Hope Many Hearts,” during which children’s professional photographs, designed to showcase their personality and spirit, were revealed and the organization’s varied donors were honored. Since the NDHG’s founding in 2008, 224 children have been positively impacted by the organization.
The NDHG will display its gallery anywhere throughout the state, including restaurants, cafes, churches, malls, libraries, museums and city halls. Donations of $250 will provide a child with a new outfit for their photo shoot, framing, travel and other expenses for the portrait and a portrait memory book keepsake for the child.
Approximately 47 million Americans have considered adoption, yet there are still 110,000 children who are still awaiting adoption. In North Dakota, there are 2,000 children in foster care – more children than the number of people in some of the state’s counties. Ten percent of those children are in need of adoptive families and ninety percent of them will be adopted by extended family or foster parents.
This leaves about 20 to 30 children every year who are in need of adoption. The NDHG hopes that its continued efforts in honor of National Adoption Day will prompt more people to adopt a child in need of a forever family.
Source: AG Week, North Dakota Heart Gallery connects kids in need of adoptive families, Katie Pinke, November 11, 2017