The Heart Gallery of Maryland
Photography to open your heart and your home to create forever families through adoption
November 4 - December 31, 2005
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In Baltimore, almost 8000 children live outside their family to protect them from abuse and neglect. Many of these children along with those throughout the state await a place to call home with a family who will adopt them. There is significant need for adoptive homes for older children, sibling groups and children with special challenges. The Heart Gallery of Maryland is a collaborative effort of regional photographers who donated their time and talent, Court of Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Baltimore, Inc., The Baltimore City Department of Social Services, the Maryland Department of Human Resources, Villa Julie College and dedicated volunteer coordinators to introduce you to many of these children in need of permanent and loving homes. The Heart Gallery concept was created in 2001 by the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department. It has been featured in The New York Times, Women's World, Camera Arts Magazine, Parade Magazine and on 20/20. There have been similar Heart Galleries throughout the country and we are pleased to present this unique opportunity for you to visually meet chidren from around the state of Maryland who are available for adoption. We welcome you to enjoy this exhibition of portraits by the region's most renowned photographers and encourage you or someone you know to help create a forever family. |
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Maryland Heart Gallery Photographers |
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Dean Alexander |
Dennis Drenner |
David Y. Lee |
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Villa Julie College's Family and Community Services Program is a nationally accredited, multi-disciplinary program in human services. Students who choose this major want to be in a profession that focuses on helping people in need. Graduates have chosen job positions which range from Head Start teacher to assistant director of admissions, and from mental health worker to probation officer. Graduates also attend graduate school in programs such as school counseling, community mental health, counseling, and social work.
Field experiences are an important part of each student's experience. In their junior year, students intern in a community agency for 90 hours one semester. In the second semester of their senior year, students have a full-time, 540-hour supervised practicum in a community agency. Several Family and Community Services majors have participated in field experiences in the Adoption and Foster Care Units of the Baltimore County Department of Social Services. Their experiences there have had a profound impact on them; both their heads and their hearts have become involved.
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"While working with someone who was becoming a foster parent, I was deeply moved to see how passionate she was about taking care of her grandson. His mother (her daughter) was no longer able to care for him, and he was going to be placed in foster care. When asked, "Why do you want to become a foster parent for your grandson?" the woman replied, "Because he is my blood, my family." Her voice was determined and strong, proving how sincere she was in caring for this child. Her commitment to maintain and strengthen her family touched my heart in a way that I cannot explain. Her actions defined what the term "family" means better than any textbook could have. The importance of a connected family cannot be compromised for anyone or anything. This was one experience that I will carry with me when working with families in the community." |
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Words cannot describe that joy that I felt after seeing a chubby 8-month old baby placed with a permanent family. To know that she had been through so much so young, but was finally ending up with a family who had her best interest at heart was such a great feeling. It was wonderful to know that this little baby would now experience what it feels like to be loved and cared for. Knowing that her needs would be met literally made me cry. As I walked away from my practicum, I realized that seeing the adoption process finally come to a successful end was the most rewarding part of the job. Court dates, paper work, and home visits may have been overwhelming at times, but they were all worth it in the end! These children had families! |
"One of the children with whom I was involved was a young teenage girl who had been a victim of child pornography and sexual abuse, and was a drug addict. DSS placed her in a safe group home with mentors who could help her live a more normal life. My job was to be another mentor for this teenage girl who had seen so much and had been exposed to too much. Together, we did every day things, such as getting our nails done, getting her hair cut and colored, and going to lunch. I wanted her to experience normalcy in activities that every teenage girl should have. When I took her out on those days, she loved it because she had never gotten the chance to do those activities; she had grown up too fast, and not by her choice. The DSS gave her safety, and the individuals she interacted with gave her love. I will remember that young girl as long as I live, and to this day I still wonder about her well-being."
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"I was visiting a sibling group of 4 children in their foster home, where they had been on and off for the past two years. Since they were about to be adopted, I asked them how they would feel about it. The second eldest, a bright 11-year old, acted as the spokesperson for the group when I asked them questions. He looked at me and said, 'We love our mom and want to go back to live with her. But if she can't take care of us anymore, then we want Ms. **** to adopt us. But we still want to see our mom every week.' All of the children agreed that this was what they wanted. The foster mother desperately wanted to adopt the children as they had become part of her family over the last two years. But she also wanted the children to be able to visit their mother because they were very attached to her and still loved her unconditionally. I found it touching that the foster mother wanted the children to still see their biological mother because it was important to them. I also found it amazing that these children, as young as they were, understood that if their mom couldn't take care of them, they should stay with someone who could take car of them. Just because they didn't live with mom anymore, it didn't mean that they couldn't see her and love her." |
"The following memory is very distinct: A three year old boy has lived in the same group home for two years. He has seen more children come and go that he can count. He becomes very good friends with a four year old. Then one day the four youear old leaves the group home and the three year old. Now the three year old is acting out, and when he throws a temper tantrum he yells out the four year old's name. This child has no chance of going home or being with his mom again, but her continues to tell the group home staff that he is going home and going to live with his mom. I will always remember that young boy, and I hope that he has been adopted and is now experiencing a positive family life." |
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Special Thanks: |
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